Delta Dirt Distillery first opened its doors in April of 2020. It has the distinction of being Arkansas’ first and only Black-owned distillery and America’s only Black-owned farm to bottle distillery. Thomas Williams, Delta Dirt’s Head Distiller, is the fifth-generation farmer on the property. The land was purchased out of sharecropping in 1949 by his great-grandfather.

In many ways, that farm is the heart of Delta Dirt Distillery. It’s where the Williams family grows the grain and sweet potatoes for the distillery’s signature product, Sweet Blend Vodka. The history of the farm even plays a part in the proof of the vodka. “The proof on our vodka is 86. We chose this higher number because…the farm was purchased out of sharecropping in 1949, [and] the original acreage that was purchased was 86 acres,” says Williams.

Although it’s only been on the market for about a year, Delta Dirt’s Sweet Blend Vodka is already an award-winning release, competing successfully against the best of the best in double-blind judging competitions. Williams feels that the flavor profile that he gets by using sweet potatoes helps his vodka stand out in a sea of competition. Its semi-sweet flavor and slightly higher proof than its peers allow it to be enjoyed on the rocks while still going great in a cocktail.

So, having come out of the gate with an award-winner, what’s next for Delta Dirt? According to Williams, the team spent a lot of time creating their vodka, which was always going to be the first product but was never meant to be the core of the business. Instead, Williams says it’s a “stepping stone” toward a larger vision. “The end goal was always a bourbon,” he says — and that is where the grains from their family farm will be sure to play a part. “We do also plan to release some liqueurs at some point.”

According to Williams, Delta Dirt’s biggest goals right now are to keep expanding into new states, building the Delta Dirt name, and continuing their mission to keep “Raising Spirits in the Delta, One Bottle at a Time.” They want to pair that growth with giving back to their community in Arkansas, yet their vision is bigger than that. Williams and his brother recently journeyed to South Africa to learn from other entrepreneurs and business leaders about what it takes to grow and scale a new business, as well as what it takes to scale your business globally and begin to export to countries outside of your home base. It seems Delta Dirt will be one to keep an eye on — domestically and hopefully internationally — in the years to come.

Thomas Williams, head distiller at Delta Dirt Distillery,
is a fifth-generation farmer.
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Born in Brooklyn, with stints in PA, Boston, and DC before returning to his beloved New York, Kurt Maitland started his whisk(e)y journey with drams of Jameson, the beloved drink of a college friend. From there he moved on to appreciating Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek and has been exploring the world of whiskey ever since. He currently nurses a fascination with old books on the whiskey industry, dead distilleries, and a love of Japanese whisky that led him to be consulted by The Atlantic. Kurt is one of the best-known faces in New York City’s whiskey circuit. He is currently the Deputy Editor of the Whiskey Reviewer website, has released a book on cocktails called Drink, and is in the process of wrapping his second book on Cocktails.