Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka From Charleston, South Carolina

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka From Charleston, South Carolina - We were sitting on the dock over the weekend, drinking iced tea and watching the sailboats congregate in a cluster by the Wappoo Cut Bridge. The boaters were impatiently waiting for the drawbridge to open so they could pass under. Always a fun pastime, we enjoy relaxing with our iced tea, listening to the boater's radio, and laughing at their complaints about how long it takes the bridge to open. Of course, it was a scorching hot day, only the iced tea and the breeze off the Intercoastal Waterway made sitting outside bearable.

Our next-door-neighbors joined us and an impromptu afternoon tea party began. They brought their own iced tea and were willing to share. One taste and I was confused. What? Their iced tea was the best I had ever tasted. I always thought my Mom's was the best. I had to know EXACTLY how they made their iced tea.

Every Southern family has their own 'recipe' for brewing and sweetening what they consider the perfect iced tea. So it's common to taste each other's particular brew and compare preparation tips. Food and drink are one of our favorite subjects, and we are very serious about our iced tea.

Sweet iced tea is indeed a Southern staple. In fact, some local restaurants bring sweet tea to the table instead of water, unprompted. I've even heard sweet iced tea referred to as 'the table wine of the South.' While this rings true, local distillers are taking the claim to the next level.

Why their tea tasted better than ours

My neighbors were drinking Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, an infusion that is irresistible to any true Southerner. Just introduced in April, Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is rapidly becoming a popular favorite in local bars and liquor stores. Reports from distributors claim that within three weeks of the launch, Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka became the top-selling flavored vodka in South Carolina.

Imagine my joy when we discovered that Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is made right here in Charleston, South Carolina. In fact, every aspect of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka's production is local. They brew the tea, distill the vodka, bottle, label and package the spirits right here. And, they use the delicious American Classic black tea from the Charleston Tea Plantation to make Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka.

Local tea AND local tea-flavored vodka

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is 100% natural. All the ingredients are pure: pure vodka, pure water, pure sweetener and pure American Classic black tea from the Charleston Tea Plantation, which is located right down the road from the Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka distillery.

If you are interested in learning more about the Charleston Tea Plantation, America's only working tea farm, click here.

To read about how the tea used in Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is produced at South Carolina's Charleston Tea Plantation, click this one.

How Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka began

Distiller Jim Irvin runs the only winery in South Carolina, the Irvin~House Vineyard. In 2003 Irvin began making wine from Muscadine grapes. The wine never really took off but a few years later he partnered with Scott Newitt, a previous wine and liquor distributor. Together they created a new spirit using the same Muscadine grapes. Muscadine-flavored vodka was born and they called it Firefly.

The Muscadine-flavored vodka is pretty good; I've tasted it in cocktails. Many of the Charleston, South Carolina bartenders use Firefly Muscadine for mixed drinks because it can take on outside flavors well. Firefly Muscadine is a good, sturdy vodka for a good price.

Granted, vodka-infusions are a growing trend. Many of the larger labels, from Absolut to Van Gogh, have launched all kinds of flavor combinations. But Charleston, South Carolina's Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is widely gaining in popularity, and beginning to give the big guys some competition. According to Jim Irvin, the demand has been overwhelming. One local bar reported that they've never purchased a single liquor in such large quantities at any given time before.

Our tea party progressed

By this time our afternoon tea party had morphed into an evening party-for-real. We were on the dock listening to the boaters gripe and enjoying our Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka drinks. With each sip I began to appreciate the popularity of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. Light, and clean, the first smell is that of freshly brewed iced tea. And it tastes just like real brewed tea, as opposed to the overly powerful and artificial, almost dusty taste of instant tea. This vodka is smooth, being 70 proof (35% alcohol). Other vodkas are often 80 proof (40% alcohol).

We started by enjoying cocktails of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka over ice with a splash of lemonade. Simple and delicious. Another neighbor joined and suggested we make Southern-style Cosmos by mixing cranberry juice and a touch of triple sec with the vodka. Excellent. Next we experimented with a Southern Screwdriver by mixing Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka with orange juice. Yummy. As you might imagine, the night progressed and our concoctions got ever more creative.

What's next for Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka

As of this writing, Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is distributed in South Carolina, Nevada, Colorado, Georgia and New York. The goal is for Firefly to be available in every Southern state by the end of this year.

Happily, South Carolina's distillery laws were recently modified, classifying Firefly Distillery as a micro-brewery because they produce less than 130,000 cases annually. That's a good thing because as an official micro-distillery, Firefly can provide tours and tastings to the public

Beginning in August, the Firefly Distillery will open their doors to the public, offering tours and tastings every Tuesday through Saturday. As a bonus, wine tastings and vineyard tours will be available at the adjacent Irvin~House Vineyards.

You may be able to guess where our next day-trip will be, probably sometime around the beginning of August. Stay tuned, I'll tell you all about it.

Details about Firefly Vodka

-Firefly Vodka is located thirty miles outside of Charleston, South Carolina on Wadamalaw Island.
-Currently, the company produces Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Firefly Muscadine Vodka.
-Next, Firefly Distillery will launch Firefly Peach Vodka, Firefly Coffee Vodka and a Firefly Hand Crafted Vodka.
-Firefly Distillery is the largest producing distillery in South Carolina.

Firefly Distillery
6775 Bears Bluff Road
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487

Irvin~House Vineyards
6775 Bears Bluff Rd.
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487

For more information visit:
Firefly Vodka
Irvin~House Vineyards

Sources:
Personal Experience
Charleston City Paper