Hurry up and rum to Beach Time Distilling
Greg Christmas leans back in his chair.
Waiting on a new shipment, he thumbs his fingers methodically along to a Kenny Chesney song playing behind the bar.
His truck driver is lost, somewhere on Route 1, but Christmas doesn’t mind. He has gotten quite good at waiting lately.
In fact, his new business venture — Beach Time Distilling — requires a lot of down time.
“Making the good stuff takes time,” he says. “The batches tell me when they’re ready. You have to let them do their thing.”
Christmas aims to bring a slice of paradise to Nassau Road in Lewes with his distillery featuring palm trees and a laid-back atmosphere.
Located next to Old World Breads, Beach Time Distilling specializes in premium spirits — rum, in particular.
Christmas currently has silver rum available, with spiced soon to follow. He hopes to offer vodka and gin by Labor Day weekend, and maybe even absinthe down the road.
The distillery’s walls are painted in warm and vibrant blue, orange and green. The bar, situated in the center of the room, is trimmed in dark, aged oak staves gifted to Christmas by Evolution Craft Brewing in Salisbury.
“Those have a pretty cool story,” he says. “They were once used for aging rum in Venezuela before being shipped to Salisbury to make some good beer. And now they are here.”
The bar and production area are separated by a large, repurposed cask iron fence, allowing patrons to sip on a rum and coke while watching the magic happen.
Outside, large white words on the distillery’s windows read “slow down for rum.”
“I didn’t know it would be such a great marketing tool,” Christmas says. “But it catches people’s attention and makes them smile. They remember it.”
Although distilling is relatively new to Christmas, he has been in the crafting business for the last seven years. Before setting his sights on spirits, he was heavily involved in the craft beer industry, working as the plant engineer for Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton.
Christmas oversaw the installment of new equipment, utility systems and the famous brewery Tree House. He watched the Delaware brewery triple in production size — seemingly overnight.
And although Christmas will always have a soft spot for off-centered ales, he was ready for something more slower paced.
“I’m not in this to get rich,” he says. “I want to grow old doing something I enjoy. Maybe spend a little time in the islands doing some research, sipping on rum in the sand. Who knows? We’ll see what happens.”
hcarroll2@dmg.gannett.com
302-537-1881, ext. 209
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If You Go
Beach Time Distilling
Where: 32191 Nassau Road, Lewes
When: 4-7 p.m. Thursdays; 3-7 p.m. Fridays; noon to 7 p.m. Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays
Call: 302-644-2850