In nine short years, Rock Town Distillery has become an Arkansas classic. As the state’s first legal distillery, a certain amount of fame was inevitable, but founder and head distiller Phil Brandon has carefully charted the company’s course, winning awards and admirers for its bourbons, whiskeys and vodkas.
And the company is still going strong. In fact, Brandon says, ““It’s been great. We can’t make enough of the stuff now.”
To celebrate the ninth anniversary of Rock Town, Brandon and his team are throwing a bash at Rock Town Distillery’s SoMa headquarters, located at 1201 Main Street in Little Rock, on Saturday, June 22.
Starting at 11 a.m., Rock Town is hosting a party both inside and outside at the distillery. Outside, there will be a tasting booth, cocktail booth and Mr. Mason’s BBQ will be set up providing delicious BBQ plates from 12-5 p.m. Attendees will have the chance to check out Rock Town’s distillery in free tours every hour from 1-5 p.m.
Want to know more about Rock Town’s award-winning spirits? Brandon is hosting an Anniversary Barrelhouse Whiskey Masterclass, where he will walk you through the details of how the whiskeys are produced, aged and more. The masterclass will also feature a tasting of four different whiskeys. Tickets for the event, which starts at 6:30 p.m., are $60.
Brandon is continuing another tradition at Rock Town: producing an anniversary whiskey to mark the occasion. The Saturday celebration will be the unveiling of Rock Town’s 9th Anniversary Whiskey, 3-year-old single malt distilled from 100 percent malted barley, finished in a cognac cask
“The single malt is another first for us and the state of Arkansas. We’ve distilled a mash of 100 percent malted barley,” Brandon says.
