Crittenden Distillery sits on 19193 MS-43 in Kiln, Mississippi, in the heart of what locals call “Hurricane Alley” – though owner Bobby Crittenden figured if the building could survive Katrina, it could handle just about anything. He launched the operation in 2015 after a career in construction, converting an old metal building into what’s become one of Mississippi’s most authentic craft distilleries. The space feels more like a working shop than a polished tasting room, which is exactly what Crittenden was going for when he installed his custom-built copper pot still and started making bourbon, moonshine, and flavored spirits. Crittenden’s journey into distilling started as a retirement project that got way out of hand. After spending decades in construction, he wanted something that combined his love of tinkering with machinery and his appreciation for good whiskey. The learning curve was steep – he’ll tell you about the early batches that didn’t quite work out and the months spent perfecting his mash bills. His background in building things shows everywhere, from the custom fermentation tanks he welded himself to the efficient layout that maximizes every square foot of production space. What you get here is an unvarnished look at small-scale distilling without the bells and whistles. Crittenden runs most tours himself, walking you through his process from grain to bottle while the still bubbles away in the background. The tasting room showcases his core lineup of bourbon and moonshine, plus seasonal flavored spirits that change based on what he’s experimenting with. It’s not fancy, but it’s real – and in an industry that sometimes gets caught up in its own mythology, that authenticity is refreshing.