Mutiny Distillery Holds Grand Opening for the Public

The crowd enjoys the food, music and more at Saturday's grand opening of the Mutiny distillery. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
The crowd enjoys the food, music and more at Saturday’s grand opening of the Mutiny distillery. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)

An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 people flocked to free festivities Saturday afternoon and early evening as Mutiny Vodka Distillery celebrated its grand opening at Estate Sion Farm.

Mutiny was conceived in 2013 on St. Croix by Todd Manley, owner of 40 Strand Restaurant, with input from Chef Sam Choy. Manley partnered with Chris Richeson, the gold medal-winning distiller from Chesapeake Bay Distillery in Norfolk, Virginia, who perfected the recipe.

Until the Sion Farm Distillery opened in April, converted from the former Island Dairies to make vodka, Mutiny was distilled in Norfolk. Now, St. Croix is Mutiny’s home.

Saturday’s celebration included moko jumbies, musicians, and Samoan chefs who demonstrated how to cook with breadfruit. Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. was on hand to water a newly planted breadfruit tree in the Mutiny orchard – a key ingredient in the unique vodka.

Attendees took tours of the renovated dairy, enjoyed food and drinks from several vendors and thrilled to St. Thomas’s reggae artist Pressure Busspipe topping off the celebration.