Burnt Church Distillery sits on Bluffton Road in the heart of South Carolina’s Lowcountry, where founders Rick Lollis and Jim Irvin transformed their shared passion for craft spirits into reality in 2014. These two locals didn’t come from distilling backgrounds—Lollis worked in manufacturing while Irvin had a career in logistics—but they shared a vision of bringing small-batch bourbon and whiskey production to the Bluffton area. The distillery operates out of a converted warehouse space that maintains an industrial feel while housing their custom copper still and aging operation. They focus primarily on bourbon, rye whiskey, and moonshine, with each batch carefully monitored through the production process. The facility combines production space with a tasting room where visitors can sample their spirits and learn about their approach to craft distilling. What started as two friends experimenting with recipes has grown into a legitimate operation that’s become part of Bluffton’s growing craft beverage scene, though they’ve maintained their small-batch philosophy and hands-on approach to every aspect of production.
