Firefly Distillery sits on Wadmalaw Island, about 30 minutes south of Charleston, where Jim Irvin and Scott Newitt launched South Carolina’s first legal moonshine operation in 2008. These two friends started with a simple mission: create authentic sweet tea vodka using actual tea from the Charleston Tea Plantation right down the road. What began as weekend experiments in Irvin’s garage has grown into a 13,000-square-foot facility that produces everything from their famous Sweet Tea Vodka to bourbon and rum. The distillery operates out of a modern industrial building that houses their copper pot stills and bottling operation, plus a tasting room where visitors can sample the full lineup of spirits that put South Carolina back on the distilling map after decades of prohibition.
Irvin and Newitt didn’t come from distilling backgrounds—Irvin worked in real estate while Newitt was in construction—but they shared a love for quality spirits and saw an opportunity to create something uniquely Southern. They spent two years navigating South Carolina’s complex liquor laws, becoming pioneers who helped pave the way for the state’s craft distilling renaissance. Master Distiller Scott Blackwell joined the team early on, bringing technical expertise to complement the founders’ entrepreneurial vision. Their approach centers on using local ingredients whenever possible, from that famous Charleston Tea Plantation tea to South Carolina-grown corn and sweet potatoes.
Visitors get an authentic behind-the-scenes look at a working distillery that’s still very much a hands-on operation. You’ll see the 500-gallon copper pot stills in action, learn about their unique sweet tea infusion process, and understand how they’ve scaled from garage startup to regional distribution while maintaining their small-batch approach. The tasting room feels more like a neighborhood bar than a corporate facility, with Firefly’s team genuinely excited to share their story and let you taste through spirits that range from their signature Sweet Tea Vodka to aged bourbon and experimental seasonal releases.
