Distillation columns at Rollins Distillery

The Rollins Distillery Story

How — and Why — We Opened the First Licensed Distillery in the Florida Panhandle

Paul and Patrick Rollins

With a passion for honest hard work, an unending thirst for knowledge, and a natural-born skill in the craft of distilling, Rollins Distillery was founded by the father-and-son team of Paul and Patrick Rollins. Refusing to let their dreams stay merely dreams, Paul and Patrick opened the distillery in response to their love of the craft and the Northwest Florida region. Incorporated in 2011, Rollins Distillery is the result of big dreams and perfect timing.

A Family Endeavor

Paul Rollins

With a background in chemistry from the Naval Academy, Paul has always had a fascination with distilling. Following a distinguished career and his retirement from the Navy, Paul completed his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) while living in Scotland. As part of his MBA, he did an operational study of Fettercairn Distillery in Fettercairn, Scotland. Working so closely with the distillery had done much to reignite his passion for distilled spirits in which a period of discovery and palate growth ensued.

Patrick Rollins

Patrick discovered a love for brewing while studying Architecture at university. After deciding to leave the field to pursue his dreams, he informed his father that he would like to open a brewery. After discussing the idea, Paul countered with, “How about a distillery?” and thus the idea for Rollins Distillery was born!

Moving into their Gulf Breeze location in 2012, the duo began to build out a small warehouse to accommodate the fledgling distillery.

The Story Behind Our Logo

Black rough texture background
Rollins Distillery Logo light version

The Rollins Distillery logo is a powerful statement of our company and the people in it. While the Panhandle of Florida and the Gulf Coast region, in general, are not known for their rampant rams, our family, the Rollins family, is known for its dedication, perseverance, and ingenuity. We are a very close family with a foundation in compassion and morality. We are powerful, driven, energetic, and fearless.

With that said, we are not without our moments. An intelligent family with much ambition and creativity, we have been known to “butt heads” once or twice. In fact, the particular placement of the rams is the result of a disagreement between Dad (Paul: father) and myself (Patrick: son) regarding an old prototype logo design. We are strong-willed individuals and can admittedly be stubborn from time to time. In the midst of our frustration, Mum (Lamia: wife and mother), in all her wisdom, said our logo should be two rams butting heads. Light bulb: on.

All jokes aside, we are human and totally relatable to people just like you. However, and most importantly, we are a family that loves one another; and it is that love that drives us to create the best spirits possible for you to enjoy.

Cheers!

The Rollins Distillery Family

Florida Panhandle’s
First Licensed Distillery

Rollins Distillery is a genuine family business owned by Paul & Lamia Rollins and operated by Paul & Patrick Rollins and is, in fact, the first legal distillery in the Florida Panhandle. Rollins Distillery is associated with the Florida Craft Spirits Association, the American Craft Spirits Association, and the American Distilling Institute.