“In
Prohibition days, “Edgefield liquor was mean enough to make a
rabbit spit in a bull-dog's face.”
Judge
Robert Devore. June 25, 1925
While
we were in Edgefield today, after eating a nice meal at Chef Bob's Cafe, we
strolled over to the Carolina Moon Distillery. I know I have
mentioned them before but I do not think I gave them the Kudos they
deserve. Today when we walked into the shop, we were warmly greeted
and welcomed to come and get a tour of the distillery. We were
excited about the tour. It was nice to see and learn about their
process. The tour lasted about ten minutes and was very
informative. We learned about what a masher and a thumper does and
how long it takes to process the alcohol. This still can produce 20
gallons of moonshine in a week.
The
Carolina Moon Distillery has been open since 2014 and is run by
master distillers and founders, David Long and Cal Bowie along with
their cousin, Bill Hatch. David and Cal are both lifelong residents
of Edgefield County and are trying to help revitalized the quaint town of
Edgefield. I believe they are making a difference. While we were
there touring, another couple came in from Charleston. This is the
only artisan distillery in Edgefield County and only the fourth micro brewery in the state of South Carolina.
They
make their moonshine from the fruits and corn they purchase from
local farmers. They are helped by Ric Vann, the still master and
Martha MacDonald who is the shop master. We met Martha and she is a
lovely lady and we have enjoyed our time with her at the shop. We
told her she reminded up of one of the Baldwin sisters from The
Walton's and she just laughed. Carolina Moon make rum, whiskey, vodka,
moonshine, and soon gin and only make the spirits in small
batches. They lay their hands on the entire process. They are
very devoted to their craft and only settle for the best. They have
some quirky names for their spirits like; Rabbit Spit Moonshine,
Tally Ho Whiskey, Ten G's Vodka (nicknamed for the 10 governors from
Edgefield), and Ole Tom Whiskey. My favorite is the May Lady Aged
Rum which is peach flavored. We were told how good it is with
lemonade and she gave us a taste with it mixed. They will let you do a tasting to
see what you like before making a purchase. If you do not like to
drink the spirits straight up, Martha showed us how the different
drinks are with lemonade, or with a mix like mojito, or even tomato
juice.
There
is also a nice gift shop you can take a gander at. They sell
handmade jewelry, tee shirts, homemade soaps, pottery, postcards, and
unique funny signs. I love the signs they had on display also.
This is a great place to visit and if you are in Edgefield or close
by, so stop in. You will really enjoy this unique store and
wonderful people that run this place. Their tasting room is open
from 11-5 from Tuesday to Saturday. It is closed Sunday and Monday.
Carolinamoondistillery.com.
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