Barring unexpected delays, the owners of what would be the county’s first craft distillery say they’re hoping to begin making gin, rum, whiskey and vodka in January on a commercial parcel at the Vero Beach Regional Airport.
The company, which plans to operate as Indian River Distillery, will be based in a leased strip mall at the northeast corner of Aviation Boulevard and Airport Drive, if the City Council approves an amendment to the airport property’s zoning to include craft distilleries as a permitted use.
The new wording would allow the distilling of less than 250,000 gallons of spirits annually on the property, and permit the packaging of those spirits for retail or wholesale distribution, on or off the premises.
Vero’s Planning & Zoning Board and the city planning staff recommended the zoning change last week, and the City Council could adopt the amendment and approve the lease as soon as next month.
“We can’t apply for the state and federal licenses we need until the City Council approves the lease,” said Ray Hooker, a third-generation county resident and Sebastian River High School graduate who co-owns the company with his wife, Mandy. “Once that happens, we’re ready to move and move fast.”
Hooker said the 4,000-square-foot facility, which was built in the 1970s and previously housed a beauty salon and spa, needs to be gutted and converted to a warehouse that will be equipped with fermenters and a 300-gallon still.
Though the facility will not include a bar, Hooker said there will be a tasting room where customers can sample the products, learn how they were made and purchase them. Groups may hold events at the distillery.
“We’re going to make and sell our spirits locally,” Hooker said. “Ultimately, we’d like to distribute nationwide, but distribution is tough, so we’ll start small. We’ll sell from our facility and, hopefully, some of the local establishments will purchase our products.
“When that’s successful, then we’ll try to expand.”
There are fewer than 50 craft distilleries in Florida, where the niche business is “10 years behind the craft-beer breweries,” Hooker said, adding that Florida’s alcoholic-beverage sales rank second in the nation – behind California – but that it is at the back of the pack in terms of craft distilleries.
Currently, there are no craft distilleries on Florida’s Treasure Coast or in neighboring Brevard County, according to the Florida Craft Spirits Association.
Hooker said he and his wife have been planning this venture for years, “probably as far back as 2015,” and have spent the past four years researching the licensing process, government regulations, distribution and pricing.
They’ve also been educating themselves about the business, taking classes at the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London, England, as well as at U.S. distilleries in Kentucky.
Spirits the couple produce at Indian River Distillery will have a “distinctly Florida flair,” as Hooker put it, with brand names such as “Hibiscus City Gin” and “Treasure Fleet Rum.”
“We haven’t come up with a name for our vodka or whiskey yet,” Hooker said. “It takes time to make good whiskey, but we need a whiskey to start, and we’ll have one. But it won’t be ours. So, we’ll call it NOW – Not Our Whiskey.”
He said the distillery’s craft spirits will be made with all-natural ingredients found locally or in other parts of Florida, including Florida-grown juniper plants that will be used in the production of gin.
To start, Hooker said he and his wife will run the business by themselves, then add staff as needed. He predicted the distillery eventually could have as many as 10 employees.
Prior to this venture, the Hookers owned and operated Other Side Services, a local pest control and landscaping business, which they sold in December. Hooker said he and his wife have invested “everything we’ve got” in making their craft-distillery dream a reality.
“This is a big leap for us,” Hooker said. “We’re super-excited about it, and we hope the community will come out and support us.”