High Wire Distilling sits in Charleston’s Upper Peninsula at 311 Huger Street, housed in a restored 1940s bakery building that spans 6,000 square feet. Ann Marshall and Scott Blackwell founded the distillery in 2013, bringing together Ann’s background in wine and spirits distribution with Scott’s experience as a baker and chef. They opened their doors in 2014 as Charleston’s first legal distillery since Prohibition, focusing on small-batch whiskeys, gin, and rum made from local ingredients. The husband-and-wife team runs everything from grain-to-glass, with Scott handling production and Ann managing the business side. Their philosophy centers on using Southern ingredients like Carolina gold rice, Jimmy Red corn, and local wheat to create spirits that reflect Charleston’s agricultural heritage. The distillery produces about 2,000 cases annually using a 300-gallon copper still from Vendome Copper & Brass Works, keeping production deliberately small to maintain quality control. You’ll find their tasting room buzzing most afternoons with locals and tourists sampling their latest releases, while Scott often emerges from the production area covered in grain dust and happy to explain their process. The space maintains the industrial feel of the old bakery while adding modern touches, creating an atmosphere that’s both working distillery and neighborhood gathering spot.