Ronny Folino

“Fulfilling a Brother’s Dream”

Ronald W. “Ronny” Folino’s story begins less like a single revelation and more like a slow, fragrant simmer; family recipes and metalwork, a detour through architecture school in Italy, then a return to Florida, where a brother’s dream becomes his own. Today, he remains the public face as well as the hands often on the still at Oceanside Distillery. Oceanside is located in the Cape Canaveral region of Florida, on a site that looks out toward the ocean while also inward toward a family tradition of crafting spirits.

Ronny and his older brother, Lorenzo, grew up steeped in the quiet mechanics of distilling. Their grandfather, a skilled metalworker, fashioned makeshift stills and produced grappa as a hobby. That heritage stayed with Ronny even as his life took several practical turns: studies in business and engineering at the University of Central Florida, followed by architectural training in Milan, Italy.

Back in Florida, Ronny ran a successful design-build and construction business. However, the distilling bug never left either of them, especially Lorenzo, who had envisioned a small-batch, Florida-focused distillery utilizing locally sourced ingredients and modern equipment. Tragically, Lorenzo passed away before the plan reached fruition. Ronny decided to carry the torch himself: he closed his construction business, built the distillery he and his brother had dreamt of, and opened a tasting room in late May 2021. The project kept the family’s hands-on, old-world roots while adopting high-tech tools to deliver consistent, modern craft spirits.

Stepping into Oceanside Distillery, there’s the feeling of that blending of past and future. Copper artifacts and family stories sit beside an ‘iStill’ (a computer-controlled still that can operate as both a pot and a column still), part of Folino’s commitment to precision and repeatability. Ronny has leaned into Florida-sourced ingredients as much as possible, enrolling Oceanside in the state’s “Fresh From Florida” spirit program and working with local corn, botanicals, and even dehydrated sugarcane products to give his vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey a regional identity. That local-first approach is as much a philosophy as it is marketing: the distillery emphasizes terroir in spirit form. As for history, relics of Grandpa’s old copper grappa-producing implements hang on the walls of Oceanside’s tasting room and serve as both homage and inspiration.

Running a small distillery during the pandemic brought its own challenges, especially without Lorenzo’s help. In 2021, Folino publicly discussed the supply-chain headaches that hit craft distillers; in his case, delays getting glass bottles, which forced him to shift suppliers and rethink timelines. He also found a silver lining: spirits that sat in barrels a little longer than planned acquired more wood character, and the experience underlined the resilience small producers need to survive turbulent markets.

What defines Ronny’s work is a kind of respectful curiosity. He loves the chemistry of a mash, the alchemy of heat and copper, and the art of naming a spirit in a way that tips the hat to the region. Oceanside’s ’28 Degrees North’ vodka nods to Brevard County’s latitude, while the ‘Odysea’ Whiskey moniker plays with the seaside setting (Odysea can be had in Single-Barrel, Double Oak, Florida Bourbon, Wheated, and Rye varieties). Oceanside also offers tours and “Masters” experiences where visitors can watch the process and taste barrels in various stages. The distillery also provides free live music events on the weekends.

Ronny Folino, now 71, and his wife Lois lead a quietly cinematic sort of life: the boy who watched homemade hooch being made grew into the man who built the distillery his beloved brother envisioned, blending craftsmanship and technology with local ingredients. Oceanside Distillery doesn’t pretend to be a centuries-old family operation handed down through the ages; it acknowledges those roots while deliberately casting itself as a modern small-batch producer on Florida’s gorgeous Space Coast. It’s a story of honoring what came before, adapting to what’s now, and looking forward, one copper sheen and barrel toast at a time.

Sources:

  1. Spectrum-TV, News 13, Orlando, Florida,  “Central Florida distillers struggle to get glass bottles for their spirits”, Will Robinson-Smith, October 22, 2021

  2. Fitting In Adventure — “See The Future of Spirit Distilling at this Space Coast's Distillery,” Vincent DiLoreto, September 10, 2022

  3. Space Coast Fun Guide Podcast episode 86 “321 Lift Off, Ronny Folino of Oceanside Distillery”

  4. YouTube Oceanside Distillery tour video (YouTube), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t70C3pgoxg

  5. LinkedIn profile of Ronny (Ron) Folino

Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee