Longleaf Distillery: From still to glass

From the moment you walk into Longleaf Distillery, it’s clear this isn’t “just another bar.” This is Macon’s homegrown spirit haven — literally and figuratively. Tucked downtown with free parking (a Maconite luxury), Longleaf has quickly become the kind of place you want to linger, laugh and unwind, not just raise a glass and run. Open since April 2023, Longleaf isn’t content to serve off-the-shelf drinks. They make their own spirits right here — from distillation to bottling, packaging and serving — all with a mission that goes beyond profit. Community and environment are held up as priorities alongside craft and flavor.

Longleaf Distillery was born from pandemic days, when its founders spent lockdown experimenting, dreaming and crafting. One of those founders, Will Robinson, is a Macon native with an eye for creativity and a palate for experimentation. A self-taught distiller, Will learned most of what he knows during lockdown by testing recipes in his kitchen — sometimes back-to-back until the perfect balance of botanicals, grains and spirits revealed itself. 

Outside of distilling, he’s also known for Robinson’s Home Interior Design which he owns with his wife. This explains the beautifully curated art, furniture and overall atmosphere of the tasting room — it feels both sophisticated and welcoming. Will made it quite clear, his wife Carrie runs the show and has the eye for flare.

Joining Will in founding Longleaf is his longtime friend, David Thompson. With a background in construction and a heart firmly rooted in Middle Georgia, David brings grounded practicality to the business, ensuring that the creative magic happening in the stills finds its way into sustainable reality. 

The general manager, Jeff Wood, rounds out the leadership with decades of hospitality and service experience — including nearly 19 years in restaurant and bar management. Jeff fell in love with the concept and returned to Middle Georgia from Atlanta and Athens, bringing his expertise back home and helping Longleaf find its voice as a tasting room with serious craft swagger.

Longleaf isn’t just a place to grab a drink. Weekend distillery tours run about 40 minutes and are followed by a 20-minute tasting that includes seven different spirits for just $15. If you want to take your experience up a notch, their mixology class teaches you how to make three house cocktails while enjoying snacks like house-made buffalo chicken dip with blue corn tortilla chips or fresh cheese focaccia from a collaboration with Macon Bagels.

What really stands out about Longleaf is how much heart this place has behind its craft. The bartenders know their stuff — and each other — because the service industry in Macon is tight-knit. Folks here support one another, celebrate each other’s wins and genuinely want to see every local business succeed. Patrons on any given night might find themselves talking to friends who walked in ahead of them, discussing last week’s new release, or making plans to host friends at the distillery’s next event. In Macon, variety is the spice of life, and Longleaf adds a bright, bold flavor to the city’s social scene.

The spirits lineup here isn’t an afterthought. Vodka reigns as the number one seller, distilled in-house with an 80% corn-to-wheat ratio that gives it a clean, crisp finish — perfect for sipping or as the backbone of a memorable cocktail. Longleaf’s bloody mary, crafted with this vodka, is one of the best bartenders and diners alike will ever taste. It’s balanced, bold and packed with complexity — a cocktail experience that makes “Sunday brunch” feel like it was invented for this very drink.

Beyond vodka, Longleaf produces gin, liqueurs, aperitivos, digestivos, bourbon and whiskey. Each spirit has its own story and character. For example, bourbon must follow strict rules: it must be made from at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels, and meet specific aging requirements to earn the name “bourbon,” whereas whiskey can be made with reused barrels and doesn’t require the same corn threshold.

The distillery also embraces seasonal experimentation. One fun behind-the-scenes note is that some of the spirits we enjoy today only exist because of trial and error during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longleaf’s Fernet Number 4 got its name because the first three attempts were downright rejects — and it’s a reminder that creativity sometimes tastes like failure before it tastes like success.

And speaking of taste, Longleaf’s cocktail menu isn’t a set list to check off. It’s a suggestion, an invitation to play, explore and discover what combinations excite your palate. The general manager’s favorite is their old fashioned, but not your usual version. It’s made with house-made oleo saccharum, a citrus-infused syrup popular in Italian cocktails that replaces the commonplace simple syrup and adds a layer of aromatic depth to the classic mix.

Longleaf’s food offerings may be small plates rather than a full restaurant spread, but they’re thoughtful, seasonal and often sourced from local ingredients and farmers markets. They’ll change with what’s fresh and available, making every visit feel like it comes with the promise of something new to taste. 

Community is truly at the heart of Longleaf Distillery. The name itself honors the Longleaf Pine tree, a symbol of strength and resilience in Georgia’s natural heritage. Longleaf partners with Mercer University to plant a Longleaf Pine tree for every bottle sold, helping to restore a species that has been significantly deforested over time. During Pride Month in June, a portion of every cocktail sold supports local Pride organizations.

Longleaf isn’t a place for a simple, ordinary cocktail — though if that’s what you’re in the mood for, it’s available. But it’s also a place where craft meets curiosity, where every drink comes with a story and every sip feels intentional. It’s a tasting room that doubles as a community hub, a learning space and a spot for celebration. Locals come in regularly for their “go-to” favorite, but they also get excited for the flavor of the month and the stories that come with each release.

If you ask any server or bartender in Macon, many of them will happily rattle off the list of Longleaf spirits — a testament to how well these creations have been woven into the city’s nightlife and social fabric. Who wouldn’t prefer a Longleaf bourbon and Coke or a Longleaf vodka martini over some generic, out-of-town brand that wasn’t made with heart?

On my first visit, I experienced what might be the best bloody mary of my life. Since then, I’ve developed a soft spot for their dirty martinis and elevated lemon drops. The service is outstanding, the ambiance is relaxed yet full of character and I have been back no less than ten times since my initial interview.

On his days off, Jeff will sit and enjoy a cabernet, cooking at home with fresh ingredients from the farmers market. That juxtaposition—high-energy mixologist by night, home-chef by day—sums up the spirit of Longleaf perfectly: passionate about craft, committed to quality, rooted in community.

Longleaf Distillery is Macon’s own spirit maker, crafted with purpose, passion and a commitment to people and planet — whether you’re sipping a bloody mary, touring the stills or gathering with friends for a mixology class and small plates. I really love this place. It’s become one of my favorite meeting spots to sit, relax and reflect. Until next time Macon, Let’s Eat!

Billy Hennessey is the food columnist for The Melody. Write him an email at [email protected].