When Ray Digilio of Kill Devil Spirits talks about his products and the industry they belong to, you can see the passion in his eyes. This is a passion that has brought him from bootstrapping his 25 gallon distillery in the hills of Spring Valley with very little capital, to renting out a space near downtown San Diego with a regal 250 gallon copper and stainless steel still.
This passion of his translates through to his products, which include Kill Devil Rx Vodka, Kill Devil Ugly Moonshine, Ugly Rise & Shine Coffee Infused Moonshine, and Kill Devil Valor West Coast Gin. Each one of these products is thoughtfully crafted, placing an emphasis on flavor and approachability without skimping on costs, thus ensuring the quality of the products.
All shiny and new – and ten times bigger
Kill Devil is part of a budding distilled spirits scene in San Diego, and is currently one of eight (Confirm) in operation in the county. These distilleries are all members of the San Diego Distillers Guild, of which Digilio is the president. This organization was created in order to promote the San Diego craft spirit industry.
Innovation is something that Kill Devil is keen on, which shines through in their Ugly Rise & Shine Coffee-Infused Moonshine. They source their beans from San Diego-based Dark Horse Coffee Roasters, and are currently looking for ways to put the spent coffee beans to use.
Perfecting the technique
Their Valor Gin recently won a gold medal at the Distilled San Diego Spirits & Cocktail Festival. The botanical bill in this gin goes light on the juniper, working in some interesting ingredients, such as West Coast chinook hops. This imparts on Valor Gin an unmistakable citrus character, while remaining balanced and very approachable.
While most moonshines are distilled mainly from corn, Kill Devil’s take on the now ubiquitous spirit is distilled solely from CaraVienna malt. This type of malt is kilned in such a way that lends it toasty notes, which makes for a unique moonshine that is unaged, yet still contains flavors of caramel and a touch of chocolate.
The botanicals for the Valor Gin
Critics have argued that using malted barley in moonshine is unauthentic, claiming that it is traditionally distilled from corn. Digilio contests this by rebutting that moonshine is actually a product that is historically made from whatever was available locally, and that different regions have used various different sugar sources to distill their moonshine.
Alongside innovation, Kill Devil is also interested in public education. With home-distilling currently illegal in the Unites States, the distillery plans on rolling out courses for would-be distillers who do not have the resources or licensing to distill spirits themselves – a reflection of the comradery in San Diego’s scene of artisanal products. Small businesses make various types of products band together; take, for example, the local brewing industry, which crafts collaboration beers and holds homebrew contests to produce new beers. Competition exists in the form of the bigger spirit brands, but these businesses understand that without each other, they could not sustain a market for their own needs.
Digilio pouring his creations
Because there are so few local distillers in operation, the word is not quite out yet that San Diego distilleries are creating high quality products. By teaching others how to distill or improve on distilling, Kill Devil is providing a foundation and pathway to the future of the San Diego distilling scene.
The future of the San Diego distilling scene is in the hands of Digilio and other passionate San Diego-based distillers. The drive and dedication are alive and well within these people of the craft; it is now a matter of spreading the word of good taste, and letting it be known that San Diego is serious about distilling.
