Driving through tall green sugar cane stalks swaying in a gentle breeze, you find a hidden distillery, a one of kind operation. Sugar Sand Distillery is the country's only estate-grown sugar cane farm distillery where the sugar cane is grown, processed, distilled, and sold at the same location. In this case, Lake Placid in south central Florida. Founder Don Davies grows four acres of cane on a former 10 acre citrus grove. The cane stalks are fed by a hydroponic system that delivers water and nutrients directly to the base of each plant; a by-product of Don’s decades of experience in the fertilizer industry. The distillery opened in April 2018 and offers numerous spirits based on proprietary cane juice and corn mash recipes. These include small-batch rum, whiskey, vodka, limoncello and moonshine.
Their rum is extremely rare for a U.S. made rum as it is made from sugar cane juice in the French Rhum Agricole method - and not molasses, cane syrup, or sugar crystals. And if you are interested in regenerative farming you have to respect a micro distillery that grows and processes its produce onsite. 
The Rhum Agricole process begins with harvesting the sugarcane and crushing it quickly to prevent oxidation and spoilage. Traditionally the cane is crushed using a roller mill but Sugar Sand uses a special device that peels the cane before crushing that leads to a cleaner juice. This juice or "vesou," is filtered and quickly prepared for fermentation. A common anecdote explains that sugar cane and its juice has a "shelf life of soft serve ice cream". At Sugar Sand, this fermentation takes place in open, stainless steel tanks and typically lasts 24 to 72 hours. The fermented juice, or "vin," is then distilled using a wood-encased copper pot still.
During my visit I sampled a healthy range of their offerings. These are available to purchase at their tasting room or at The 301 brewstillery and eatery located in nearby Sebring. Lake Placid Rum (White Rum): Taste the true spirit of rum. Expect sweet grassy and herbaceous aromas with textured core and a slightly smoky finish.
Lake Placid Rum (Aged Rum): This is the White Rum aged four to five years in new American oak barrels freshly sourced from Kentucky. This oak treatment mellows the and rounds out the spirit providing a little more smoke and some caramel. But no baking spices - still spirit driven and not oak driven,
Lake Placid Spiced Rum: This spirit is made starting with their White Rum augmented with spices and caramel colorings. It's slightly sweeter than the White Rum with a kaleidoscope of spices.
12 Hour Shine (Aged, Midnight Shine): Like the Aged Rum, this spirit takes the White Shine and is aged in new American oak barrels. Here you will get slight baking spices, more body and a rounded finish. Excellent.
Crane Vodka (Lemon): This is a limoncello-like vodka with distinct lemon flavors and an oily texture. will love our lemon-flavored Crane Vodka. Made from infusing the skins of locally grown lemons.
Hammock Gin: This is a juniper thin gin using six botanicals and sipping rather easily.
