Charleston Distilling Co sits on Johns Island, about 20 minutes from downtown Charleston, in a converted warehouse space that feels more like a craft brewery than your typical bourbon operation. Founded in 2014 by John Schwartz and Virginia Heyward Miller, two Charleston locals who got tired of waiting for someone else to make quality spirits in the Lowcountry. Schwartz came from the restaurant world, Miller from marketing, and neither had distilling experience when they started—which shows in the best way possible. They spent two years learning the craft, sourcing equipment, and convincing Charleston County officials that a distillery belonged on Johns Island. The operation runs on a 500-gallon copper still from Kentucky, and they’re making bourbon, rye, and a handful of other spirits in small batches. The whole thing started because they wanted to create something authentically Charleston—not just slap a palmetto tree on a bottle and call it local. What you’ll find is a working distillery that doesn’t take itself too seriously but takes the whiskey seriously. The tasting room overlooks the production floor, so you can watch them work while you sample. It’s not fancy, but it’s real, and in a city full of tourist traps masquerading as authentic experiences, that matters. They’re making bourbon that tastes like Charleston—if Charleston were a spirit instead of a city.