Charleston, South Carolina is a well known travel destination. There are so many interesting historical, educational and fun things to do in and around Charleston that people visit from all over the world.
Whether you live in Charleston or are here for a vacation, consider a day trip to one of the plantations, gardens, vineyards or distilleries located nearby.
After our day trip to The Charleston Tea Plantation (click here if you’d like to read about it), we wanted to see the Firefly Distillery. During that visit, we learned they use tea from The Charleston Tea Plantation to make Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. It’s a big deal that they keep it all local.
Another benefit of day tripping to the distillery is the opportunity for tastings. Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is a local favorite (read about how good it is here). We were keen to sample other local spirits. So we loaded up the car with snacks, water and our dog and headed down Maybank Highway (SC-700) in search of the Firefly Distillery on Wadmalaw Island.
Traveling to the Firefly Distillery
As you travel Maybank Highway through John’s Island, SC, you’ll come upon a fork in the road. If you bear to the left (staying on Maybank Highway) you’re headed to the Charleston Tea Plantation. The right merge puts you on Bears Bluff Road, which takes you towards the Firefly Distillery.
Bears Bluff Road is a winding rural road dotted with trailers and old cars resting on cinder blocks. By contrast, the road is adorned with majestic live oak trees creating a breathtaking canopy. Nature provides the beauty. We passed a horse rescue sanctuary and a few well-maintained horse farms on the left, nestled between dilapidated dwellings. The SC Intercostal Waterway was just visible through a stand of tall pine trees on the right.
8 miles from the fork in the road we reached two old cement pillars. An ironwork sign indicated the entrance to the sprawling 50 acre property where the Irving House Vineyards and the Firefly Distillery and tasting rooms are housed.
The Firefly Distillery
The distillery and its surroundings are informal in every respect. The dirt road leading to the main buildings is washed out. If two cars must pass, one has to pull off into the grass. You drive past miles of Muscadine grapevines (from which the vodka is made – it’s all local). The parking lot is a dirt field with cars parked arbitrarily. The laid-back vibe, massive live oak trees, handwritten signs and cacophony of roosters crowing set the stage perfectly. This is the Firefly Distillery.
The main tasting room is in an old converted tobacco warehouse. The inside of the tasting room is as informal as the grounds on which it is located. International Wine and Spirit awards and Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits awards, plaques and metals hang on unfinished wooden walls. The place lets the haphazard splendor of its natural surroundings take the spotlight. Well, the natural surroundings and the libations.
Tastings
Firefly Distillery is officially classified as a micro-distillery. In the state of South Carolina, distilleries that produce less than 130,000 cases of liquor annually fall into the micro-distillery category.
As a micro-distillery, Firefly is licensed to offer liquor tastings and bottle sales directly. Sweet Tea Vodka, Raspberry Tea Vodka, Peach Tea Vodka, Mint Tea Vodka, Lemon Tea Vodka, Sweet Tea Bourbon, Sea Island Carolina Gold Rum and Sea Island Java Rhum are all available for tasting and purchase.
Yes, the animals. There is an area devoted to chickens and roosters, a cow, goats and hogs. Adults can enjoy tastings while the children play among the farm animals. Indeed, the Firefly Distillery is an excellent day trip for the entire family.
Details
Firefly Distillery
6775 Bears Bluff Road
Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina 29487
843-577-1405
Tours and tastings:
Wednesday – Saturday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed every January
Driving Directions to Firefly Distillery from Charleston:
Take the Ashley River Bridge (US – 17), stay left to merge onto Folly Rd. (SC – 171). Turn right onto Maybank Hwy. (SC – 700). At the fork in the road, merge right to go onto Bears Bluff Road. Follow Bears Bluff Road for 8 miles. The entrance to the Firefly Distillery and Irving House Vineyards is on the left.
Travel time from the intersection of Folly Road and Maybank Highway – 26 minutes.
Distance – 18.02 miles.
For a map to the Firefly Distillery, click here.
Sources:
Personal visit
Firefly Vodka Website
Related content from this contributor:
Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka From Charleston, South Carolina
America’s Only Working Tea Farm is in Charleston, South Carolina
Making Tea at Charleston Tea Plantation in Chaleston, South Carolina
Photos of a Day Trip from Charleston, South Carolina to the Firefly Distillery
Animals at the Firefly Distillery, Located Just Outside of Charleston, South Carolina
To find a Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka distributor in your area, click here.
