Lazy Guy Distillery sits on Moon Station Road in Kennesaw, Georgia, where founders Jim Keel and Jason Brown turned their weekend hobby into a full-scale operation that opened in 2016. The distillery occupies a 6,000-square-foot facility that houses their custom-built 500-gallon copper still alongside a tasting room that feels more like hanging out in someone’s well-stocked garage than a polished tourist destination. They produce bourbon, rye, and moonshine using traditional methods and local Georgia corn, with Keel handling the production side while Brown manages the business operations.
The story started when these two friends were making moonshine in their backyards and decided their bourbon was too good to keep to themselves. Getting the operation licensed took nearly three years of navigating Georgia’s strict distilling regulations, but they persisted because they believed small-batch, handcrafted spirits could compete with anything coming out of Kentucky. Their master distiller background comes from years of experimentation and a commitment to doing everything by hand, from mashing to bottling. The philosophy here is simple: make it right, keep it small, and don’t rush the process.
Visitors get an authentic look at craft distilling without the corporate polish you’ll find at larger operations. The tasting room doubles as a retail space where you can sample their core lineup while watching the production process through large windows. The atmosphere is laid-back and educational, with tours that focus on the actual craft rather than marketing presentations. You’re tasting spirits that were likely distilled by one of the owners, and they’re usually around to answer questions about their process or share stories about the early days of getting the business off the ground.