Delta Dirt Distillery
Delta Dirt Distillery is a family-owned, craft distillery located in the richest farmland in the country – the Arkansas Delta. They grow their own produce and grains in the same community where these authentic spirits are distilled, which makes them unique in the American distilling industry. The Williams family have deep roots in Arkansas and have farmed their land in Phillips County for four generations.
“Papa” Joe Williams was the patriarch who sharecropped the original 86 acres in the late 1800s. His son U.D. Williams farmed that same stretch of land, but was able to do something rare and special – in 1949, he purchased the farm out of sharecropping with money earned from cotton and homemade moonshine. Yes, that’s right, corn-liquor moonshine. The next generation farmer was Harvey Sr., who inherited the difficult task of trying to make a living farming on relatively few acres. Options were limited, and tough decisions were required. He had to either acquire enough land to sustain row crop farming, give up – or diversify the operation. He chose the latter and reinvented the farm for vegetable production, mainly sweet potatoes. He later added squash to the lineup and shipped both into national distribution.
In 2017, sweet potatoes would have a rebirth on the Williams farm, but this time with innovation that served to reinvent the operation once again. After a conversation with his brother Kennard, Harvey Jr. became intrigued by the idea of crafting a vodka from their sweet potatoes. After nearly three years and a lot of trial and error, Harvey, his wife Donna and their son Thomas released Sweet Blend Vodka – produced from a unique mix of distilled sweet potatoes and corn. It was quickly recognized as an exceptional vodka and was validated with top awards in U.S. and international competitions. With its enticing aroma and delightfully smooth taste, Delta Dirt’s Sweet Blend proves that amazing is possible when families persevere through the present and innovate for the future.
Author: Dirk Jahn
