St. Augustine Distillery Celebrates a Decade of Craft Distilling and Community Engagement
St. Augustine Distillery Co-Founders Mike Diaz and Philip McDaniel ● Photo Credit: St. Augustine Distillery
SAINT AUGUSTINE, Fla., March 14, 2024 (VSNewsNetwork.com) - St. Augustine Distillery is gearing up to celebrate its 10th anniversary on March 19th. The distillery has been recognized for its significant contributions to the craft distilling movement in Florida, particularly for being the first in the state to produce bourbon.
The journey began in November 2012 when co-founders Mike Diaz and Philip McDaniel acquired the historic FP&L Ice Plant with the vision of creating Florida's inaugural bourbon. Their restoration of the building led to multiple accolades in 2014, including the "Excellence in Adaptive Reuse" award from the Urban Land Institute and “The Adelaide Sanchez Award” from The City of St. Augustine.
St. Augustine Distillery's product lineup started with Florida Cane Vodka, followed by New World Gin and Pot Distilled Rum. Its notable achievement came with the launch of “Florida Double Cask Bourbon,” marking the first bourbon to be fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled entirely in Florida. The distillery has since expanded its bourbon offerings, earning national recognition for its products.
Susan Phillips, president and CEO of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra, and the Beaches Visitors & Convention Bureau, highlighted the distillery's impact, stating, “As we mark the 10th anniversary of the St. Augustine Distillery, we honor a decade of spirit and tradition. The St. Augustine Distillery’s innovation has played a pivotal role in introducing connoisseurs and enthusiasts to Florida’s Historic Coast.”
The distillery has received several awards over the years, including being named “Best Craft Gin Distillery” by USAToday’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards in 2016 and “Best Whiskey Tour in North America” in the 2018 Drammie Awards. It was also voted “Best Distillery Tour” in USAToday’s 2023 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
Reflecting on the distillery's success, CEO and co-founder Philip McDaniel said, “Everyone’s collective efforts have allowed us to enhance the craft distilling landscape in the Sunshine State, create local jobs, and prove that, without exception, Florida can produce a world-class bourbon.”
To commemorate its decade-long journey, St. Augustine Distillery is releasing a 10-Year Anniversary Blend bourbon, a special blend from four of the distillery’s oldest bourbon barrels, each aged over 9 years. This limited edition will be available for purchase in-store starting March 16th.
For more details on St. Augustine Distillery and its anniversary celebrations, visit www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com.
Source: St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches VCB via Newswire
