Man known as a ‘loose cannon’ for homemade alcohol in Saudi Arabia opens Lakewood Ranch distillery

Try house made liquors Loaded Cannon Distillery

FOX 13 Photojournalist Corey Beckman pulls back the curtain on Loaded Cannon Distillery, a Lakewood Ranch staple since 2019, offering tours, tastings, a full bar open, and craft cocktails all made with their over 35 different spirits homemade liquors.

BRADENTON, Fla. - An award-winning distillery in Lakewood Ranch got its start from a chemical engineer who took matters into his own hands while living in Saudi Arabia, where alcohol is illegal.

Owner Steve Milligan opened the doors to Loaded Cannon Distillery in 2019 after living in Saudi Arabia for three years, where he made alcohol from scratch.

"For most people that have been to Saudi Arabia, they know there is no alcohol, its illegal. So I decided to make my own," Milligan said. "Because of that, I got a nickname, which was loose cannon, so we changed to loaded cannon.

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The distillery offers tours, tastings, and a full bar open six days a week, serving up craft cocktails made with their products and over 35 different spirits.

Charley's World | Loaded Cannon Distillery

FOX 13's Charley Belcher visited Loaded Cannon Distillery in Bradenton.

"The goal is to get a good, high-quality product and give the customers what they want," Milligan explained.

Milligan said that when it's possible, he likes to use real fruits when creating his product.

Loaded Cannon’s product lineup includes gins, vodkas, whiskeys and rums. The top seller is jalapeño vodka, followed closely by their bourbon.

The machinery used to create the product at Loaded Cannon Distillery.

"Our bourbons are second to none in the state of Florida," says Milligan. "Florida bourbons are a little different, a little more woody, and they age quicker."

Loaded Cannon Distillery in Lakewood Ranch prides itself on the customer experience, but the quality of its product is top of the line according to the 2023 and 2024 Best of Florida awards put out by The Guide To Florida.

Loaded Cannon Distillery is located at 3115 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. in Bradenton. It is open Wednesday through Sunday.

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