How far is the distillery from Louisville?

Neeley Family Distillery is about 45 minutes northeast of Louisville in Sparta, Kentucky. It's in Gallatin County, off the main Bourbon Trail routes, so plan for a bit of a drive through rural Kentucky.

What makes their bourbon different from larger distilleries?

The Neeleys grow some of their own corn right on the property and handle most of the production themselves as a family operation. You're tasting spirits made in small batches with direct family involvement from grain to bottle, rather than mass-produced bourbon.

CRAFT DISTILLERY

Florida

South Florida Distillers Inc

Fort Lauderdale,

Florida

— Bourbon, Rye, Rum, Vodka

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

COCKTAILS

RESERVATIONS

BOTTLE SALES

DISTILLERY SNAPSHOT

📞 (954) 541-2868

🌐 https://www.southfloridadistillers.com/

📍 1110 NE 8th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, USA

ABOUT THIS DISTILLERY

South Florida Distillers sits in an industrial stretch of Fort Lauderdale, where founders Mike Bashore and Carlos Zuniga launched Florida’s first bourbon distillery in 2013. After years in the craft beer world, these two decided South Florida needed something stronger than IPAs. They converted a 4,000-square-foot warehouse into a working distillery, complete with custom copper stills and a tasting room that feels more like your buddy’s garage than a fancy tourist trap. The operation produces bourbon, rye whiskey, rum, and vodka—all made from scratch using traditional methods adapted for Florida’s challenging climate. Bashore, who previously worked in beer distribution, handles the business side while Zuniga focuses on production and recipe development. Their flagship bourbon uses a high-corn mash bill aged in full-size barrels, which is unusual for a craft operation of this size. The distillery also produces white rum using Florida sugarcane and a vodka that’s won some regional competitions. What started as a weekend hobby between two friends has grown into a legitimate small-batch operation that’s helped put South Florida on the craft spirits map. You won’t find tour buses or gift shops here—just two guys making honest whiskey in an honest space.

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WHAT SETS THEM APART

This is literally the first bourbon distillery in South Florida, which means Bashore and Zuniga had to figure out how to age whiskey in a climate that never gets cold. They’ve developed techniques for managing the extreme heat and humidity that would destroy most bourbon operations, including climate-controlled aging areas and modified barrel char levels. The distillery sources corn from the Midwest but uses local Florida sugarcane for their rum production, creating a genuinely regional product. Unlike most craft distilleries that start with vodka or gin, these guys went straight for the hardest spirits to make—bourbon and rye—which shows either serious commitment or questionable judgment. Their small scale means they’re doing single-barrel releases and experimental batches that larger operations couldn’t risk.

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

FOOD AVAILABLE

COCKTAILS

RESERVATIONS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

You’ll walk into what clearly used to be a warehouse, with concrete floors and exposed ceiling beams that give the place an authentic industrial feel. The copper stills dominate the space, and you can usually see the actual production happening since this is a working distillery first and tourist destination second. Bashore or Zuniga often lead tours themselves, explaining how they’ve adapted traditional bourbon-making for Florida’s brutal climate. The tasting room has a simple bar setup where you can sample their current releases, including barrel-strength versions that aren’t available in stores. The whole experience feels intimate—you’re not herded through with 30 other people, and the founders genuinely seem to enjoy talking about their process and the challenges of making whiskey in South Florida.

IS IT WORTH VISITING

If you’re serious about craft spirits and want to see something genuinely pioneering, absolutely. This isn’t a polished tourist experience—it’s two guys who figured out how to make legitimate bourbon in an impossible climate, and that story alone makes it worth the trip. The bourbon is actually good, which is remarkable considering they’re working against every geographical advantage that Kentucky and Tennessee distilleries take for granted. However, don’t expect elaborate cocktail programs or fancy food pairings. This is about the spirits and the story behind them. Bourbon collectors will appreciate the single-barrel releases, and anyone interested in craft distilling will find the climate adaptation techniques fascinating.

⚠️ VISITING TIPS

Call ahead since this is still primarily a production facility and they don’t always have regular public hours. The distillery is in an industrial area that GPS sometimes struggles with, so look for the warehouse with the South Florida Distillers sign rather than relying solely on the address. Ask about their barrel-strength releases, which often showcase their whiskey better than the standard bottlings. If you’re visiting during summer, the warehouse can get warm since they’re dealing with stills and Florida heat simultaneously. The founders are most likely to be available for tours on weekends, and they’re genuinely knowledgeable about both their own process and bourbon history in general.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

South Florida Distillers Inc — Visitor FAQ

How do you age bourbon in Florida’s heat and humidity?

We use climate-controlled aging areas and modified barrel char levels to manage the extreme temperature swings. The heat actually accelerates aging, so our bourbon develops complexity faster than traditional northern climates, but we have to carefully monitor extraction rates to prevent over-oaking.

Can I just drop by or do I need to call ahead?

You definitely need to call ahead since we’re a working production facility first. We don’t have regular retail hours like most distilleries, and the founders often handle tours personally when they’re not in production mode.

What makes this different from other Florida distilleries?

We were the first to make bourbon in South Florida, and we’re one of the few craft distilleries that went straight into aged whiskey instead of starting with vodka or gin. The climate challenges we’ve solved are pretty unique in the bourbon world.

GETTING THERE

Find South Florida Distillers Inc

📍1110 NE 8th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304, USA

—

📞 (954) 541-2868

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