Redwall Distillery sits in Sedona’s red rock country, founded by Tony and Teresa Rittner who left behind corporate careers in California to chase their distilling dreams in Arizona’s high desert. They opened their doors in 2019 after a three-year journey of convincing city officials, building out their facility, and perfecting their recipes. The distillery occupies a 3,000-square-foot space on Shelby Drive, where they’ve installed custom copper stills and aging equipment designed for Arizona’s unique climate. They focus on small-batch bourbon, rye, and vodka, along with seasonal specialties that showcase local botanicals. The Rittners didn’t stumble into distilling by accident. Tony spent years as a home distiller, refining techniques and studying traditional methods before making the leap to commercial production. They chose Sedona not just for its beauty, but for the climate advantages—the high desert heat and dramatic temperature swings create unique aging conditions that accelerate the interaction between spirits and oak. Their master distiller background includes training with established craft distillers in Colorado, and they’ve built relationships with local grain suppliers to source ingredients from Arizona and neighboring states. Visitors find a working distillery that doesn’t put on airs. You can see the production floor during tours, smell the mash cooking, and watch the distillation process when they’re running. The tasting room features their core lineup alongside seasonal experiments, and the staff actually knows the technical details behind what you’re drinking. It’s not a massive operation, but that’s exactly the point—everything here gets personal attention, from grain to glass.