Lost Ark Distilling Company

Ah Lost Ark, so sad to see you go. It may seem strange to write a review for a business ready to close its doors, but if not to pay it respects, I would recommend that anyone reading this consider purchasing any of their remaining stock from your local store; it's all pretty good!The inside is simple, with the occasional nod to ships at sea, which is easy to do if you have lots of barrels for aging spirits. There is a little bar where they make great cocktails rather quickly. They have spirit-forward as well as citrusy. Never had one I didn't like.The spirits (as of this writing, still available at some local liquor shops) are fantastic. My absolute favorite is the Lady Anne white rum. Some white rums are barely better than rbbing alcohol, but this has character and depth and makes a fantastic mojito.RIP Lost Ark!

Such a terrific place with not just a distillery, but also a bar, sit down area, and entertainment space. It's in an industrial area, but the decor is spot on for rum drinking. There is a retail area as well. They sell different varieties of their delicious concoctions.The menu is on a TV and there are so many options to pick from. A flight of 4 tastings is $8 and gives you the opportunity to try out the different types of alcohol. The Carmel cream was very good. The South of Manhattan and Muddy Waters were fantastic cocktails.We were greeted upon entering and Erik was very friendly. We sat at the bar. He was filling lots of orders (people come to the bar and order, then sit in the rum lounge area) and was still very attentive and welcoming. They do tours and sampling. Check their socials for more information. They also have an extensive list of entertainment.

Far Beyond What I Expected!I'm lowbrow when it comes to wine tastings and beer brewhouses. As the sommelier explains, "in this red you can detect hints of okra and peanut butter", I just smile and nod and drink my burny grape juice. So when I went on Lost Ark's distillery tour, I figured it would be barely notable over my usual Captain Morgan, and was mainly there for the interesting distilling process insight.And the tour was excellent for sure; I learned a ton of neat facts and terms and laws that define the industry. The owner is great, it's a quaint and personable establishment, and the atmosphere is so low key and relaxing- a wonderful place to hang out.But what utterly blew me away is how good the rum is! It is absolutely unlike anything I've ever had before! And I'm assuming that stems from the fact (as they explained) that due to typical alcohol laws, rum has more freedom to branch out in flavor and process than a typical whisky or bourbon does. Even the basic white rum was so flavorful! So yes, definitely check this place out! Hang out with friends or family and get some cocktails, or take the tour and tasting for a fun afternoon. Or, just buy some bottles of their wide selection as gifts! (and buy yourself a gift while you're at it, you deserve it.)

Have been here many times since 2018. The drinks are great and did tour of the distillery is nice. I like that you can bring your own food and eat in the establishment. The last time I was here, there was live music. I've seen the establishment transform into an Instagram worthy place. The bartenders are nice and are knowledgeable about the drinks.

I have been on a few distillery tours now (some in Pittsburgh, and OBX); I was so excited to see a local one pop-up in my social media feed last month. I'm dissapointed in myself for not knowing about Lost Ark sooner!This tour was certainly the best value: packed with information and, of course, alcohol ;) [$25 per person, $10 for non-drinkers and the underage over 12 haha]You learn the foundations of what makes whiskey, whiskey vs bourbon, or rum, etc; the step by step process they go through distilling their products; the story of how their distillery came to be; and other fun facts along the way. It's really neat getting to see the equipment up-close, really gives you an appreciation for the scale (size, amount of raw product, time...) it takes to produce things we consume so quickly!Then you move on to the tasting. You really get a whole line up of their products, I don't think I've been on another tour that gives you as many different items to taste. And it's not just lining up shots haha It really is educational, from what goes into each item and how to properly taste it.Some of my group, myself included, were feeling very 'relaxed' by the end of the tour ;) I absolutely loved that you get to keep your Lost Ark glass from the tasting! We've been using them at home to enjoy some of the items we purchased.Of course the fun isn't over just yet. Included in your tour ticket is a drink from the bar as well! They have lots to choose from; I went with the Hoco Sipper (bourbon, black tea, lemon, sugar, seltzer, usually comes with spiced cherry rum float, but I'm allergic to cherry so I asked for it without cherry). SOO tasty! I will be back for more of those :)We had dinner reservations up the road to get to, but they had live music getting set up as we were finishing up our drinks. And you can get food from HomeSlyce delivered to your table, using a qr code. So we will definitely be back to try that sometime too.Free surface parking, chill atmosphere, friendly people dedicated to their craft :) Love that we have something like this here now! Will have to take a bottle down next time we go to an alumni event at SMCM for a photo op with the Dove hahaha

