Today we’d like to introduce you to Arkady Lapidus.
Hi Arkady, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We opened our distillery in March 2020 right as Covid was hitting. I originally got the idea on a military deployment researching how to make alcohol in a country that did not allow drinking. I never actually planned to make moonshine in my room, but it was a good distraction. When I came back, I put together funding for the business, quit my banking job and my wife and I started the distillery. We opened right as Covid hit and sold bottles out the front door until the government lifted restrictions on social gatherings and we were able to open our bar. Now we run a distillery on the first floor and a bar restaurant on the second. We distill 22 different craft spirits, and do not distribute, so customers can only buy our bottles from our shop.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Covid was a huge struggle. once we were able to open the upstairs bar things got easier.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We distill 22 different spirits in small batches. We have Whiskeys, Rums Vodkas but our most distinctive spirits are European inspired. We have Absinth, six types of liquors, and several excellent family recipe Brandy’s (moonshine) from East Europe.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the vitality and energy. Least is probably parking
Pricing:
- Craft Distiiled spirit bottles from $24 – 40$
- Distilling Classes where you make your own bottle at $79
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ellicottdistilling.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellicottdistiller
- Other: Tic Toc @ellicott.distilli
