Investment of $23 million will create over 60 jobs
Last month, a group of dignitaries and state officials were present for the offical ground breaking of The Rosedale Distillery located in that small town in western Bolivar County.
Governor Tate Reeves attended and addressed the audience of about 200, which included Central Highway District Commissioner Willie Simmons, MDA Director Bill Cork, and other elected officials.
Scheduled to open in early 2025, the construction of the first legal distillery in the Mississippi Delta is making huge progress in Rosedale.
The brainchild of husband and wife—and longtime Rosedale residents and advocates—Jack and Elizabeth Coleman, The Rosedale Distilling Company, a dream of the couple for some years now, is getting much closer to being an exciting reality for the Colemans, Rosedale, Bolivar County—and the entire nation.
New roofing structures and extensions of the project are underway. Using more than 130,000 square feet of historic Rosedale buildings, the Colemans are determined to keep the rich history of the town and area alive and thriving in new auspices.
The $23 million investment, the largest in western Bolivar County in decades, will include a large still, a bottling operation and a warehouse for aging spirits, all located in a 166,000 historic factory. The company will be a distiller and producer of various premium and super premium spirits and has started construction on several locations in Rosedale.
“We wanted to create opportunity for our local citizenry and make the Delta, and Rosedale in particular, as a premier region for the distilling industry,” said Elizabeth, adding that over 60 well-paying new jobs will result within five years of project completion.
“This project will be an economic advantage to, not only Bolivar County, but also other nearby Delta counties,” said Jack. “We have used and utilized a number of local, Delta businesses to work with us on the distillery and that in itself—already—has given a boost to our local economy.
The new roof structures for the front and back parts of the former Rosedale Ford dealership in Rosedale are almost completed.
“Soon, the kitchen extension will be built and the Rosedale Distilling Company’s Rosedale River Club tasting room/bar/music venue will be ready to be built out on the outside,” said Jack.
The main distillery, including the large still, the bottling and canning operation, and the primary warehouse, or rick house, for the aging of spirits in barrels, will be in a repurposed 166,000 square foot historic former factory building on 15 acres.
The building where the distillery will be housed is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to the Colemans, along with the repurposing of the factory building, approximately 20,000 square feet of historic buildings in downtown Rosedale will also be restored following the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s stringent historic requirements.
These buildings will house the rum distillery and tasting room, a distillery store, and museums dedicated to Mississippi River Explorers, Hernando de Soto, Marquette and Joliet, and La Salle, as well as one-time Rosedale resident and blues legend Robert Johnson and Senator Blanche K. Bruce, the only former slave to become a U.S. Senator and later the Register of the U.S. Treasury, and a Rosedale resident.
“One of our product lines will honor the legendary Perry Martin, a bootleg whiskey maker for more than 40 years who made such great, aged whiskey that it could be found in many parts of the country,” said Jack. “Martin buried his filled barrels to age in the sandbar of the Mississippi River to avoid discovery in those days, barrels he bought from my grandad’s hardware store. His whiskey, a prized possession in Mississippi, was considered so good that customers would ask for it by name in bars in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and many other cities. We appreciate the cooperation of the Martin family in bringing this historic brand back alive.”
“We, along with our equity investors, are excited to bring this transformative project to Bolivar County and the Delta,” said Elizabeth. “We’re thankful to our partners like U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance, Southern Bancorp Bank, Enhanced Capital, Advantage Capital and Guaranty Bank, which provided capital via the Federal and Mississippi New Market Tax Credit Programs, as well as Magnolia Bank. which provided capital backed by a USDA Loan Guarantee Program.”
The Colemans also mentioned the City of Rosedale, Bolivar County, Mississippi Development Authority, South Delta Planning & Development District, and the Mississippi Heritage Trust for their assistance in the project.
“Rosedale Distilling will, among other exciting plans, be able to accommodate large or small groups for tastings and events and will be a popular draw for both locals and out-of-state tourists who want to experience the beauty of the Mississippi River, the great outdoors, and the history of the blues music in which Rosedale plays such a historic role,” said Elizabeth.
Jack said the distillery project will not only provide entertainment to those who attend or book the facilities available, but will also educate those who attend.
“We want to be representative of true Delta life,” he said. “The tasting rooms we’ll have, the restaurant, the rooms that will be available for booking will all represent local Delta and Rosedale culture.”
Black history is also significant and essential to the Coleman’s plans for the distillery and beyond.
“The historical stories out of Rosedale are amazing,” said Jack. “Not many people even know about them. That will change with all of the options and venues we’ll be offering.”