Visited the distillery for their Awesome Drag Brunch Holiday event- ticket price included the show & one cocktail; was a bit dismayed to discover during the event they had special brunch drink options only available & we wouldn't be able to select some of the core drinks I saw when researching the location online- another woe was discovering they were out of bourbon & could only offer the rum based drinksthough the staff were super friendly & personable, allowing me to sample the various rums to best determine which one would mix best with just basic ginger beer- I opted for the tropical spiced rum (tasted delicious but drink seemed a bit on the watered down side-insert Bob's Burger Brunch Ladies drink rule joke here haha)The event was fun; from what I saw there didn't seem to be any bad seats- the queens worked the room really well- everything was spaced out & clean, creating a welcoming vibe-would return to do a tasting flight- as the quality & taste profiles of the rum surprised me (not a rum drinker, they had some pop to them)-and the staff were so great I'd love to learn more about the distillery on their tour.

I love coming to Lost Ark. I've been for live music, trivia, or just a regular night to enjoy a drink or two. The bartenders are always welcoming and friendly, and the drinks are so creative and do not disappoint! It's such a gem and I love sharing an evening with friends here or coming on my own when I just need to decompress. I've yet to do a tour but it is definitely on my list. They have a few new special events they've been incorporating as well like cigar nights, drag brunches, etc... every time is a great time. Definitely one of my favorite bars in Columbia!

We went back a few weeks ago because we found out they do karaoke every third Friday of the month. There was a live band that played music while waiting for brave souls to volunteer. We were honestly surprised there were not more people there.There was a limited amount of songs you could sing, but it was a lot of fun.They also have seasonal drinks and the fall ones were delicious! Very fun atmosphere and I wish more people would show this business love.

I'm still in awe about this hidden gem in Columbia. 2 of my girlfriends and I came here on a Saturday evening. I made reservations to do a rum tasting tour ($15 p/p) and we had a wonderful experience. The location is somewhat in an industrial area and we walk into a room where there's a display of their rums and the bar. To the left is a large room where you can sit & relax and/or wait to be called for the tour. We met the owner who explained to us the history and the process of making their rum, label & packing and then onto the tasting. Total time was about 30-40 mins of the tour. Can't remember his name but really cool, down to earth guy. We tasted about 8 variations of their rum and boy oh boy, we loved them! (I couldn't try the hazelnut due to my allergy) You also get a drink ticket after the tour to get a choice of any cocktail or a shot. Because of the fun time @ tasting, us gals were hungry so thankfully right next door was a BBQ spot. We were able to order and walk back to Lost Ark to enjoy our food and complimentary cocktail. A 2 man-band was playing this particular Saturday and we ended up being there til close which was around 930-10. Enjoyed ourselves with 1 more drink and all arrived home safely. We plan on returning because it was such a great vibe, great staff and cool new rum cocktails to try & buy.

This place was awesome! I recently visited this distilling company for trivia night this past Thursday what a great time. My friends and I were called Sherlock Homies. You can shop with the group on Thursday, I recommend getting there as early as you can because seating fills up fairly quickly inside. Pick a team name give it to them upfront and enjoy trivia night!Anyone who's second-guessing or thinking if they should give trivia night a chance, go! I had a charm city daiquiri it was great! The gentleman behind the bar was super nice and seemed happy to answer any questions I had! I will definitely be back!