Nippitaty Distillery is now open at 4405 Spruill Ave., following a successful investment campaign with Honeycomb Credit that allowed owner Traxler Littlejohn to complete the renovation of the circa-1950s Gulf service station the distillery now calls home. The new location can accommodate 39 guests — Nippitaty’s old Pace Street facility off Dorchester Road could only accommodate 15.
“That first weekend here was great. We made probably what we would have made in three months at our old location,” said Littlejohn, who opened the doors to the public Aug. 6. “The city of North Charleston has been amazing.”
Plans for the new space started to formulate at the end of 2020, when Littlejohn launched a Kickstarter campaign, but financial support from 64 individual investors who contributed amounts from $100-$10,000 to the Honeycomb fundraise were what allowed Littlejohn to move forward with the project.
The renovations aren’t quite complete yet — Littlejohn is constructing a small kitchen that will serve a limited menu, allowing the distillery to sell beer and wine and stay open until 11 p.m. — per the state’s new regulations for distilleries.
For now, guests can sample Nippitaty’s full list of organic spirits at the new distillery, plus its new cocktail lineup. There’s a basil gimlet, mojito and Bloody Mary finished with coffee-rubbed bacon from Spruill Avenue neighbor Junction Kitchen & Provisions.
“The community support has been great, and the best part is we’re seeing new faces everyday we’re open,” said Littlejohn, commenting on Park Circle’s thriving food and beverage scene. “There’s more stuff around us — people can almost make a half day trip up here.”
For more information, visit nippitatydistillery.com.
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