Firesides
Distillery Order Now

Veteran Owned  ◆  Emerald Coast, Florida

A story told
with every sip.

IYKYK

Small batch bourbon built by retired AC-130 pilots and crew, to bring the Friday fini back and give every crew a reason to circle up again.

See The Arsenal Find Our Bourbon
A bottle of 1st Blood bourbon with the propellers of an AC-130 gunship behind it.
1st Blood, on station
Descend
Veteran OwnedFlorida Fresh CertifiedFlorida Grown GrainPure Florida WaterSmall BatchHand Finished By A FounderIYKYK

The Mission

Bringing back
the Friday fini.

Three bottles of 1st Blood and three glasses set out beneath the fuselage of an AC-130 gunship.
Three pours under the gunship

As special operations aviators, we remember Friday afternoons: aircrews gathering to swap combat stories, trade hard won lessons, and raise a glass. Over time, that tradition faded.

Firesides Distillery was born to bring it back. Pilots, gunners, and ground crews, circled up again, sharing what they know and mentoring the next generation. We build the bourbon. You bring the stories.

"The best learning, and the best friendships, still happen around a shared bottle and the war stories traded at our squadron bar."

The Founders, Firesides Distillery
100%Florida grown grain, milled for every batch
FLCut with pure Florida water. Florida Fresh certified.
1Founder's hand on every bottle that leaves
100Proof, for Big Daddy, Flying V Ranch, and Predator

The Firesides Truths

Five rules we flew by.

  1. 01People First, Pour Second.
  2. 02Small Batch, Big Standards.
  3. 03Exceptional Bourbon Takes Exceptional Time.
  4. 04Readiness Takes Years. Excellence Takes Longer.
  5. 05Great Bourbon Needs Great Teams.

"If it's mass produced, it's mass mediocre." Read the Truths

1st Blood Blended Bourbon Whiskey label: Art Deco gold frame, Firesides winged dagger emblem, and an AC-130J gunship silhouette.

Expression 01

1st Blood

Blended Bourbon Whiskey

1st Blood honors those who support, maintain, and fly the AC-130J, the apex predator of close air support. In the summer of 2019, one crew became the first to fire the AC-130J in combat, covering the extraction of Allied and Partner SOF by USSOF helicopters.

The rest of the story is, well, if you know, you know.

Proof
90
ABV
45%
Volume
750 mL
Grain
Florida

Inviting waves of vanilla bean and soft caramel draw you in.

Order 1st Blood

1st Blood, aboard the aircraft

1st Blood balanced on the muzzle of a gunship cannon.
On the muzzle
A gloved hand lowering a bottle of 1st Blood into a port in the aircraft floor.
Loaded by hand
1st Blood seated in the breech of a gunship cannon.
In the breech
1st Blood standing on the cargo ramp of a gunship lettered Santa Muerte.
On the ramp

The Arsenal

Select your loadout.

01
1st Blood bourbon on a plinth in front of an AC-130 gunship.

1st Blood

90 Proof ◆ 45% ABV

Vanilla bean and caramel up front, a flash of black pepper, and a honeyed toasted oak finish.

Read the label
02
Bottles of 0128 Big Daddy bourbon on the bottling line.

0128 Big Daddy

100 Proof ◆ 50% ABV ◆ C.A.S. Strength

Vanilla, caramel, and baking spice on the nose. Silky smooth oak, light and balanced, with a long toasted oak echo.

Meet the namesake
03
A bottle of Flying V Ranch bourbon beside an etched Firesides glass on a river ledge.

Flying V Ranch

100 Proof ◆ 50% ABV

Blended bourbon whiskey. Nothing flies like a V. Tasting notes inbound.

Ask about availability
04
A hand holding a bottle of 0511 Predator 2026 bourbon in front of an AC-130 gunship.

0511 Predator

2026 ◆ 100 Proof ◆ 50% ABV ◆ C.A.S. Strength

Blended bourbon whiskey. Never chill filtered, no color added. Tasting notes inbound.

Ask about availability
1st Blood bourbon in front of AC-130U gunship 0128.
Handwritten inscription on a panel inside AC-130U 87-0128.

