Brian Rabon
Brian Michael Rabon was born in July of 1977 and spent his entire childhood in the American South, where annual family vacations to the beaches along scenic Highway 30A on Florida's Emerald Coast left a lasting impression. Those trips became the backdrop for many of his favorite childhood memories, and the coastal communities of Walton County gradually became the place he hoped one day to call home. He continued returning throughout his young adult years before ultimately becoming a resident of the area in 2015, dividing his time between Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and Salt Lake City, Utah. The beaches that had first inspired him as a child would later provide both the identity and philosophy behind his distillery.
Science attracted Rabon long before whiskey became his profession. During high school he excelled in chemistry, crediting his teacher, Mrs. Richardson, with fostering a genuine appreciation for laboratory work and experimentation. Entering college, he initially pursued Chemical Engineering before ultimately earning a degree in Computer Science from Auburn University. His education launched a successful career in software consulting, and he eventually founded his own software consulting company before then obtaining his MSEE at The University of Alabama-Birmingham. Yet despite that professional success, his interest in chemistry never disappeared. Instead, it simply found another outlet.
As a hobby, Rabon began to immerse himself in fermentation and beverage craftsmanship. He became an avid home brewer, continually experimenting with recipes and production techniques. His enthusiasm gradually expanded beyond beer into wine and ultimately distilled spirits, particularly American whiskey. Extensive international travel for his technology career exposed him to regional spirits from around the world, and he began collecting bottles from nearly every country he visited, including baijiu from China and pisco from Peru. Those experiences broadened his understanding of how geography, ingredients, and tradition influence distilled beverages while reinforcing his growing admiration for well-made whiskey.
Rabon also developed an appreciation for hospitality. He enjoyed crafting cocktails and frequently volunteered his services as an amateur bartender. Working behind the bar deepened his understanding of spirits from the consumer's perspective while strengthening his belief that exceptional whiskey should be approachable rather than intimidating. Although cocktails introduced many people to fine spirits, Rabon's greatest fascination increasingly centered on the whiskey itself—its grain, fermentation, distillation, maturation, and the remarkable complexity that emerged from relatively simple ingredients.
A decisive turning point came in 2019 when Rabon's lifelong friend, Dr. Thomas Soltau, opened Sugarfield Spirits in Gonzalez, Louisiana. The two men had shared years of friendship built around outdoor pursuits, entrepreneurship, and an appreciation for outstanding whiskeys. Soltau invited Rabon to apprentice at the new distillery, exposing him to every stage of commercial distillation. Rather than observing from the sidelines, Rabon became directly involved in production, learning fermentation management, distillation, equipment operation, quality control, and product development. The apprenticeship slowly transformed Rabon from an enthusiastic collector into a practicing distiller.
Recognizing that practical experience should be matched by formal education, Rabon pursued additional professional training. In early 2021 he studied with veteran distiller Mitch Abate at Downslope Distilling before enrolling at Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky. There, he strengthened his understanding of distillery operations, production methods, maturation, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance. Those experiences confirmed that his future lay not in software, but in building a distillery that reflected both his technical standards and his affection for Florida's Gulf Coast.
Before long, Rabon founded 30A Distilling Co., officially launching the company in March 2022. The distillery later opened its custom-designed production facility and tasting room in Santa Rosa Beach, providing visitors with an opportunity to observe small-scale craft distilling while experiencing products inspired by the Emerald Coast. From its beginning, Rabon established several guiding principles: complete transparency about production, environmental stewardship, and an emphasis on quality over quantity. Those principles became inseparable from the company's identity. Rabon uses Florida-based ingredients whenever practical, for instance, he sources all the grains needed to make his 100% field-to-glass bourbon from local Murphy Farms just up the road in Jennings, Florida. Brian’s wife, Elizabeth, can often be found at the distillery, assisting in bottling, tasting, or leading tours.
Although 30A Distilling produces several categories of spirits, whiskey occupies an important place within Rabon's vision. The company's Blue Mountain Beach Bourbon reflects his belief that Florida can produce whiskey with its own regional identity while respecting traditional American bourbon-making methods. Rabon has consistently emphasized careful production, ingredient selection, and craftsmanship. His experience studying exceptional whiskeys around the world and apprenticing under Soltau helped shape a production philosophy rooted in technical precision instead of novelty. That emphasis distinguishes the company's whiskey program within Florida's rapidly-expanding craft distilling industry. Rabon has also assembled a team that reflects the collaborative nature of modern craft distilling. Thomas Soltau became a co-owner and continues to provide technical guidance and additional production capacity, while other members oversee production, hospitality, and daily operations. Rather than portraying whiskey as the achievement of a single individual, Rabon has built an organization that values mentorship, continuous learning, and shared expertise. Even so, the distillery remains unmistakably shaped by Rabon’s own personal journey—from chemistry student to software entrepreneur, apprentice distiller, and founder dedicated to producing authentic Florida whiskey.
Sources:
30A Distilling Co., “Meet the Maker”, written by High-Proof Creative, June 27, 2024, 30adistillingco.com
30A Distilling Co., “Our Story”, 30adistillingco.com
Craft Spirits Magazine, “30A Distillery Announces Opening”, April 28, 2022, craftspiritsmag.com
Headshot of Rabon: courtesy of Craft Spirits magazine
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
