We’re about more than
meets the eye.
Giving Back
A Toast to Tomorrow
A Toast to Today
A Toast to Environment
Giving Back
As a Watterson Brands company, the foundation of Burnt Church Distillery is deeply rooted in a culture of purpose beyond profit. This is more than just a tagline; it’s a mind set and a road map for success. While economic growth is important, we keep our focus on the triple bottom line – people, planet and profit.
Although we know we can’t fix every problem, we believe we can make a difference. And making the difference starts right here, in the community where we live and work. We hope you’ll join us, as we masterfully blend a unique experience with a unique giving opportunity. One that levels the playing field, makes economic equity obtainable and impacts our community; one glass of whiskey at a time.
So, come explore all that we have to offer. As you tour our campus, experience our brands and learn about our local history, you will begin to feel it. That overwhelming sense of pride that comes with knowing you are a part of something bigger; something meaningful; something grounded in our Lowcountry community.
A Toast to Tomorrow
About the Lowcountry Legacy Fund: As a collection of innovative companies, Watterson Brands believes everyone deserves a chance to prosper. Fueled by passion for the community, Watterson Brands looks for ways to level the playing field, giving people the tools they need to build a better future. It was during the research of Burnt Church Road, the inspiration for Burnt Church Distillery, that the Brands team learned how the Reconstruction Era led to the economic disparity that still exists in the Lowcountry today. Many people are unaware that during the late 1800’s most homes and businesses in Bluffton, S.C. were Black owned and that “Mitchelville,” the first Self-Governed Freedmen’s Town for the formerly enslaved was established in nearby Hilton Head, SC. While the past can never be erased, Watterson Brands is determined to impact the future through the LCLF, investing in programs that celebrate culture and heritage, build infrastructure, expand education, and pursue economic equity in the Black community.
Here’s how you can help:
- With every purchase you make at Burnt Church Distillery, fifty cents will be allocated to the Lowcountry Legacy Fund.
- Click the button below to make a donation.
a Toast to Today
We also recognize and applaud the many local non-profit organizations already doing great work to address the immediate needs in our community. In support of those efforts, the Distillery will donate 5% of monthly revenue from memberships and public community events to pre-selected charities. Each month will feature a different local charity.
Here’s how you can help:
- Consider becoming a BCD member! To learn more about our memberships, click here.
- Attend a sponsored public event at the distillery.
To learn more about the local charity partners selected by Burnt Church Distillery for 2023, see the list below.
- January: Save the Shutters
- February: Real Champions, Inc.
- March: Libraries For Kids
- April: The Children’s Center
- May: Empower
- June: Lowcountry Legacy Fund
- July: The Outside Foundation
- August: Memory Matters
- September: CURE Childhood Cancer
- October: Hilton Head Humane
- November: Camp Kudzu
- December: United Way of the Lowcountry
We do provide a very limited number of event sponsorships. Those have been fully allocated for 2023, and consideration for future cash or in-kind contributions is by invitation only.
A Toast to The Environment
The way we work must also support our environment and preserve the natural resources available in our beautiful, Lowcountry community. To this end, we have invested in energy-saving technologies to lower our consumption while implementing creative initiatives to both minimize and reuse our waste.
Here are a few examples of our sustainability efforts.
- All spent grain from our whiskey production will go to Whippoorwill Farms, a local organic farm fifteen miles from the Distillery, to feed their hogs.
- The heads and tails of our whiskey production are recycled back into the beer well thus eliminating waste.
- Empty barrel staves will be upcycled, cut into smaller pieces, and packaged for sale as smoker wood in our Mercantile store.
- A portion of our old whiskey barrels will be used to age coffee beans, which will be roasted and packaged for sale in our Mercantile store.
Here’s how you can help:
- After enjoying your spirits, we encourage you to recycle your empty bottles and packaging.
- Consider purchasing repurposed items like our smoker wood chips and barrel-aged coffee beans.
- Always, always support your local farmers!
Cheers!
So kick back and raise a glass with us, knowing that with every toast you are serving our community and protecting our planet. Cheers!
Please drink responsibly