Craft distillery sets up shop in LR

All the equipment that Phil Brandon needs to start a small-batch distillery near downtown Little Rock has arrived at his warehouse. Now he has to put it together and start cooking grain.

Brandon’s Rock Town Distillery opened its doors Friday for a first look at the custom-made still that will turn out bourbon, vodka and gin. The business is about a block south of Heifer International.

Brandon says he wanted to change careers after Little Rock-based Alltel Corp. was acquired by Verizon Wireless last year. Rock Town Distillery will use only Arkansas-grown ingredients, and Brandon said he found a seed company in Stuttgart to provide the wheat and corn varieties he’ll need.

Production is to start later this summer.

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