More than just Moonshine
Moonshine is spiked with a strong history here in the South, dating back more than a century to its Scots-Irish roots, when the illegal whiskey was made in copper stills deep in the woods of the Smoky Mountains under moonlight to avoid the tax imposed on spirits by the government.
Today, Ole Smoky Distillery happily makes moonshine and whiskies legally in the bright of day in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Nashville, Tennessee, thanks to a change in the state’s law, and now here in Myrtle Beach, where you can also eat and drink Yee-Haw craft beers.
The new brick building at Broadway at the Beach is massive—40,000 feet, to be exact—that houses a distillery, Yee-Haw Brewing Co, an indoor moonshine/whiskey wrap-around bar for tastings and flights, a gift shop selling Ole Smoky merch and mason jars of the spirits, a huge dining room and lounge area featuring a bar lined with Yee-Haw beer taps, TVs, a 28-foot jumbotron, a stage for live music and entertainment, and an outdoor beer garden with a green turf lawn topped with more seating,with more seating, a covered stage, another bar, and yard games. The venue overlooks Lake Broadway, where speedboats raced and spun with screaming tourists aboard on the afternoon of our visit.
But this is a restaurant review, so let’s move on to the food offerings. Ole Smoky’s Shine House dining/entertainment room has a walk-up food counter, where you order, take a number stand, and then take a seat at the table of your choice until they serve you. Hubby and I sat at a four-top near the bar and ordered a pitcher of Yee-Haw Palmetto Wit beer. In addition to over a dozen of their craft beers (also served in a 16- or 24-ounce cup, bucket, or by the flight), they also mix up signature cocktails with their distillery labels, and offer wine, shooters, and more.
We decided to split a few shareables: fried pickles with ranch, KJ Brussels (flash-fried and smothered in Parmesan cheese and a hot honey drizzle), and the Smothered Nachos topped with their house cheese blend, queso, pico de gallo, jalapeños, and sour cream with a side of salsa. Everything was delicious, and the Brussels were some of the best I’ve had as an appetizer.
More Southern-style shareables include corn hush puppies served with maple butter, onion rings with chipotle ranch, roasted red pepper hummus served with tortilla chips and celery, peel-and-eat shrimp, and more. The menu also features 14-inch handmade-to-order pizzas, like the Clucking Hot Mess (buffalo chicken, applewood smoked bacon, onions, and a cool ranch drizzle); several salads, like the Yee-Haw Caesar; buffalo wings (garlic parm, hot honey, mild, Thai chili, or hot sauces); a variety of smash burgers; sandwiches, like the Yee-Haw Po Boy (oysters or shrimp, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and remoulade folded into a hoagie roll) and meatier entrees, such as the baby back ribs served with mac and cheese and collards and the Super Grouper (grilled or blackened) with French fries and cole slaw. Finish it all off with a sweet treat, like the key lime pie or deep-dish apple crumble pie.
Ole Smoky also hosts nightly live music and distillery tours. It’s a fun, family-friendly gathering place that not only lures in tourists with their tastings and merch, but also locals, who appreciate the multi-purpose entertainment venues that have been popping up at Broadway at the Beach. It also stands as a reminder, like a passage into the history of this moonshine-making Southern tradition.
Ole Smoky Distillery
1216 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach
(843) 286-5693
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
