Distillery 98 is completing one year in business on Saturday, May 22, and will mark the occasion with a full day of events and happenings. Celebrations include a paddleboard race on Eastern Lake followed by a crawfish boil, local live…
Distillery 98 is completing one year in business on Saturday, May 22, and will mark the occasion with a full day of events and happenings.
Celebrations include a paddleboard race on Eastern Lake followed by a crawfish boil, local live music, and a raffle at the local distillery to benefit Gulf Therapy. Get your tickets HERE!
Owner and CEO, Harrison Holditch, founded Distillery 98 after frequenting the area with his family while growing up. Since some of the best memories are from his trips to Florida, Holditch had a strong connection to the area. He felt as if it truly represented him and his family, thus inspiring him to move to Santa Rosa Beach full time to pursue his dreams. Now, with over 80 accounts representing the brand across the Emerald Coast including various restaurants, bars, and liquor stores, Distillery 98 has established itself as a trusted, local brand with deep roots in the community.
“I owe my success to a lot of people, including my mentors and many locals and business owners who believed in us, supported us, and paved the way for us,” Holditch said. “I can’t thank them enough.”
The 8,500 square foot distillery includes a tasting room, back patio, custom bar, and upstairs overlook area for guests to view the special spirit creating process. The company’s signature vodka, Dune Laker, was created with a lifestyle in mind. It is a 100 percent corn vodka made with local corn and offers a smooth, clean, and sweet finish. Dune Laker is also filtered using a one-of-a kind oyster shell filtering system.
“We chose the name Dune Laker because we wanted to build a brand that linked our fans with the natural wonders we have here in Santa Rosa Beach,” Holditch said. “We have many ideas of what a ‘Dune Laker’ is, including a lover of our area and protector of its resources.”
The celebrations will kick-off with a one-mile paddleboard paddle race sponsored by YOLO Board on Saturday, May 22 at Eastern Lake. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m. on the dock at Old Florida Fish House with the race kicking off promptly at 9 a.m. Awards will be given to the first-place male and female finishers, as well as last place and best dressed. The race is free and open for all to participate. Those who attend the morning event can enjoy live music and complimentary bloody marys provided by Better Together Beverage. Participants can valet park at Old Florida Fish House and are encouraged to enjoy brunch and live music at the restaurant thereafter. Participants are asked to bring their own board or boards will be available to rent on site by YOLO Board and Gulf Therapy for a donation.
To sign up for the free paddle board race, click HERE.
Following the morning event, Distillery 98 will host a crawfish boil at the distillery, located at 835 Serenoa Road in Santa Rosa Beach, beginning at 3 p.m. General Admission tickets will be on sale for $40 in advance and $50 at the door, which include an all-you-can-drink pass plus a commemorative t-shirt and cup. VIP tickets will be on sale for $60 in advance and $70 at the door, which include all-you-can-eat crawfish, provided by Sports to Geaux, plus the General Admission benefits. Guests will enjoy live music by Dread Clampitt and Boukou Groove along with cocktails from Distillery 98, beer, wine, and additional food for purchase.
Event-goers will also have the opportunity to purchase Distillery 98’s newest spirit, Martin Migration, which will be unveiled during the anniversary celebration. The newly launched vodka will be infused with satsuma oranges, Meyer lemons, blackberry and hibiscus and will contain a Register Family Farms Tupelo honeycomb. The event will boast a large raffle including an inflatable YOLO board, Island Air Express exploration flight, cases of Distillery 98 vodka, and more.
There will also be 100 signed and numbered limited edition screenprint copies of the invitation created by local artist Bryan Hand available for purchase at the event. Proceeds from the anniversary celebration will benefit Gulf Therapy, a community paddleboard group that tackles mental health issues with a simple recipe – salt water, sun, and sand.
Click here to purchase your tickets online.
“We are eager to grow and are ready to see where the next few years in business take us,” Holditch said. “We want everyone who comes to this area to get their first drink and it be Dune Laker. We want to be a staple on the Emerald Coast and something people recognize wherever they go.”
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