Beaufort distillery Rotten Little Bastard files for bankruptcy
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a statement from the distillery
A Beaufort distillery that opened almost six years ago at the height of the pandemic filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Tuesday.
Rotten Little Bastard Distillery, which opened in the former Kmart building at 2139 Boundary Street in August 2020, filed for bankruptcy March 10 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the district of South Carolina. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is essentially liquidation, which means the debtor’s nonexempt assets will be sold and proceeds will be used to pay creditors.
In a statement posted to Facebook Wednesday afternoon, owner Brigid Fackrell confirmed the distillery would close. Spirits will be available for purchase at South Carolina liquor stores and online distributors Cellar.com and Tipxy.com as long as supplies last, she said.
Opening in the middle of a pandemic led to an “unexpected rough start” for the business, Fackrell said in her statement. In 2023, things seemed like they were getting better, but in 2025 her husband and co-founder Brian had a stroke, which, while not debilitating, changed some of his abilities.
The couple started to look for someone to buy the business, Brigid Fackrell said, but the “current economy and changes in how people drink alcohol were not in our favor and we could not find a buyer.”
“Brian and I are not going anywhere, as Beaufort is our home,” Brigid Fackrell said. “We are just moving on to the next experience. Thank you, again, and see you around.”
In its bankruptcy filing, the company listed assets of $152,554.72 in total property, including $1,061.47 in cash, $2,169.25 in deposits and prepayments, $80,000 in inventory and $66,740 in machinery, equipment and vehicles, among other things.
The company has $395,265.12 in liabilities, including secured and unsecured claims. Its secured debt is a U.S. Small Business Administration loan from United Community Bank in Bluffton, worth $321,445.52; the rest of the debt comes from unsecured credit accounts and a rejected lease. Funds will be available for distribution to unsecured creditors, the company said in the filing.
Rotten Little Bastard made $278,023 in revenue in 2024 and $221,660 last year, documents show. From Jan. 1, 2026 to March 10, the company made $31,494 in revenue, the filing said.
How the distillery got its start
The distillery, started by the Fackrells, sells several award-winning spirits, including the corn whiskey Saint Helena ‘Shine, King Tide Vodka, Spanish Moss Gin and Boundary Street Rum. The name “Rotten Little Bastard” was an affectionate nickname Brian Fackrell’s mother gave to him when he was a mischievous child.
The Fackrells were inspired to start a distillery by the television show “Moonshiners,” according to Island Packet archives from 2020. They developed the business over the course of four years, taking classes at Moonshine University in Kentucky and taking trips to other distilleries for inspiration.
At its Beaufort distillery, RLB sells its spirits and offers tastings, private parties and classes on everything from sea glass wind chime making to sourdough starter.
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 1:29 PM.