Right off the main Helen strip, 8016 S Main Street, Helen, Georgia 30545
We have a distillery in North Georgia, and it’s very, very good! We were so pleased to learn that R.M. Rose Distillery opened in Helen last month, and we enjoyed so much our tasting and cocktails. R.M. Rose is a family distillery with a very interesting and fascinating history that dates back generations. We learned that the custom moonshine recipes were perfected by elders who were making moonshine when it legal, and then when it “unlegal” too. And their recipes remain perfect. We tried two different types of moonshines, and they were each respectively corn forward, with a sweetness of the finish, did not burn, much more complex than expected. They would each be very drinkable just over ice on their own.
Then we enjoyed their own vodka with grapefruit, and it was so refreshing for this hot summer afternoon. They have a great tasting vodka that works well in single ingredients drinks like their variation of the Greyhound, the “Bless your Heart.” Then we had 2 of their custom recipe cocktails created by their proprietors, “Broken Angel” and the “Black Bear Old Fashioned.” The “Broken Angel” was created by proprietor Shanda Wood, and it was a fine bourbon, simple syrup concoction that was very well balanced, while boozy, tart, and smooth, with a bespoke ice cube shaped like a rose! Incredibly drinkable for any season at any time of year – sunset on the patio, or winter nights in front of a fire, a truly perfect cocktail.
We also had the “Black Bear Old Fashioned,” created by proprietor Jason Wood. The Black Walnut Bitters really shine in this cocktail. The thoughtful use of the blackberry that had been soaked in their own blackberry bourbon. It was perfectly balanced, and reminded us of home (North Georgia) as it was so carefully made with local ingredients.
We could have stayed and tried everything on their menu, and we did take home a bottle of moonshine. We are so excited to have this distillery and this option in North Georgia. It’s a great choice for just a drink, or a drink before or after dinner elsewhere in Helen. It has a speakeasy feel unlike any other bar or tavern in North Georgia, and if you appreciate Craft Cocktails, you will love R.M. Rose. We will return.
