Waterside (Watts) Distillery
Waterside distillery was founded by James Robinson in 1830. It was operated together with Abbey Street Distillery by the Watt family until 1925. Despite being successful, the Waterside operation always laboured in the shadow of the Abbey street distillery. One reason may have been its geographical location on a steep hill a flanked by two major roads. The distillery was closed in 1925. The Watt Distillery perviously owned ‘The Tyrconnell’ brand, a histroy brand of whiskey that has been revived by the Cooley Distillery (Beam Suntory). Nothing is left of the original buildings today.
Author: Caroline Porsiel
Caroline Porsiel is a master distiller and liqueurist based in East Ellijay, Georgia. She founded House of Applejay, a fine spirits and liqueur distillery, in 2022 with her mother, Sabine, crafting award-winning products like Applejay from Ellijay, Mt. Frozen Knob Vodka, and Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. The distillery won a 2024 Best of Georgia Award and a 2025 Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur. As a founding member of the AMBRU Campaign, launched in 2020, Porsiel advocates for the global recognition of American Brandy and Rum. She continues to drive innovation in the craft spirits industry from her active distillery in the heart of Georgia’s apple country.