Expression 02 ◆ The Namesake

0128
Big Daddy.

Big Daddy carries the tail number of AC-130U gunship 87-0128. Someone left this in marker on a panel inside her:

"To those who pass through this aging relic of war, this is AC-130U Gunship 87-0128, the first produced and the last to retire. For 33 years of continuous service she stood combat ready protecting America, while instilling fear in her enemies. She has earned her long awaited rest."

Inscription aboard 87-0128
Order Big Daddy

Flight Plan

Quality over quantity.

A copper still head above a stainless tank in the distillery.
The still
Bourbon pouring into a stainless blending tank.
The blend
Bourbon drawn from an oak barrel into a pail.
From the barrel
A roll of 0128 Big Daddy labels feeding through the labeling machine.
Labeled
  1. WP 01

    Florida Grain

    Every kernel we mill is grown right here in Florida.

  2. WP 02

    Florida Water

    Every drop is cut with pure Florida water. Florida Fresh certified.

  3. WP 03

    Blend

    Small batches, blended for balance and built to be shared.

  4. WP 04

    Bottle & Cork

    Bottled, corked, labeled, and boxed by hand.

  5. WP 05

    Founder Sign Off

    At least one founder has a hand on every bottle that leaves.

The Crew

For those who fly, fix, and support.

Aircrew, maintainers, and families gathered in front of AC-130U gunship 0128 at the gunship reunion.
Gunship reunion at AC-130U 0128

Fly

Pilots, combat systems officers, and sensor operators. The ones in the orbit when it counts.

Maintain

Crew chiefs and maintainers who keep the aircraft mission ready, night after night.

Support

Gunners, loadmasters, and the ground teams behind every sortie. Nobody flies alone.

Founded by retired U.S. Air Force AC-130 pilots and crew. Built for the community that earned it.

Target Our Bourbon

Where to find us.

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30.4N30.5N30.6N30.7N30.8N086.9W086.8W086.7W086.6W086.5W CRESTVIEWSHALIMARNAVARRE 123456

  1. Timber Creek Distillery

    6451 Lake Ella Rd
    Crestview, FL 32539

    Directions

  2. Stick and Rudder

    5535 John Givens Rd
    Crestview, FL 32539

    Directions

  3. Shalimar Ponte Golf Club

    302 Country Club Rd
    Shalimar, FL 32579

    Directions

  4. Stripes Pub & Grill

    1878 Andorra St
    Navarre, FL 32566

    Directions

  5. Springhill Suites by Marriott Navarre Oceanfront

    8375 Gulf Blvd
    Navarre, FL 32566

    Directions

  6. Emerald Waterfront Bar and Grill

    8491 Navarre Pkwy
    Navarre, FL 32566

    Directions

Not near one of these? Order direct, or ask us about stocking your bar.

Order Firesides

Three ways to get a bottle.

Option A

Pick up in Northwest Florida

Visit Timber Creek Distillery in Crestview, or email us with your name, phone number, and how many bottles or cases you want to pick up.

[email protected]

Option B

Ship outside Florida

Email our Florida distribution partner at Timber Creek with the subject "Private Order, Firesides Distillery". Include your name, phone number, full shipping address (no P.O. boxes), and number of cases. You get an invoice with shipping; once paid, it ships with tracking.

[email protected]

Option C

Stock Firesides at your bar

Bars, restaurants, and retailers order through LibDib. Email us with the subject "Requesting LibDib Invite to Order Firesides" plus your name, business email, and phone. The invite usually arrives within one business day. Then search "1st Blood", pick your cases, and LibDib handles invoicing and delivery.

[email protected]

Must be 21 or older. Minimum shipped order is one case (6 bottles).

Visuals

Firesides in the wild.

See all visuals

War Stories

Every crew has one.

Read the stories behind the bottles, browse the Bourbon Field Manual, or send us yours. The good ones get told around the fire.

Read War Stories Bourbon Field Manual

Join The Squadron

First word on
every release.

New batches, limited drops, and events. No spam, just intel worth reading.