Mountain State Distillery opens in Charleston 3/20/19

Mountain State Distillery founder Jeff Arthur’s interest in distilled spirits came to him early in life. “I was interested in distilled spirits, going back to middle school days — probably from watching the Dukes of Hazard,” he said. “I was always amazed how excited people would get when they got real backwoods moonshine.”

Now, Arthur will have the opportunity to bring some of that kind of excitement to downtown Charleston as Mountain State Distillery opens March 20 at the corner of Kanawha Boulevard and Capitol Street.

“Initially, we will be opening with a single product, a blended whiskey distilled from a wheated bourbon mash,” Arthur said. Called Southern Blend, the whiskey is priced at $34.99 for a 750 ml bottle.

Just receiving his state distillery license in January didn’t give Arthur much time to get a stockpile of whiskey made. However, as an entrepreneur without deep pockets, he needed to get open as soon as possible and begin ringing up some sales. His solution was to make his first product a mixture of spirits he produced in-house and spirits that were made for him by a contract distillery. His purchased spirits were produced to his specifications, and he is happy with the outcome. Down the road, as he has time to get more distilling done, he will offer products containing 100 percent Charleston-made spirits.

“As we move along, we will be adding new spirits, including various moonshines, gin, and some seasonal blends,” he said. 

An interesting side note: Every gallon of distilled spirit he makes is charcoal filtered before aging or bottling. “I think it makes it a little more refined,” he said. Jack Daniels would agree with Arthur on that.

Arthur handles all his own distilling on two small stills: a 13 gallon pot still and a 26 gallon reflux still. Other key equipment includes two 60-gallon fermentation tanks, a mash cooker, a charcoal filter, and bottle fillers. From that he gets about 2.5 gal. of alcohol. He expects to produce about 700 gallons of distillate in his first year.

Charleston’s first distillery tasting room

Customers can try out Southern Blend at Mountain State Distillery’s sampling bar. Bottles may be purchased and a few branded souvenirs and some other locally produced items are also offered for sale. Due to city regulations he can only be open between the hours of 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday through Saturday.

His distilling equipment is visible from inside the tasting room and also can be seen through windows from the street. The distillery should prove to be an attractive addition to downtown Charleston business and a magnet to out-of-town visitors.

Arthur’s road to the distillery business

It wasn’t a quick or easy road to opening a distillery for the self taught Arthur, who made his first distilled spirit back in 2008.

“My first batch was terrible, but it was now a challenge, and a lot of fun too.  In 2009, I toured my first moonshine distillery and was completely amazed.”

Through the years, he continued to perfect his technique and master the craft.

Inspired by the new legal and consumer climate that embraced spirits from small moonshine-style distillers, he began plans for his own commercial operation. In 2013, he registered his business, began building a business plan, and working to secure a storefront and manufacturing space. Like many entrepreneurs, he found it difficult to come up with the capital needed to finance his business.

“Banks were not an option,” he said, “as I was turned down by every bank in the area. Some more than once.” But he persevered, saved up his cash and found a good building that met his needs. He signed the lease on the property in January 2018.

Next, he had to get the city’s sign-off to run a whisky manufacturing and sales facility in the downtown retail district. That approval came in March 2018. He then got into the remodeling and equipment installation, doing most of the work himself. After he received his federal alcohol manufacturing permit, he applied for his state distillery license, which he obtained early this year. Only then could he begin manufacturing his whiskey.

After spending the past several years setting up the business, Arthur no doubt looks forward to ringing up a few sales. We welcome him to the West Virginia craft beverage community.

Mountain State Distillery
800 Kanawha Boulevard E
Charleston, WV 25301

Mountain State Distillery is not affiliated with Mountain State Spirits in Bridgeport, Mountain State Brewing in Thomas, or Mountain State Beverage, a beer distributor headquartered in Summersville.