If you’re a frequenter of delicious craft beer makers, Idyll Hounds Brewery and Grayton Beer Company, you’ve probably noticed there’s a new kid on the block. South Walton welcomes its newest player in craft libations, Distillery 98.

Just minutes away from the beach, the team recently broke ground on a state-of-the-art, 8,100-square-foot micro-distillery off of Highway 98 on Serenoa Road.

In the words of co-founder and CEO Harrison Holditch, “we’re keeping it craft.”

The Distillery 98 crew will focus on sustainable practices to deliver Florida’s premier grain-to-glass spirits using locally sourced produce.

“It’s important to support the local people who make this community what it is,” Holditch said. “We want the community to be as much a part of us as we are them.”

Holditch is joined by his sister and brother-in-law, Kendall and David Kapitanoff, as well as college buddies Micah Lawson and Jon Lee. (Roll Tide.)

The diversity of the team itself is just one indicator that the sky’s the limit for where they hope to take their small-batch spirits.

As for its flagship product, the team is excited to launch their “Oyster Shell Filtered” premium vodka, a recipe they discovered while experimenting with fresh, coastal ingredients in their personal still.

“All of us grew up going on vacations to the Gulf Coast, and this vodka tastes like the feeling you get when you’re at the beach. We want to give that feeling to our customers, no matter if they’re here on the coast or a hundred miles away.”

And it won’t stop there.

Distillery 98 plans on introducing a variety of aged spirits as well as special seasonal releases highlighting some of the coast’s unique flavors and natural ingredients.

Production is set to begin once the facility is complete this coming fall. From there, they will offer tours, craft tastings, and exciting community events.

“We’re just a group of family and friends with a passion for life and the beach,” says Holditch. “We put passion into what we do, and we can’t wait to bring it to the community we all know and love.”

To learn more, visit Distillery 98 or follow them on Facebook.

Kristy Gustafson is a California-born freelance writer, marketer, and born-again beach girl. Recently having moved to 30A from Denver, Colorado, you can catch her on the tennis courts, toes in the sand, at local coffee shops and working on her debut novel. Follow along her adventures on Instagram @kristyerin10.