There are places you stumble into and places that feel like they were waiting for you. Scott’s 1739 Distillery, tucked into the heart of Georgetown’s storied waterfront district, falls firmly into the second category. From the moment you step through the door, the warm smell of aged spirits and the soft creak of reclaimed wood floors tells you that this is somewhere worth slowing down.
Georgetown has always been a town that takes its history seriously, and Scott’s 1739 leans into that tradition with genuine pride. The name itself is a nod to the founding era of this remarkable colonial city, one of the oldest in South Carolina. The distillery crafts small-batch spirits — bourbon, whiskey, and rum — using locally sourced grains and, fittingly for a Lowcountry operation, a sugarcane-forward mash that pays homage to the rice and indigo plantation economy that once defined the region. These are not novelty bottles. These are spirits with a sense of place.
The tasting room is the kind of space that makes you want to linger. High ceilings, exposed brick, and copper still elements displayed like the art pieces they genuinely are create an atmosphere that feels both rustic and refined. Grab a stool at the bar and let one of the knowledgeable staff walk you through a tasting flight. They are passionate without being preachy, happy to answer questions and equally happy to let you sip in peace while you gaze out toward the river light filtering through the front windows.
What sets Scott’s 1739 apart from a simple spirits stop is the intentionality behind every bottle. The distillers here take their time. Aging barrels are selected carefully, and seasonal releases mean there is always something new to discover on return visits. If you catch a weekend, they often host live acoustic music in the evenings — the kind of low-key, unhurried performances that suit a Georgetown evening perfectly. Grab a cocktail, find a corner chair, and let the night unfold at its own pace.
Georgetown sits about an hour north of Charleston along U.S. 17, and the distillery is an easy walk from Front Street and the Harborwalk area, making it a natural anchor for a full afternoon of exploring. Come in for a tasting before dinner, or make an evening of it. Either way, pick up a bottle to take home. A pour of Scott’s 1739 back in your own kitchen, weeks later, has a way of carrying you right back to the Lowcountry without a single plane ticket required.
Georgetown is full of layers, and Scott’s 1739 Distillery is one of the most rewarding ones to uncover. It honors where this town came from while giving you something genuinely delicious to savor in the present. That is a combination that is hard to beat.
