May 30, 2025
Yalaha Farmer Doug McCormack Distilled a Fruit Surplus into Bottles of Bootlegging Gold
By Gina Horan
Yalaha Farmer Doug McCormack Distilled a Fruit Surplus into Bottles of Bootlegging Gold
Third-generation Florida farmer Doug McCormack didn’t set out to be a distiller; he became one because he had a blueberry problem.
“I had an overabundance of fruit,” he says. “A few years back, a buddy of mine knew how to make wine, so we pooled our resources and produced some great results.”
That backyard experiment led to Yalaha Bootlegging Company, where Doug now makes small-batch spirits perfectly distilled from organic blueberries and cane sugar on his family farm in Lake County.
“First, we had to apply for a license and quickly figured out that the antiquated laws discriminated against distillers,” Doug says. “For example, we could only sell one bottle at a time per year per customer, which was ridiculous.”
He pled his case in Tallahassee, testifying before the Ways and Means Committee, which helped push through changes allowing distilleries to sell one bottle per variety. That loophole sparked a creative explosion and opened the door to new ideas.
Doug’s first creation at the distillery running on spring water drawn from 320 feet down? A bold 100-proof blueberry moonshine.
“I thought, ‘Great, let’s make more varieties,’” he says. “We added peach, apple, watermelon and pecan, then just kept building. Now we have multiple flavors and proofs.”
After a pandemic boom, Doug used the extra income to upgrade to a larger still, which he aptly named “O-Jesus,” after literally exclaiming “Oh Jesus” the first time he laid eyes on the bespoke beauty.
Visitors come from all over, including locals, U-pickers and road-tripping Villagers, all looking to sample Florida-grown spirits and hang out in the rustic tasting room.
Doug is usually on hand to pour samples, and the gift shop features ceramic “Crazy Jugs” made by his brother Tim and sister-in-law Sandi. There are also house-jarred pickles and gator jerky available.
“I love sharing what we do here,” Doug says. “This whole operation is a family affair and we’re proud of every batch.”
Try This Recipe with Yalaha Bootlegging Co. “SHINE”
Photos: Nicole Hamel
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Gina moved to central Florida in August of 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and spent 10 years as a fashion editor, columnist and food writer for The Knight Ridder Newspaper group. She was also a photo stylist and covered concerts, fashion shows and festivals all over Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for 4 years. She also covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. She is a veteran bartender and has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. Her passions include travel, road trips, history books, baseball, tasting menus and most of all, landing in a new city with no map or guidebook. Gina lives in Oxford with her mom, cats and baby hamster.
