Firefly Vodka
Encyclopedia
Firefly Distillery is a distillery
Distilled beverage
A distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...

 located on Wadmalaw Island, thirty miles south of Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

 that manufactures a line of vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....

 products using muscadine
Muscadine
Muscadines are a grapevine species native to the present-day southeastern United States that has been extensively cultivated since the 16th Century. It differs from Vitis spp. in its number of chromosomes and its morphology...

 grapes local to South Carolina.

Firefly is the only distillery in South Carolina.

Firefly Muscadine Vodka

Firefly Distillery's first product was Firefly Muscadine Vodka. The vodka was introduced in April 2006, after an impromptu early March debut at Charleston International Antiques Show emceed by Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...

 gave the company unexpected attention.

The flavored vodka was inspired by the distillery's location on a vineyard. Muscadine
Muscadine
Muscadines are a grapevine species native to the present-day southeastern United States that has been extensively cultivated since the 16th Century. It differs from Vitis spp. in its number of chromosomes and its morphology...

 grapes are native to the southeast region, and muscadine wine is traditionally a very sweet wine. This product was originally produced in Florida due to South Carolina's distillery licensing fees issues.

Firefly earned 89 out of 100 points from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago, outscoring such industry standards as Absolut and Ketel One.

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka

In April 2008 Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka was added to the product line. The product is a twist on the southern staple, sweet tea
Sweet tea
Sweet tea is a style of iced tea commonly consumed in the Southern United States. Sweet tea is made by adding sugar to bags of black tea brewing in hot water while the mixture is still hot, which allows for supersaturation of the solution, enabling the tea to hold more dissolved sweetener than...

. The vodka is distilled on Wadmalaw Island and the tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...

 is from Charleston Tea Plantation. Additional flavors include: Firefly Mint Tea Vodka, Firefly Raspberry Tea Vodka, Firefly Lemon Tea Vodka, and Firefly Peach Tea Vodka.

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka mixed with Lemonade is often referred to as a "John Daly" due to his known bouts with alcohol and it's a play on the famous Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955...

 half and half drink bearing Mr. Arnold's name.

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is a favorite among mixologists, sparking a myriad of recipe websites dedicated to trying new concoctions.

Firefly Handcrafted Vodka

Firefly Handcrafted Vodka, a straight vodka product, was introduced to the market January 2009. This vodka is distilled slowly in batches a six times. Currently this product is only distributed to South Carolina, but plans are to expand distribution. The 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition awarded Firefly Handcrafted Vodka a Bronze Medal.

Firefly Lemon Tea Vodka, Mint Tea Vodka, Raspberry Tea Vodka, Peach Tea Vodka

Firefly Distillery expanded their product portfolio March 2009 with flavored tea vodkas. The 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition awarded a Double Gold Medal to Firefly Mint Tea Flavored Vodka, a Silver Medal for Firefly's Peach Tea, and a Bronze Medal to Firefly Lemon Tea Vodka.

Firefly Sweet Tea Bourbon

In April 2010, Firefly released a Sweet Tea Bourbon. Firefly Sweet Tea Bourbon is made with 4 year old Bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, tea from South Carolina tea and sugar cane from Louisiana. Before the official release of the Sweet Tea Bourbon, Firefly announced the product through Facebook, Twitter, and then their website. Firefly Bourbon won a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits competition in 2010.

Firefly Southern Lemonade

Firefly Southern Lemonade was released in April 2010 and is a part of Firefly's ready to drink collection. Firefly Southern Lemonade blends Firefly straight vodka with fresh squeezed lemonade.

Firefly Sweet Tea Lemonade

The Sweet Tea Lemonade is a blend of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and fresh squeezed lemonade.

Distribution

In October 2008, Firefly Distillery and Sazerac Company formed a joint venture to manufacture and distribute Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka at Sazerac's Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a distillery located in Frankfort, Kentucky. It has historically been known by several names, including most notably, the George T. Stagg Distillery and the O.F.C. Distillery. Its namesake bourbon brand, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, was introduced...

in Kentucky in order to meet the growing market demand. Through this joint venture Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka was able to be distributed to all states by March 2009.

On The Fly Tour

In February 2009, Firefly Distillery sent a Firefly wrapped RV, nicknamed "Firefly One", on a cross-country road trip. The On The Fly Tour visits bars, restaurants, parties, concerts, and festivals raising awareness of the small company. The On The Fly Tour journey is documented through a blog, Twitter, and videos.
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