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Moon Drops Distillery opens in Fortville

FORTVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Leaders in Hancock County are celebrating an economic milestone.

Moon Drops Distillery, the county’s first distillery, hosted a ribbon-cutting event Wednesday at its new facility, 738 W. Broadway St.

The company will offer leaders an exclusive tour inside its facility and tasting room at 11 a.m. ahead of its grand opening to the public Dec. 8. Guests can also sample hand-selected signature spirits made with locally sourced ingredients that pay homage to Indiana area farmers.

Moon Drops Distillery creates bourbon, vodka and rum, as well as its “Bonfire Blends Moonshine” in flavors such as lemon shake-up and apple pie. Its moonshine-inspired signature bourbons are inside over 300 stores.

The idea was born from a late-night chat around a bonfire, says Mark Pressley, owner of Moon Drops Distillery.

“It started around a bonfire with friends. As that was growing, so did the quality of the drinks, and a few years later, the bonfire started turning into bigger and bigger crowds, and 13 years later, here we are,” Pressley said.

Pressley says the new facility in Fortville has been “a long time coming.”

“We got our first license in 2019, so, literally, days from our third year, we’re cutting the ribbon and we’re excited,” Pressley said.

According to the Moon Drops website, all of the distillery’s equipment is made in the U.S., including a 14-foot-tall copper still that the staff likes to refer to as “Big Momma.”