Our Story

Rod & Hammer

Ten years ago Rodney “Rod” Cegelski, a California surfer, met Hamish “Hammer” Marshall, an Aussie Jackaroo, spurring a friendship rooted in an appreciation of quality spirits and the central coast. The two founded Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills to share their passion with friends and family.

SLO Made

Great things take time… Our spirited adventure began in 1988 at our brewery, SLO Brew, crafting award winning beers for over three decades. In 2012 we distilled and aged our first whiskey, a rye beer mash made in the original Garden Street Copper Kettle.

A fire sparked within us to craft exceptional spirits, culminating in the establishment of Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills in 2019.

Cut With The Pacific

Each of our handcrafted spirits are cut with purified Pacific Ocean water to capture the soul and essence of the waters that united us. California meets Australia.

The Process

1. Milling

Dried & malted grains, such as corn or rye, are milled to expose the starch contained within.

2. Mashing

Water is added to create a mash and is cooked to convert starches into sugars, forming a liquid called “wort.”

3. Fermentation

Yeast is added to the wort in fermenting tanks to convert the sugars to alcohol, resulting in a beer.

4. Distillation

The beer is transferred to a still and heated causing the alcohols to vaporize and separate from the water & solids. The vapor is condensed and collected.

5. Maturing

The high proof white lightning is then transferred to charred, new American Oak barrels to age. Depending on the whiskey and barrel, it can age from 6 months to 2 years or more.

6. Proofing

The cask strength whiskey is pulled from the barrel, filtered, occasionally blended, and proofed with purified Pacific Ocean water to its desired alcohol content.