Meet the Maker
30A Distilling Co is a celebration of the beautiful place we call home. At the heart of our company is our founder Brian Rabon, a proud Florida distiller and serial entrepreneur. Dive in to meet the maker behind 30A Distilling Co!
Brian first fell in love with the beaches dotting the Emerald Coast as a kid, visiting the area every summer with his family. 30A became his favorite place –– the location of all his best memories and the place he always wanted to be. Just a Southern kid with big dreams, Brian made it his goal to someday live on the beach. He achieved that as an adult and now splits his time between Salt Lake City, UT and 30A.
In high school, Brian thrived in chemistry classes and excelled in labs. He followed this interest into college, starting in Chemical Engineering and eventually declaring and graduating with a degree in Computer Science from Auburn University. While he launched into a successful career in the field, he never forgot how much he enjoyed chemistry, and became an avid home brewer. As a dedicated foodie, Brian’s passion for new flavors took him from beer, to wine, to spirits. His career took him all over the world, where he began collecting bottles of the local specialty from each place he visited — from Baijiu in China to Pisco in Peru. While his collection grew, his curiosity did too. He loved making cocktails and often donated his skills as an amateur bartender to his church, Holy Apostles in Hoover, AL. The range and possibilities of spirits
captured his interest in an unshakeable way.
In 2019, Brian’s best friend, Dr. Thomas Soltau, opened Sugarfield Spirits in Gonzalez, LA. Friends from college, the two of them spent many good times together hunting, skiing, and drinking the best whiskeys in the world. When Sugarfield opened, Brian jumped at the chance to learn about distillation and was immediately hooked. Thomas took Brian on as an apprentice, allowed him to learn every aspect of the business, and soon Brian was running his own distilling projects.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Brian took the time in quarantine to reflect on what he wanted from business. He considered each of his personal values and how they aligned with the companies he was developing. Health and wellness is of huge importance to him, and that year he opened SoWal CrossFit(r). The success of the gym urged him to consider a place for community, celebration, and connection — a distillery with a tasting room. Brian enrolled in classes from Mitch Abate at Downslope Distilling in early 2021 as well as Moonshine University in Louisville, KY, and upon completing the courses, he knew he had to open a 30A distillery.
30A Distilling Co was founded shortly after, launching in March 2022. You can find Brian at our Tasting Room in Santa Rosa Beach, FL sampling folks on spirits and serving up true southern hospitality. The best way to get to know him? Stop by sometime for a chat over some 30A Whiskey.
30A Distilling Co is a Florida craft distillery producing premium spirits with a distinctly Southern twist. Made from regionally sourced ingredients and inspired by the beautiful beaches of HWY 30A, we offer Florida rum, bourbon, vodka, gin and american agave spirits. isit us for spirit flights, distillery tours, exceptional cocktails and bottles to take home!