New breweries, distilleries lifting spirits in Columbia (+map)

For hundreds of years in South Carolina and the nation, local distillers and brewers plied their trade free of federal or state regulation. If you could make it, you could sell it.

Even before Columbia was founded, local breweries dotted the Midlands, particularly in the Dutch Fork and Saxe Gotha districts that were settled by German immigrants. And many distillers also plied their trade, turning out liquor from rum to corn whiskey.

All that changed in 1920 with Prohibition, when drinking alcohol was declared illegal. Upon its repeal in 1933, the federal government began licensing and taxing beer, wine and liquor, and states set up individual laws regulating its sale.

But recent changes in South Carolina’s liquor laws have loosened regulations on distilling spirits and brewing beer. Now some consumers are raising their glasses to toast two new industries – locally produced craft beer and liquor – in Columbia and the Midlands.

DISTILLERIES

In 2009, South Carolina passed legislation with less restrictive regulations for local distillers. But the trend was slow to take hold, as the Great Recession caused entrepreneurs to move slowly on purchasing equipment and opening businesses. Now that the economic woes have faded, three new distilleries have popped up in the Midlands, offering moonshine, vodka and bourbon.

Copper Horse, Columbia

929 Huger St., Columbia

Owner: Richard Baker

Distiller: Richard Baker

Phone: (803) 779-2993

Website: www.copperhorsedistilling.com.

Located in the Vista next to Stronghold Gym, Copper Horse was the Midlands’ first distillery, established in 2011. It began selling its aged spirits in August.

It produces premium, small-batch spirits in three handcrafted brands: Old Mill Vodka, a limited edition seasonal cream whiskey series and the still-aging Copper Horse Bourbon. The bourbon is aging in oak barrels that were handmade and toasted by Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville, Ky.

Copper Horse spirits are made exclusively from grains milled at Columbia’s Allen Brother’s Milling Company, home of Adluh Flour. This fall, the distillery will bottle a limited edition series of cream whiskeys in three flavors: Pecan Praline, Chocolate Salted Truffle and Red Velvet Peppermint.

The tasting room and distillery are available for private tastings and tours.

Dark Water, Camden

923 Broad St., Camden

Owners: Carl and Shannon Monday

Distiller: Carl Monday

Phone: (803) 420-2678

Website: www.darkwaterdistillery.com

Dark Water opened in April, distilling straight, 100-proof moonshine. (It will produce 180-proof on special order.)

It now offers apple pie moonshine, as well as muscadine, cherry and peach. In the future, the distillery will produce bourbon, gin, vodka and tequila. All will be made on a 50-gallon still.

The operation is family tradition for co-owner Carl Monday, a veteran federal detective and fourth-generation distiller.

The distillery is located in historic downtown Camden. The tasting room is open Monday through Friday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Moonlight Distillery, Lexington

711 E. Main St., Suite OB2, Lexington, at The Old Mill

Owners: Beth Sanders, Brian Dawson

Distiller: Rooster

Phone: (803) 399-1529

Website: www.moonlightdistillery.com

Moonlight is the Midlands newest distiller, featuring a soft opening Oct. 25 and its grand opening Nov. 8 with a band.

The distillery uses a pot still with thumper to emphasize the flavor of the corn and texture of the spirits. It is opening with five flavors: Twisted Cinnamon, Blackberry Poison, Fuzzy Peach, Apple Pie and straight Moonshine.

The distillery, located in an outbuilding in Lexington’s Old Mill, has a tasting bar. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tours are available, and a commemorative run of its shine is available on its website.

BREWERIES

In 2013, the General Assembly passed the "pint law," which increased the amount of beer customers can consume in craft brewery tasting rooms to 48 ounces – or 3 pints – from four 4-ounce samples. It also allows patrons to purchase up to 288 ounces (the equivalent of a case of beer) that patrons can buy in large jugs called growlers. Since then, three craft breweries have opened in the area, all in Columbia and all within walking distance of Williams-Brice Stadium.

Conquest Brewery

947 S. Stadium Road, Bay 1

Owners: Joseph Ackerman and Matthew Ellisor

Brewers: Joseph Ackerman and Matthew Ellisor

Phone: (803) 521-4081

Website: www.conquestbrewing.com

Columbia’s first microbrewery opened on South Stadium Road, near the Loose Cockaboose and Columbia Budweiser, on July 1, 2013, and had 700 customers in one day.

The brewery was opened by Ackerman and Ellisor, who quit their full-time jobs to focus their passion. They feature a blonde, India pale ales and a stout year-round with seasonal brews.

Conquest’s beers are distributed by Budweiser Columbia and sold in some area restaurants, including Yesterday’s in Five Points, British Bulldog Pub in Irmo and Liberty Tap Room in the Vista, among many other locations.

The hours for the tasting room are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The brewery also features the Balanced Brews yoga class on Sunday at noon. Cost: $15 and includes a beer.

Swamp Cabbage Brewing Company

921 Brookwood Drive, off Bluff Road

Owners: Ed and Daniel Boy

Brewer: Daniel Boyd

Telephone: (803) 252-0250

Website: www.swampcabbagebrewing.com (still in development)

Columbia's third and largest microbrewery as far as brewing capacity started brewing in July. The tasting room opened Aug. 15.

Swamp Cabbage makes five different ales – amber, ESB, a blonde, chocolate brown and a porter. The brothers plans to expand the list seasonally. They are being sold in Liberty Taproom and The Whig, among other locations.

The tasting room is open Wednesday and Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

River Rat

1231 Shop Road, Columbia

Owner: Mike Tourville

Brewer: Mike Tourville

Telephone: (803) 724-5712

Website: http://www.riverratbrewery.com/

It’s named for the three rivers that run through Columbia, and the working-class men who labored on the canal here more than a century ago.

The brewery pours an American Kolsch, an Abbey Ale, a double IPA, a red ale and a brown ale. The beers are featured at the British Bulldog Pub in Irmo and Bourbon on Main Street, among many other locations.

The brewery features a tasting room, wide lawn and large deck. It is open from Wednesday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

WINERIES, BREWPUBS AND A BREW BUS

A sampling of other booze-related businesses in the Midlands:

The Enoree River Winery, Newberry

Telephone: (803) 276-2855

Website: www.enoreeriverwinery.com

Mercer House Estate Vineyards, Lexington

Telephone: (803) 957-7102

Website: www. mercerhouseestatewinery.com

Brew Bus, West Columbia

Offering tours of breweries

Telephone: (757) 871-8150

Old Mill Brewpub, Lexington

Telephone: (803) 785-2337

Website: www.oldmillbrewpub.net

Hunter-Gatherer Brewery & Alehouse, Columbia

Telephone: (803) 748-0540

Website: www .huntergathererbrewery.com

This story was originally published October 4, 2014 at 11:31 PM with the headline "New breweries, distilleries lifting spirits in Columbia (+map)."