Florida Distillery Trail Highlights Craft Beverages Made With Local Products

In partnership with: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Florida is known for fresh-from-the-field produce, delicious seafood and juicy citrus. Now, the state’s distilleries are championing a new way to enjoy the local bounty – in your glass. 

The distillery scene has been growing across Florida, with producers using local commodities such as fruit, botanicals, cane sugar and more to create high-quality craft spirits like gin, rum and vodka. 

See more: Florida Distilleries Craft Award-Winning Spirits With Local Grains

From Field to Glass

In Jacksonville, Manifest Distilling opened to the public 
in 2016, founded on the principles that the sum is greater than the parts and putting value into 
a collaborative approach with 
local producers.

“Part of that concept is working with as many locally sourced ingredients as possible while maintaining the highest level of integrity,” says David Cohen, President and Master Distiller at Manifest. “Manifest uses citrus and cane in multiple spirits and relies on Florida agriculture and local farms to supply those products.” 

Some of Manifest’s spirits include Florida Citrus Vodka, Florida Botanical Gin and Manifest White Rum, which are used in their
ready-to-drink canned cocktails. 

Cohen says when Manifest was founded, there were only about 
30 distillery licenses in Florida. Today, that number has increased
to nearly 100. 

Cheers to Teamwork

Manifest’s collaborative principle for distilling high-quality spirits spilled over into the industry as craft producers began to realize that together, they could build a stronger spirits industry for Florida.

“There have been multiple versions of a craft spirits trade association over the years,” Cohen says. “A few years ago, the critical mass of craft producers hit a tipping point where enough of us realized that we were all each other’s best ally. That shift in mentality breathed life into what is now the Florida Craft Spirits Association (FCSA).”

Cohen serves as President of the Association, and its goals 
are to grow awareness in the community, represent distillers’ views before policymakers and promote Florida spirits across the state. Currently, FCSA has more than 50 distilleries as members and continues to grow. 

See more: Large or Small, Florida Farms Take Pride in Their Products

Florida Distillery Trail

Cohen says when FCSA was formed, one of the top priorities was determining how to connect Florida residents and visitors to craft distillers. The solution: the Florida Distillery Trail. 

Launched in 2022, the Trail provides an activity for consumers while visiting distilleries across the state. 

“It began as a printed program that required people to pick up physical maps from member distilleries and get them stamped as they moved around the state,” Cohen says. “The model was cumbersome, as people had to keep track of a physical map in a digital world. In late 2022, we began to design and build a digital app that would fix all of our problems, and it launched Summer of 2023.”

Cohen adds that with the app, distillers can tailor offerings and share stories behind their products, featuring Florida agriculture.

“It makes it really easy for consumers to follow along,” 
he says. 

Any Florida distillery can be featured on the Trail upon joining FCSA. Participating as part of the Trail, member distilleries can receive benefits like discounted pricing at fairs and festivals, engagement in programs like “Fresh From Florida” and more. 

See more: Celebrating Citrus: A Look at the Past, Present and Future of Florida’s Famous Fruit

To learn more about FCSA 
and the Florida Distillery Trail, check out floridacraftspirits.org or download the Florida Distillery Trail app on your smart phone.

Florida Cucumber and Key Lime Gin & Tonic

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Florida gin
• 1 Florida Key lime, halved
• 1 small Florida pickling cucumber, sliced
• Ice
• Tonic water, chilled

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, 2 slices of cucumber and half a Key lime.

2. Use a muddling stick to crush the ingredients together. Once muddled, add a few ice cubes, secure the lid and shake vigorously.

3. Fill a rocks glass all the way to the top with ice. Pour the shaken ingredients through a fine mesh strainer into the glass.

4. Top cocktail off with chilled tonic water. Garnish with extra cucumber slices and remaining Key lime half. Drink responsibly.