SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2021) – Distillery 98 celebrated their first year in business on Saturday, May 22 with an all-day celebration, including a paddle board race on Eastern Lake followed by a crawfish boil live music festival and raffle at the distillery. The event raised $4,500 for local beneficiary, Gulf Therapy.
To honor their first year in business, Distillery 98 hosted the inaugural Dune Laker Paddle Boil which kicked off with a one-mile paddleboard race sponsored by YOLO on Eastern Lake. Awards were given to the first-place male finisher, Jonah Allen, and first-place female finisher, Teresza Meredith, as well as best dressed couple, Nick and Jennifer Mathis. Over 50 guests attended and enjoyed bloody marys from Better Together Beverage, swag from #Lululemon, a celebratory brunch at Old Florida Fish House along with live music from local artist, Reese Branton.
That afternoon, Distillery 98 hosted the second celebration of the day which consisted of crawfish boil live music festival and grand raffle at the distillery, which featured all-you-can-eat crawfish from Sports to Geaux. Over 400 guests and furry friends attended and enjoyed live music by Dread Clampitt, Boukou Groove and DJ Dad along with craft cocktails from Distillery 98, wine from DiBacco Imports, rosé from Hey Mama Wines, beer from Grayton Beer Company and Idyll Hounds, sweet treats from Sweet Henrietta’s. Event goers also had the exclusive opportunity to purchase Distillery 98’s newest vodka, Martin Migration, which was unveiled during the anniversary celebration.
The event boasted a large raffle and silent auction that included a grand prize inflatable YOLO board, Island Air Express exploration flight, cases of Distillery 98 vodka, fine art pieces by Justin Gaffrey and Bradley Copeland, and much more. Local artist, Bryan Hand, also sold over 100 signed copies of his custom artwork that he specially designed for the event.
Through ticket sales, funds raised from the auction and raffle, and general donations, Distillery 98 was able to raise $4,500 for Gulf Therapy, a community paddle board group that tackles mental health issues with a simple recipe – saltwater, sun and sand.
Distillery 98 would like to thank additional sponsors, community partners, and those who donated services and raffle items to the event, including 30A.com, 30A Eats, 30A PhotoBus, 30A.TV, Beach Walk Café BECASA, Better Together Beverage, Bijoux Restaurant + Spirits, Blessings in Disguise, Bradley Copeland, Bryan Hand, Buddy’s Seafood, CC Boone, Courtland Redmond, DiBacco Imports, DJ Dad, Emerald Coast Magazine, Emerald Shore Photography, Gulf Coast Restaurants, Hotel Effie, Island Air Express, Julia Kate Mace, Justin Gaffrey, Kenzie Burleigh, La Vie Est Belle, Better Say Graze, Lululemon, Modus Photography, Old Florida Fish House, Pescado, Restaurant Paradis, Roux 30A, Seascreamer, SoWal.com, Sports to Geaux, The Henderson, The Market Shops, The Summer Kitchen Cafe, Tuk Tuk 30A, VIE Magazine, VIP Destin Magazine, and Visit South Walton.
Check presentation photo attached. Caption: Harrison Holditch, owner of Distillery 98, presents a $4,500 check to Amanda Abbott, founder of Gulf Therapy.
About Distillery 98 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.
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.
Microphones during press conference
