Tasting Room & Tours · 147 Monroe Church Rd, Rice VA · (434) 392-7275 · Tue–Sat 11am–9pm · Sun 11am–5pm
Rice, Virginia Grain to Glass Small Batch

Virginia
Grain.
Copper Still.
Forged from Fire.

Family-run craft distillery in an 1840s Virginia log cabin. We grow it, mill it, distill it, and pour it — right here in the heart of Prince Edward County.

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Sandy River Distillery copper pot still Phoenix — Vendome Copper Pot Still · Louisville, KY
The Spirits

From our still
to your glass.

Every bottle we make starts with 100% locally sourced Virginia grain and ends in hand-selected white oak barrels. Small batch. No shortcuts. No shortcuts.

Sandy River 1840 Bourbon
Small Batch Bourbon
1840 Bourbon

Named for the century our log cabin was built. Mash-billed from 100% Virginia grain, aged in American white oak — warm oak, vanilla, and a long Virginia finish.

Peach Cobbler Moonshine
Moonshine
Peach Cobbler Moonshine

Virginia peaches, warm spice, buttery pastry crust. Smooth enough to sip cold, rich enough to stir into a cocktail. Southern summers in a jar.

Strawberry Shortcake Moonshine
Moonshine
Strawberry Shortcake Moonshine

Sun-ripe strawberry and sweet cream — bright, easy and dangerously drinkable. The one everyone reaches for first at the tasting bar.

Sterling Vodka
Virginia Vodka
Sterling Vodka

Grain-to-glass clean. Distilled from 100% Virginia grain through our copper pot still, then polished to a silky, neutral spirit with a subtle warmth on the finish.

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Sandy River Distillery tasting room
Tasting Room & Tours

Step inside the cabin.
Taste the story.

Our tasting room is housed in a genuine 1840s Virginia log cabin — thick-hewn timbers, firelight, and the smell of oak and copper. Book a guided distillery tour and see exactly how we turn grain into glass on Phoenix, our hand-forged Vendome copper pot still.

01
Spirit Flights

Work through the lineup side by side. Our bar staff walk you through each spirit's grain, still-run, and character.

02
Distillery Tours

See the mash tubs, fermenters, and Phoenix up close. Understand every step from grain delivery to barrel fill. Groups of 8+ by appointment.

03
Single Barrel Program

Select your own barrel, track its aging, and bottle it yourself. The ultimate gift for the whiskey lover in your life.

04
Cocktail Hour

Every Friday & Saturday, 4:30–8:30 pm. Order flights, cocktails, or settle into the covered patio by the firepit with a Smoked Old Fashioned.

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The Barrelhouse

Wood-fired food.
Distillery-made cocktails.

The Barrelhouse is our on-site kitchen and bar — a full restaurant right beside the still. Farm-fresh ingredients, artisan wood-fired pizzas, Virginia craft beer, and a rotating cocktail menu built entirely around what comes out of our barrels.

The Kitchen

Wood-Fired Pizzas & Salads

Artisan doughs, fresh farm vegetables, house-made sauces. Every pizza is cooked to order in our wood-fired oven — thin, blistered, and finished with local ingredients.

The Bar

Craft Cocktails & Flights

A rotating roster of original cocktails built around our spirits — from the Smoked Old Fashioned and Notorious F.I.G. to seasonal specials. Virginia craft beer and wine also on tap.

The Patio

Outdoor Firepit Lounge

A covered, heated outdoor area with sofas and a wood-burning firepit. Open year-round. Bring leashed pets. Watch the Blue Ridge light fade over a pour of 1840 Bourbon.

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1840s Virginia log cabin
1840 Est.
Forged from Fire

A story of survival,
faith, and second chances.

"This isn't just bourbon. It's survival. It's what happens when you refuse to let fire have the last word."

Sandy River Distillery was born from an act of sheer stubbornness. Founder Mark Sterling started with an electric still he named Bertha — and Bertha exploded, burning 27% of his body. Weeks in a burn unit, multiple surgeries, and a long road back. Most people would have walked away.

Mark didn't. He acquired Phoenix — a hand-forged Vendome copper pot still from Louisville, Kentucky — and built the distillery he'd always envisioned, inside a genuine 1840s Virginia log cabin on Monroe Church Road in Rice.

Today, Phoenix runs every batch. Every bottle carries the motto: Forged from Fire. Because that's exactly what it was.

Read the Full Story
The Store

Take a piece
of Rice home.

Every bottle we sell left this building. Browse our full spirits lineup in the tasting room or order online — bottles, gift cards, merchandise, and our exclusive Single Barrel selections.

01
Bottle Sales Daily

Walk-in bottle purchases available every day 9am–5pm, even when the tasting room is closed.

02
Gift Cards

Give the gift of a tasting, a tour, or a meal at the Barrelhouse. Available in any amount.

03
Single Barrel Program

Select your own cask, watch it age, and bottle it exclusively under your name. Contact us to start the conversation.

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Sandy River Distillery spirits
Find Us

Plan your visit.

Hours of Operation

Tuesday – Saturday11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday11:00 am – 5:00 pm
MondayClosed
Bottle sales daily 9am–5pm · Cocktail hour Fri & Sat 4:30–8:30pm

Address & Directions

147 Monroe Church Road
Rice, VA 23966

About 15 minutes outside Farmville. Handicap parking available. Leashed pets welcome on the patio.

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Contact

(434) 392-7275

events@sandyriverdistillery.com

@sandyriverdistillery

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