St. Petersburg Distillery sits in the heart of St. Pete’s arts district on 31st Street South, where founders Jeff Swicker and Rachel Hulseman turned their passion for craft spirits into Florida’s first urban grain-to-glass distillery in 2013. Jeff, a former chef, and Rachel, who came from the wine industry, started this venture in a converted warehouse space after years of perfecting their recipes in a garage. The 6,000-square-foot facility houses custom copper stills and serves as both production space and tasting room, focusing on small-batch bourbon, rye whiskey, and innovative spirits that reflect Florida’s unique character. The journey wasn’t easy—convincing city officials to approve Florida’s first urban distillery took persistence, but their vision of bringing craft distilling to downtown St. Petersburg paid off. Jeff handles the production side, drawing on his culinary background to create unique mash bills, while Rachel manages operations and community outreach. They’ve built relationships with local farmers for grain sourcing and age their whiskeys in Florida’s challenging climate, which accelerates maturation. The team has grown to include master distiller expertise and tasting room staff who genuinely know the stories behind each bottle. Visitors step into an active production facility where you can watch the distilling process, smell the mash cooking, and see barrels aging in Florida’s heat. The industrial-chic tasting room features exposed brick and metal, with large windows overlooking the stills. They’ve created a neighborhood gathering spot that doubles as a spirits education center, hosting cocktail classes and barrel tastings. You’re not just touring a distillery—you’re experiencing an urban craft operation that’s helped define St. Petersburg’s growing food and beverage scene.