In Good Spirits

Ology Brewing Co.

Spirit making is part scientific endeavor and part creativity says Daniel Stewart, lead distiller at Tallahassee-based Ology Brewing Co.—a business that drew its name from a word that means “branch of knowledge.”

A Tallahassee native, Stewart got his start in Texas, working for a large-scale distiller before joining the Ology staff in 2022, five years after the brewery and taproom opened in Midtown, now one of three locations in the city, with a fourth in Tampa. Ology began distilling in 2020 to offer patrons cocktails in addition to beer.

“The way licensing works in Florida, we can only serve the products we distill,” Stewart says. “If we want to have a full bar program, it forces you to be creative.”

First, however, comes science. Stewart deftly describes distilling in its simplest form as “boiling something in a big pot.” That something could be grain mash, molasses, potato, or other ingredients, depending on the variety of liquor in the making. Alcohol turns to vapor, is cooled, and then collected as a clear liquid.

“From there, it gets a little more complicated,” Stewart notes. He explains how only a portion of the collected liquid—the spirit heart—is suitable for use, and the process is repeated until the quality is appropriate for consumption, or more often, aged in a barrel or enhanced with botanicals.

Photo by Pablo Gabes

That’s where creativity comes in. Stewart selects aging barrels for the notes they lend bourbons—most prominently vanilla and cinnamon—and strives to incorporate local ingredients, such as lavender and satsuma citrus, for Ologoy’s gin.

“Patrons who know what we are doing will say, ‘You know, I’ve got a bunch of lemon trees, and I’m never going to use all those lemons, so if you want them, come and get them,’” says Stewart, who also likes to wander Turkey Hill Farm for inspiration.

Ology produces an ever-growing variety of spirits, from rye whiskey, small-batch bourbon, rums, and gins to specialty products like absinthe, coffee liqueur, and limoncello. “We have a one-gallon still that’s pretty much always going with lots of experimentation,” Stewart says. “It makes us creative, with lots of trial and error.”

Distilling happens at the Power Mill location, the chain’s newest spot. Ology’s spirits and beers are sold at taprooms, and a selection is available at retailers across Florida like ABC Fine Wine & Spirits and Total Wine. Its northside location features a coffee/espresso bar and a kitchen.

Tours are available on request, and Stewart hopes to make them a regular part of operations. Also coming are new varieties of whiskey, while spiced rum and Campari are in the experimentation phase. Says Stewart, “We haven’t gotten those quite right—yet.”

In Tallahassee: 2708 Power Mill Court, Suite A; 118 E. Sixth Avenue; 2910 Kerry Forest Parkway, Suite 8

In Tampa: 6401 N. Florida Avenue

ologybrewing.com

1861 Distillery

Sometimes a drink is just a drink, but if you’re looking for an experience, Thomasville’s 1861 Distillery is the place to go, says Brian Higgins, owner, distiller, and brewer of the venue, which features a restaurant, tasting room, and cocktail bar.

Higgins says he got his inspiration from Moonshiners, a Discovery Channel television series that dramatizes the lives of people who illegally distill moonshine across the South. “Somewhere between the dramatic bootlegging and questionable decision-making, we thought, ‘Why not make our own whiskey?’” he says. “As fun as that sounds, the truth is a little less outlaw and a lot more passion-driven.”

Higgins, who now distills 15 spirits and brews beer—with six varieties always on tap—got his start with bourbon and an “obsession with doing things the right way.”

“It all starts with our water—sourced from the Florida aquifer, naturally filtered, and rich in minerals that enhance the final product,” Higgins says, noting that digging a well was the distillery’s first project. “From there, we take our time perfecting the process,” which he describes as “slow and low.”

Photo by Daniel Shippey

The team experiments with grains, botanicals, and aging techniques as well as local ingredients they hope to highlight. Time is key to bringing out smooth, well-balanced flavors, as is taste testing. “Tough job, but someone’s got to do it,” Higgins quips.

The staff at 1861 Distillery is happy to take patrons behind the scenes to explore the process. They also host cocktail classes, special events, and private tastings. “We love creating unique ways for people to engage with what we do,” Higgins says.

