About Sandy River Distillery, Inc.

The Story of Sandy River Distillery

When you pour a glass of Sandy River bourbon, I want you to know you’re drinking more than whiskey- you’re drinking survival, faith, and second chances.

My journey began with Bertha, an electric still that gave me my first whiskey but nearly took my life. One morning, she exploded. In an instant, the still house was engulfed in flames. I was standing just three feet from a 250-gallon pot still loaded with 193-proof spirit. Metal flew, fire roared, and twenty seven percent of my body was burned. My back, my legs—I spent weeks in the burn unit and endured three six-hour surgeries. By all odds I shouldn’t be here.

But I survived. By God’s grace, I was spared to raise my four children, stand by my wife, and carry this distillery forward. Out of that fire came Phoenix—a hand-forged Vendome copper pot still from Louisville, Kentucky. She cooks with steam, safer and more efficient, and every drop that runs through her carries the same resilience that pulled me through fire and pain.

And that’s what I want for you. When you raise a glass of Sandy River bourbon, you’re not just tasting small-batch whiskey made from Virginia grain. You’re tasting proof that from ashes comes strength. You’re sharing in a story of faith, family, and survival.

I carry the scars of that fire on my body. But every bottle we fill carries its spirit—for you to savor, to celebrate, and to make your own story a little stronger.

~Mark Sterling