Sponsor Spotlight: Rotten Little Bastard Distillery, Beaufort, S.C.

South Carolina Certified spirits 100% crafted from local grains and organic molasses.

To show our appreciation for our sponsor of The Wicked South Podcast (RLB Distillery, 2139 Boundary St 102, Beaufort, SC) enjoy this free Sponsor Spotlight and check out RLB on social media and online at rottenlittlebastarddistillery.com for fun events and unique craft spirits.

Starting Dec. 6, come to RLB for a fun activity and a cocktail!

We have received many requests for something relaxing for people to do who just want to get out of the house for a casual evening. Starting Dec. 6, we will have our Tasting Room space available on Fridays from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. for a theme evening, with a special cocktail or our standard cocktails available for purchase. We are thinking a board game night, a crochet with an expert, Learn to Coupon, and such. If you have an idea, let us know. All attendees must be over 21 years old.

Stop by 5-7 p.m. on Dec. 6 to write out your holiday cards. Bring your cards and a friend or two and relax and chat while getting this meaningful chore completed.

Stop by 5-7 p.m. Dec. 13 and rap your holiday gifts. Bring your gifts and wrapping paper (we will have a limited supply) and take some time away from the kids to get it done. And you can purchase some RLB spirits, shirts, and glasses while you are here!

Welcome to Rotten Little Bastard Distillery

Yes, we know: your first and most pressing question is about where the name originated.

Brian and Brigid Fackrell founded Rotten Little Bastard Distillery in 2019 in beautiful Beaufort, SC, where they have lived since 2003, the owners are proud to tell patrons. "Rotten Little Bastard" was a joking family nickname for her husband Brian, when he was growing up, Brigid tells guests and readers on the distillery's website and blog.

(‘Rotten Little Bastard’ was a joking family nickname for Brian Fackrell)

The distillery is located at 2139 Boundary Street, Unit 102, at the former K-Mart shopping center in Beaufort. RLB is actually operating where K-Mart's auto service department was once located, and the huge, rolling garage-type bay doors come in handy when the distillery is operating and for guests to visit during tours.

RLB produces craft vodka, moonshine (corn whiskey), rum, gin, bourbon and more, but that's just the beginning.

This is a true farm grain-to-glass, then back-to-the-farm distillery. The grains are purchased from South Carolina farmers, preferably from the Lowcountry; customers can buy direct, stop by for tastings and even bottle their own straight from the aging casks; and finally, all leftover mash is recycled so it can be safely fed to pigs at a nearby Lowcountry farm.

RLB, which has already earned several awards for its products, most recently won a Bronze Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its three-and-a-half-year Coosa Cut Bourbon, and its Bravest Bull, a 120-proof American Whiskey with real ginger (a collaboration with Old Bull Tavern in Beaufort) earned a Bronze from the Bartender Spirit Awards.

(Here’s a sneak peek at the shiny RLB hardware.)

And Brigid is growing more and more creative as her aging whiskey grows more and more mellow. For example, earlier in July she offered a "show us your new tattoo" discount promotion.

"We are really getting more events," she added. "We do Paint and Sips, Mixology classes, a clay workshop with cocktails, a dog adoption event and several private events and group tours… Fripp Island rents a bus from Kelly Tours once a month to come to RLB and Shell Ring Ale House on our popular Tipsy Tour."

(Take a tour behind the scenes at Rotten Little Bastard Distillery.)

For more on those Tipsy Tours, check out: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/beaufortgrayline/items/473999/calendar/2024/07/?flow=450874&full-items=yes

To learn more about RLB and upcoming events, follow them on Facebook and Instagram, or subscribe to their newsletter.

Award-winning Beaufort distillery now named Best South Carolina Regional Distillery 2024

A Beaufort distillery with an ear-catching name has earned some taste-bud-catching top honors in the Palmetto State.

The Rotten Little Bastard Distillery (RLB is you are talking about it in church) was recently named Best South Carolina Regional Distillery 2024 in The Guide to South Carolina’s "Best of South Carolina" 2024 Contest.

This "Best of" distinction is an annual roundup of the what that publication considers to be the best products and services available throughout the state.

"Throughout the year, readers of The Guide to South Carolina vote for everything they love in the Best of South Carolina annual awards," the Guide's site proclaims. "The votes are tabulated and compiled along with our editor’s picks and, voilà! The result is a fabulous resource that showcases great businesses across our state."

(RLB Brigid Fackrell likes to get creative and make her job fun!)

In the Best of South Carolina Distillery category, which is in the Food and Drink division, RLB was one of three winners in the regional category, along with another eye-opening name, Sugar Tit Distillery (don't say that in front of your mother, kids!).

"We were elated to be awarded the title of Best Regional South Carolina Distillery in 2024!," said Brigid Fackrell, founder and owner of RLB. "Our region has many exceptional distilleries, and we extend sincere gratitude to our loyal customers and all who voted for us. Our commitment to producing top-quality spirits using premium ingredients is unwavering. Our brand ambassadors serve as knowledgeable representatives, embodying excellence with our relaxed approach to tasting tours. We take great pleasure in sharing our passion for spirits with our visitors at the distillery and our fans who purchase our South Carolina Certified spirits at liquor stores and restaurants, and are glad that it shows."

RLB earned this honor from the large numbers of votes of their many loyal and satisfied patrons and guests.

With a few clicks of a computer mouse, anyone can nominate a business or service in this "Best Of" contest — from seafood and beauty care to healthcare to home repair, and much more — and there is no cost to nominate, vote or win.

Voters can vote as many times as they like (up to one time each day) and businesses can encourage people to vote on social media. The ballots are open 24/7 for a calendar year, with votes tabulated at midnight each May 31st.

Any law-abiding business or organization in good standing is eligible to be showcased in the Best of South Carolina. There are more than 20 industry and community sections, including categories like Arts & Entertainment, Beauty & Spa, Real Estate, Healthcare, Legal, Insurance, Education, Sports, Recreation, and more.

Want to learn more, nominate or vote? Got to https://guidetosouthcarolina.com/best-of

Check out RLB during your next visit to Beaufort, and be sure to enjoy the latest episodes of The Wicked South Podcast on DeWitt’s End on Substack.