By Delayna Earley
The Island News
A Beaufort distillery that opened in the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and held on through years of change has closed its doors, prompting an outpouring of support from customers and the community it built along the way.
Rotten Little Bastard Distillery, located on Boundary Street and owned by Brian and Brigid Fackrell, announced March 11 that it would shut down after more than five years in business.
The distillery has since closed permanently.
“Brian and I have made the difficult decision to close Rotten Little Bastard Distillery,” co-owner Brigid wrote in a Facebook post. “We would like to thank everyone who has worked with us, helped us, supported us and visited us in the past 5½ years. We will miss you.”
The distillery first opened at a moment when pandemic shutdowns had halted tourism and created immediate challenges for small businesses across Beaufort.
“We opened in June of 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was closing businesses down and stopped most tourism to our area,” Brigid wrote. “This was an unexpected rough start, and we learned many uncomfortable lessons.”
Despite that, the business gained traction over time, producing a range of spirits and building a loyal customer base. By 2023, the owners said they felt they were finally moving in the right direction. But a series of challenges followed.
In January 2025, Brian suffered a stroke; not debilitating, but enough to shift what running the business looked like day to day.
“We realized then that our current level of stress was not sustainable,” Brigid wrote.
The couple explored selling the business, working with a broker to find investors or a buyer. But economic conditions and changes in how people consume alcohol made that difficult.
“The current economy and changes in how people drink alcohol were not in our favor and we could not find a buyer,” she said.
As news of the closure spread, dozens of customers and supporters responded to the announcement with messages of gratitude, encouragement and, in many cases, a shared sense of loss.
“We really enjoyed being there and enjoying all your unique spirits,” one customer wrote. “We will cherish the bottles that we brought back, sip them a little more slowly, and toast in your honor.”
Others pointed to the relationships built inside the distillery, from tours and tastings to the people behind the bar.
“I’ve always enjoyed coming by the distillery. The staff was great,” another commenter wrote.
Many echoed a similar sentiment that while the closing is difficult, the decision to prioritize health and family is the right one.
“I understand that family and health come first,” one supporter wrote.
The distillery’s personality extended beyond its spirits, something customers made clear in their responses. Along with messages of support, several people asked about Juniper, the distillery’s resident cat.
“And just so you are not worried about our darling Juniper, she is home with us,” Brigid wrote in a follow-up comment. “While she and our pups are getting used to the new living situation, she is doing well and exploring all over.”
The comments also reflected something else: just how far the distillery’s reach extended. Messages came not only from Beaufort locals, but from visitors, out-of-state customers and people who had followed the business from afar.
For now, the distillery’s products remain available in South Carolina liquor stores and through online distributors while supplies last.
Brian and Brigid say they are staying in Beaufort.
“Brian and I are not going anywhere, as Beaufort is our home,” Brigid wrote. “We are just moving on to the next experience.”
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
