In the Spirit: Tom & Huck Distillers | Listen

From the legends behind Firefly Distillery in Charleston come three new lines of dark, aged whiskeys from Tom & Huck Distillers. Crafted by three generations of distillers, these bottles hold a distinctive presence that collides past with present and embraces a new South Carolinian tradition.  We sat down with Jay Macmurphy, general manager of Tom & Huck Distillers, to hear the inspiration behind these spirits. 

The Local Palate: Tell me about you and your family’s journey into distilling.

Jay Macmurphy: I grew up in South Carolina, and there was always moonshine being passed around, so spirits and the camaraderie behind them have been a part of life so long as I can remember. My parents owned Live Oak Winery out on Wadmalaw Island and, early on, my dad fell in love with the spirits industry. He was passionate but stubborn, wanting to handle everything from production to sales and distribution, and that’s when he brought in Scott Newitt. Their friendship forged a powerful partnership that began Firefly Distillery with two highly successful vodkas, the muscadine vodka then the sweet tea vodka. 

As for me, I grew up on the water and cut my teeth sailing and fishing on shrimping boats on Shem Creek. My passion was building and designing boats. But, in 2007 when Firefly took off, they needed someone with my mindset to help lead and structure the production side of things. I’m now general manager, but my favorite part of my role is the distillation process. 

While Firefly started with vodka, we always had a desire to produce aged spirits, and whiskey is not a spirit you can start with. Tom & Huck is about embracing these darker spirits and leaning into the natural landscape of the Lowcountry to give them their distinctness.

TLP: Why Tom & Huck? How are you tapping into their iconic spirit of adventure?

Jay Macmurphy: My dad, Jim Irvin, and his partner, Scott Newitt, always said they had a “destined” friendship. Choosing a business partner is akin to finding family, and they always manage to bring out the best sense of creativity, adventure, and mischief in each other. So, we thought Tom & Huck was a great way to characterize and honor their friendship. This, and when you drive down the gravel road to our distillery tucked away on Noisette Creek, you feel a true release from stress and a return to that authentic sense of adventure.

TLP: How is Tom & Huck distinctly tied to the Lowcountry?

Jay Macmurphy: The Lowcountry is literally infused into Tom & Huck whiskeys. Our distillery is settled on marsh land surrounded by the often unpredictable humid air. This creates a distinct taste and dynamic flavor in our six-year aged spirits. Just like the people in Charleston, it has strong, undiluted character. 

TLP: How do you feel intergenerational collaboration has affected your processes and vision for Tom & Huck?

Jay Macmurphy: It’s been such a special thing to work with my dad and also my daughter. I would have never expected to have my daughter join me in the industry, but getting to see her mind at work is my greatest source of inspiration. Riley Macmurphy started in bottling and quickly progressed to line lead. From there, we could tell her skillset could really be tapped by including her in the distillation side. At 23, she has a fire, charisma, and creativity that reignites my passion for my own role. It’s also genuinely amazing to see her thriving as a young woman in a male-dominated industry. 

TLP: How did you go about naming and differentiating each line of bottles?

Jay Macmurphy: Tom & Huck has three lines we’ve released: Bend & Steal, Steel Feathers, and Live. 

Bend & Steal blends a mix of spirits aged in Southern barrels from places like Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina then finishes in Madeira wine barrels. Charleston has a long history with Madeira wine, acting as a hub for its consumption in the 18th and 19th centuries. For us, the Bend & Steal embraces this sense of coming together, stealing the best from our history and fellow Southern distillers, and blending it into a new bottle. 

Steel Feathers is a reference point to our distillery along Noisette Creek that used to be both a Navy shipyard and a bird sanctuary. We always joke that you couldn’t take a few steps without encountering a scrap of steel or a pile of feathers. This is our flavored whiskey line with standouts like blackberry, sweet tea, and espresso-infused bottles. 

Lastly, Live references our ties to live music. We host concerts and events all the time at the distillery and there’s a tangible buzz in the air whenever people share live music together. We wanted to bottle that same feeling, and Live is our high-proof whiskey geared toward refined palates. 

TLP: What is your personal favorite way to enjoy Tom & Huck?

Jay Macmurphy: When I think of good whiskey, I think of crisp winter air while me and my friends pack up our fly fishing gear, taking warm, golden sips while our conversations naturally flow. Good spirits create sensory timestamps, and those are the spirits that start, and continue, traditions.

A Tom & Huck Distillers Cocktail To Make At Home

Campfire Mule

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