About
Our Facility
Come for the vibrant spirits and craft cocktails, stay for the atmosphere and spend some quality time with your favorite people. Here at Distillery 98, there’s a little something for everyone: insider tours of the distillery, local art celebrating the heritage of Scenic Highway 30A and the natural beauty of the Florida Panhandle, watch parties during football season, entertaining open mic events, live music, and a rotation of visiting food trucks.
Our History
Following the best course off the beaten path
The family team behind Distillery 98 has traveled the country on a mission to make fantastic, one-of-a-kind spirits. In 2019, duo Harrison and brother-in-law David realized their dream of making craft spirits in a way that reflects and helps to protect this country’s stunning ecology.
They came to the beautiful Florida town of Santa Rosa Beach—where spirits like Half Shell Vodka was born. We are a homegrown, sustainably operated distillery proudly serving the spirit, legacy and community of the Florida Panhandle. Distillery 98’s spirits are made by hand in small batches from locally sourced, family-farmed ingredients. From grain to glass, we take pride in distilling world-class spirits just miles away from the sugar-sand beaches of 30A.
Inspired in part by the nearby Grayton Beach—one of the country’s most famous—our spirits embody the area’s parks, natural springs and coastal dunes, both figuratively and literally. Our team’s belief is that we all can be leaders in environmental responsibility and thinking differently. We pride ourselves on minimizing our ecological impact—and carbon footprint—with our unique packaging.
We’re equally proud to be part of the Santa Rosa Beach community and want to do our part to protect this singular segment of the Gulf Coast. Our mission is always to protect the place we and our neighbors call home and make it an even better place; our team prides itself on our involvement in local coastal cleanups and ocean conservancy work.
The Team
Harrison Holditch
CEO and co-founder Harrison Holditch oversees day-to-day operations and unites the company’s mix of production, distribution and F&B retail business. From equipment procurement to supervising bar staff and meeting with Distillery 98 leadership to ensure everyone is strategically aligned, Harrison prides himself on setting his team up for success each day.
Harrison’s passion for the Florida coast informs much of what Distillery 98 is about, from the company’s new label, Half Shell, to the roster of other SKUs produced by this sustainable microdistillery. Originally from southeast Texas, Harrison grew up visiting in and around Santa Rosa Beach. It was only natural for Harrison to return to the area after founding this family-run business—and to operate Distillery 98 with both close-knit community and environmental responsibility in mind. When he’s not managing the microdistillery, tasting room and event space, Harrison can be found paddleboarding and enjoying the Gulf beaches nearby.
David Kapitanoff
Head Distiller David Kapitanoff oversees recipe development, routine distillation processes, and quality control for all of Distillery 98’s spirits. In addition to almost a decade of experience in spirits, David possesses an engineer’s perspective and vast experience with hands-on labor—from pool construction to managing and crewing multi-million-dollar job sites to deck-handing fishing charters out of Grayton Beach, Florida. With a focus on traditional techniques and simple, clean flavor from quality Florida-grown grain is a force to be reckoned with in the world of spirit production. He believes each bottle is an expression of his methodical work ethic.
David has never been one to shy from challenges and takes great pride in his work producing high-quality products. Personally handling every step when it comes to production all the way from corn collection at the silo until it is bottled, labeled and ready to be shipped out, he is the perfect back-of-house counterpoint to his brother-in-law and Distillery 98 co-founder Harrison. When he is not at the distillery either creating tasty spirits or working on his 1983 Star & Stripes Mastercraft, he is outdoors hanging with his wife Kendall and two kids.
Our Press
This Santa Rosa Beach Distillery Uses Oyster Shells to Filter Their Signature Vodka
How This Florida Distillery Uses Oysters To Create Their Signature Vodka
This Slice of the Florida Panhandle Is Extra Chill and Extra Gorgeous
2023 Press
2022 Press
2021 Press
2020 Press
2018 Press
2023 Gold Medal Winner
Packaging Excellence
2023 Siver Medal Winner
Spirit Excellence
2021 Best of Emerald Coast
Best Distillery
2020 Best of Emerald Coast
Best Distillery
2020 Best of Emerald Coast
Best Distillery
2020 Gold Medal Winner
Excellent Taste | High Recommendation