Local distillery makes its own whiskey, from farm to barrel

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - Tucked deep inside the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area, NJoy Spirits Distillery is a bit of a trek for most. But for the whiskey connoisseur or those looking for an interesting way to spend the day, Njoy is worth the journey. 

Natalie Joy and Kevin Goff say they started out with hopes of making “America’s finest 100% Rye Whiskey.” This is why they start the process in the fields where they grow sugarcane and rye grain on their 80-acre farm. Their whiskey is 100% rye. 

As a tour of their distillery demonstrates, it is quite a time-consuming process to get to the finished product.

Njoy uses a 1905 sugarcane mill to juice the cane; the juice then ferments for seven to eight days. Once the juice is fermented, it gets distilled in a copper pot still -- about a 16-hour-long process.

They keep their barrels in shipping containers and basically let Florida’s natural climate do the rest. Their Mermaid Rum takes three years in a barrel and their Wild Buck Whiskey takes a minimum of two years.

“The longer it is in a container, the more color and taste you get out of the barrel,” Goff explained. 

Anyone interested in booking a tour of the farm and facility will end their tour by tasting the results of the couple’s hard work.

LINK: For more information on purchasing products or booking tours, visit their website.