Establishments with a true history always intrigue me, but this one was more of what's in a name than the history of the building. Mired in mystery, the name Burnt Church conjures up dark moments of the past, but the owners of the distillery paid a local historian to dig into and uncover the history of Burnt Church Road in a book. There is an area right to the left of the front door, called the Study, where the history of the area is laid out on the wall. There is an illusion to an all-black congregational church being burned to the ground sometime around the Civil War. Also, an illusion to learning from our past mistakes by honoring the history and pushing forward. The book itself may hold the clues, but my first guess on the road's origins seems to be true. Other sites I looked at had multiple different stories that no one had ever confirmed, adding to the mystery.
Pushing forward is what Burnt Church Distillery is all about and the owners hit a home run with the design of a church for their building. A large stained-glass window immediately catches your eye as you walk in. The sanctuary is where the action happens as a huge center bar dominates the room with some posh seating in several areas along with traditional pub tables. The far wall is covered in bottles of the spirits they create with a window into the distillery off to the left. We were in just after opening, so had no problem getting a seat. This time, I decided to order one of the signature cocktails and went with The Black Pearl. A house bourbon with homemade vanilla syrup, peach liqueur and blackberries. The drink was stronger than I anticipated, but after a few initial sips that were all alcohol, I started to get the other flavors rolling. It was pretty good overall. The waitress came by and said it was one of the more potent drinks on the menu. They have a pretty good selection of drinks, including gin, vodka, whiskey and bourbons as well as wine and local beers. You will be able to get your drink on at BCD and you'll be doing it in style. Well laid out, clean, open with upscale class and even some local artist paintings on the walls.
The food menu is fairly limited, but what we had was good. They have brick-oven pizzas, which come from an adjacent pizza shop. You can choose from their versions or make your own. Salads, and some apps, like chicken wings and bbq chicken nachos round out the menu. I had their South by Southwest salad and my son had a pizza. Both were very good. Personally, I think they ought to add a sandwich or two to the menu, but sometimes simple is best, especially when your specialty is distilled spirits.
Their men's bathroom is one you won't soon forget. I actually took a picture of it since no one else was in there, but I won't spoil it for everyone. You'll just have to go yourself. I also took some time to go through their gift shop, which included a humidor. Distilled spirts and a good cigar go hand-in-hand afterall. They had a good selection of items and I found myself impressed with the whole vibe. They have a nice outdoor area that would be great on a summer's night to hang out in as well. If you find yourself in the Bluffton, Hilton Head area, I recommend checking this place out.
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