Lest any patrons turn to the questionable methods shown in Moonshiners, an experience called Barrel Privé allows enthusiasts to craft their own bourbon. The program concludes with a private tasting party and a legacy ledger, which documents the spirit-making journey. The distillery has recently embarked on distribution, bringing the spirits to restaurants, bars, and package stores in Georgia.

“Folks beyond our tasting room can finally get their hands on a bottle or two,” says Higgins, who believes the distillery remains the main draw. “If you’re just looking for a drink, you’ll get a great one, but if you’re looking for an experience, we’ve got plenty of those, too.”

314 Smith Avenue Thomasville, Georgia 1861DISTILLERY.COM

Walls Distilling Company

Walls Distilling Company—the newest distilling operation in town, located in the SoMo Walls development on Tallahassee’s Southside—takes its name seriously, not because it’s building walls, but because its goal is to take them down.

Since opening in 2024, the operation has been focused on forging relationships and providing products that will be building blocks for bartenders.

“We are focused on [producing] cocktail-ready spirits,” says head distiller Jason Grant, who has a background in biochemistry and experience building a distilling business from the ground up before he and his first partners went separate ways. At Walls Distilling, he’s created vodka, gin, and rum—and has bourbon aging in barrels.

Those looking to sample Grant’s offerings can do so at the adjacent Monroe restaurant’s bar and retail shop. Walls Distilling is hoping to bring tours to its facility as early as this fall but currently operates only as a production facility. It’s an approach that Grant says is ripe with opportunity.

Photo Courtesy of Somo Walls

“The bartenders at The Monroe take our spirits and craft them into whatever cocktail they want,” he says. “Then they come back to me with flavor requests like, ‘Can I have a coriander and lemon spirit?’”

Grant says the collaboration is opening new avenues both for the bar staff and for himself as a distiller. “Giving our bartenders the opportunity to ask for flavors is a unique experience for them,” he says. “It’s fun and [fosters] involvement. Bartenders get to act a bit like a chef and perfect the experience for the customers to enjoy.”

To do that, he’s taking advantage of his location and the largely unsung agricultural operations across Florida, sourcing raw materials like corn and potatoes here in the state as well as other produce to contribute to the flavoring of spirits. He’s also connected with Still Dragon, a West Palm Beach, Florida–based company that manufactures distilling equipment, and is working with them and the Florida Craft Spirits Association to host educational programs at Walls Distilling for aspiring spirit makers.

Distilling is a young industry in Florida. Grant believes it is following in the footsteps of the craft breweries, which took from the 1980s to the early 2000s to gain a foothold. Distillers didn’t get similar opportunities until 2021 with the Florida Senate Bill 46, also known as the Craft Distilleries Act, which allowed spirit makers to sell and sample products in limited quantities at production facilities. Paving the way forward is important to Grant as well.

“We do meetups and get-togethers to help further education and help people who want to get into the industry,” he says. “You learn from experiences, which can cost you something, so you try to eliminate that for other people because we want to see this [industry] grow.” 

1327 S. Monroe Street WALLSDISTILLING.COM

Photo Courtesy of 1861

1861 Distillery’s GIN-uine Lemon Drop

Ingredients
2 oz. 1861 Distillery No. 8 Gin
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup

Rub a lemon wedge along the rim of a chilled coupe glass, then dip the rim into sugar. In a shaker filled with ice, combine No. 8 Gin, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, then shake vigorously until well chilled. Strain into the prepared glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Ology Brewing Co.’s Royal Wings

Ingredients
1½ oz. Ology Royal Lavender Gin
¾ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup
Splash of Champagne or sparkling wine

In a shaker filled with ice, combine Ology Royal Lavender Gin with lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake and strain into a chilled glass. Finish with a splash of Champagne or sparkling wine.

Walls Distilling Company’s Walls Classic Daiquiri

Ingredients
1 oz. Walls Distilling Company Rum
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. simple syrup

In a shaker filled with ice, combine Walls Distilling Company Rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds and serve in a coupe glass with a lime twist.