Two Pilots Distillery, our military history runs deep
From March 1981 to February 1990 Chris Strickland served the U.S. Army with the 48th Brigade Aviation Section Command Flight on the UH-1N (67N) and OH-58 (67V) as a Helicopter Crew Chief. This was the ignition that lit his love for flying aflame. When his time with the military had come to an end, it was no surprise to his friends and family when he combined his passions for aviation and agriculture by opening a crop-dusting business. Ducking, dodging, and maneuvering his aircraft over fields, trees, and getting as close as three feet to the ground was Chris’s daily routine for over thirty years. He has flown in the cockpit of his AT-402 turbo- prop crop duster over 20,000 flight hours.
HOW WE BEGAN...
Chris' old tobacco barn, in Claxton, Georgia, just a short drive from Savannah, has been in his family for generations. It was 2018, when he decided to completely repurpose the barn as a place to handcraft good ole’ moonshine and rye whiskey using an old-fashioned copper pot distillery. Two Pilots Distillery began as a mission to carry on the tradition of classic, small-batch distilling with a warm nod to pilots, U.S. military and veterans, and those who humbly appreciate the warm finish of a quality Georgia whiskey.
A VETERAN OWNED COMPANY...
Veteran Marine, Curt McDonald’s dedication to his days serving our country and fellow veterans is what brought him to partner with Chris and join Two Pilots in 2021. Curt served as a Helicopter Crew Chief from 1999 to 2004. Years later he worked as a contractor in Afghanistan where he completed missions with some of the same veteran contractors he previously served with in the Marine Corps. His allegiance to veterans and service to the country is a reflection of the level of integrity in which he operates Two Pilots Distillery.
