Whether you are looking to indulge in some of Florida’s oldest history, or just looking to sip on the city’s finest alcohol, a distillery is the best place to start. Saint Augustine, Florida is home to some of the nation’s finest distilled spirits, and with that comes some of the best craftsmen on the East Coast. Each distillery handcrafts and produces their own authentic taste of Saint Augustine, making sure to encompass all its history while keeping in mind what the customer desires. Look no further, here is a collection of Saint Augustine’s best distilleries!
The Best Distilleries in Town
Here is a list of some of the finest distilleries across town favorited by locals and tourists alike:
- The St. Augustine Distillery: This is a family owned and operated business located in the heart of downtown St. Augustine. The St. Augustine Distillery is known for their wide range of spirits and have made it their mission to use farm fresh ingredients straight from our local agriculturalists. Everything they sell is distilled and hand-bottled right on location, assuring their customers are getting exactly what they are paying for. The distillery offers free tours and tastings seven days a week – no reservations required; and with these tours they will teach you the history behind their craft, allow you to taste their signature spirits, and teach you how to make some of the best cocktails out there. Be sure to check this one out!
- The Ice Plant: A local gem as some might say, located right near the St. Augustine distillery, the Ice Plant is a restaurant and bar open to the public for brunch, lunch, and dinner. This restaurant does not distill its own spirits, but is known for its cocktails, made using only local ingredients ensuring you’d get a glass of St. Augustine’s best. Along with their craft cocktails, the Ice Plant is also a notable farm-to-table restaurant, serving fresh food each and every day from local farms and companies. The building itself holds over a hundred years of history, having been a building used to manufacture ice for the fishing industry back in the 1920s.
- Sailbird Distilling Company: Located right down the road from downtown, this company is new to St. Augustine, but outstanding nonetheless. This company is family owned and operated, and specializes in the small-batch distillation of rum. Besides rum, they also handcraft a variety of other fine spirits. This company offers free tours and tastings during open hours and also offers onsite shopping as well as online shopping (pick-up must be done in person), where they sell all their premium spirits and more.
- City Gate Spirits: New to St. Augustine, City Gate Spirits is located at the entrance to the city, right across from the Castillo De San Marcos. City Gate Spirits distills its own spirits, adding flavors to encapture the flavor and history of the nation’s oldest city. Every spirit they produce is handcrafted and bottled on-site and is sold exclusively at their location in downtown St. Augustine, meaning you won’t find it anywhere else! They are open seven days a week, and offer free in-house tasting of their handcrafted spirits. Run, don’t walk, to this one!
Still Want More?
These distilleries are local to St. Augustine, but if after visiting you are left with a taste for more, here are a few locations North and South of us worth looking into:
- Manifest Distilling (Jacksonville, FL)
- Four Fathers Distilling (Jacksonville, FL)
- Burlock and Barrel (Jacksonville, FL)
- Copper Bottom Craft Distillery (Daytona, FL)
We hope you enjoy “sipping” around the city, but always be sure to be careful and drink responsibly, thus keeping our city as safe as possible. If distilleries aren’t enough and leave you thirsty for more, be sure to check out our recent blog about some other local wineries and breweries around town! As always, we hope you enjoy your stay at Beacher’s Lodge!