Hilton Head Distillery

This rum-focused distillery has clearly built its reputation on enthusiastic staff who genuinely love what they do. Emily, Doug, and Amy get called out repeatedly for making tours and tastings memorable with their knowledge and infectious energy. The tour itself runs about an hour for $35 and includes six tastings, giving you a real behind-the-scenes look at how everything is made. Even if you skip the tour, the tasting bar offers flights where you can sample four spirits for $18, with plenty of rums to choose from plus some bourbon, vodka, gin, and whiskey options. Favorites that keep coming up include the dark pineapple rum, solera rum, and surprisingly, the bananas foster rum, even among people who don't usually go for sweeter spirits. There are a few hiccups worth knowing about. Tours need to be booked in advance, and some visitors ran into confusion about scheduling or cancellations, which left a sour taste. One major limitation: they can't serve cocktails until after 3pm due to local regulations (though reviewers mention they're working to change this), so you'll be tasting spirits neat. There's also no food available on site. A couple of people found the flavor profiles too oaky or earthy for their taste, and one visitor overheard some unprofessional talk from management. Still, the vast majority of people leave happy, often with multiple bottles in hand. If you're a rum fan or just curious about the distillation process, this spot delivers a fun, educational experience that's convenient to the airport.