Winter Park Distilling Company

About the Distillery

Winter Park Distilling Company is located in Winter Park, Florida, and was established in 2010 as Orange County's first craft distillery. Founded by Paul Twyford and Andrew Asher, the company started with a handmade 50-gallon still and has evolved into a local producer of bourbon, rum and vodka, with a focus on local grains, precise column distillation, and aging in Florida's warm climate.

History

Paul Twyford and Andrew Asher opened Winter Park Distilling Company in 2010 with the ambition to create a local craft distillery. They began in small batches with a handmade 50-gallon still and worked from old whiskey recipes to establish the distillery's style. In 2013, Bear Gully Classic Reserve Bourbon hit the market, and in the years that followed the distillery began to gain recognition: in 2016 both Bear Gully Classic Reserve and Bear Gully Classic Bonfire won medals in a national bourbon competition, and in 2018 the Reserve bourbon received a silver medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Over the years the company has remained locally rooted and committed to maintaining high quality while keeping the products accessible to the local community and beyond.

Raw Materials and Production

Production is based on local ingredients: the distillery states that they carefully select local grains as well as molasses for their mash. At startup a handmade 50-gallon still was used for small batches; today distillation is performed on a twin-column reflux still, equipped with copper plates to control cuts and purity in the distillate. The process is described as artisanal and small-scale, with a focus on balance in the flavor profile. The distillery's packaging choices — including the use of wine bottles for some releases — are a practical approach to highlighting color and keeping costs down. There are no detailed technical details about fermentation times, number of stills, or exact distillation routines on the available pages.

Aging and Barrel Types

The whiskies are aged in oak barrels and mature in Florida's warm and humid climate, which the company highlights as an active part of the aging process. After primary aging, some spirits undergo further aging, and it is explicitly noted that these extra steps can yield notes such as Arabica coffee. There are no details about barrel suppliers, previous contents, or exact aging times.

Whiskeys

The portfolio mainly features bourbons as the primary whiskey types, with Bear Gully Classic Reserve Bourbon and Bear Gully Classic Bonfire Bourbon highlighted. In addition to bourbon, the distillery also produces rum and vodka, but bourbons are the products that have been documented with market introductions and competition awards. The products are presented as small-batch crafts with a focus on accessible pricing and high quality.

Philosophy and Craft

The distillery's stated values center on local craftsmanship, quality, and community. They highlight sourcing local grains and molasses, a commitment to delivering high quality in small batches, and keeping the products affordable and accessible to the local community and beyond.

Awards and Recognitions

• Silver Medal (2018) — Bear Gully Classic Reserve Bourbon

• Medal (2016, Florida's first medal) — Bear Gully Classic Reserve Bourbon

• Medal (2016) — Bear Gully Classic Bonfire Bourbon