Olde Raleigh Distillery
{{Short description|Distillery in Zebulon, North Carolina}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox brewery
| name = Olde Raleigh Distillery
| logo =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| image = Olde Raleigh Distillery 2025.jpg
| image_alt = A long grey building with a sunk-in entrance
| image_caption = Storefront of the distillery in 2025
| type = Microdistillery
| location = Zebulon, North Carolina, US
| coordinates = {{coord|35|49|20.5|N|78|18|49|W|type:landmark_region:US-NC|display=inline,title}}
| opened = {{start date and age|2021|1|22}}
| owner = Brandon McCraney
| distribution = North Carolina, about 40 other states
| website = {{URL|olderaleighdistillery.com}}
}}
Olde Raleigh Distillery is a microdistillery located in Zebulon, North Carolina, United States. Since opening on January 22, 2021, the distillery has gained local as well as national recognition and distributes to forty states. In 2023, Olde Raleigh was awarded "Best Micro Distillery Whiskey" in the U.S. in the annual International Whisky Competition.
The distillery specializes in blending different small batch whiskey recipes using traditional Scottish methods. Approximately 1,500 bottles are produced every two months, with occasional limited releases in between. In addition to whiskey, they also offer non-alcoholic alternatives including cider and punch, as well as a small selection of food meant to complement the drinks. The distillery also hosts food trucks, live music, and educational courses on whiskey blending through its Whiskey Society.
The idea for the distillery began in January 2017, when North Carolina State University alumnus Brandon McCraney decided to pursue his aspiration in craft distilling after years in corporate jobs. After educating himself in the field and searching for a location, McCraney eventually settled on Zebulon, a suburb of Raleigh, in September 2019. The distillery's opening was delayed, however, due to permitting challenges and restrictions relating to North Carolina's status as an Alcoholic beverage control state, until 2021. Since then, Olde Raleigh has supported the growth of other business locally by collaborating with the Chamber of Commerce, including encouraging MacLellan Bagpipes' move to the town in August 2021. Creating new recipes, small business partnerships, and potentially moving to the distillery's namesake, Raleigh, are all stated short and long-term goals.
History
File:Olde Raleigh Distillery interior.jpg
The distillery was founded by Brandon McCraney, a North Carolina State University alumnus and father, who had been interested in the complexities of whiskey aging and maturation for more than a decade prior. Despite having worked successful corporate jobs in business sales and food services, McCraney decided to pursue his aspiration for opening a distillery in January 2017. He began by visiting distilleries across the United States to learn about their operations, in the process acquiring hundreds of types of whiskey.{{cite web |last1=Howsam |first1=Melissa |title=Olde Raleigh Distillery Wants to Take Bourbon Title From Kentucky |url=https://carolinas.eater.com/2020/12/8/22163337/new-olde-raleigh-distillery-zebulon |work=Eater |date=December 8, 2020 |access-date=January 8, 2025 |archive-date=January 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120063625/https://carolinas.eater.com/2020/12/8/22163337/new-olde-raleigh-distillery-zebulon |url-status=live}} He also took specialized courses, including one on moonshine in Louisville, Kentucky, and a whiskey sommelier class in Texas. After two years of this, McCraney then began his initial attempts to open a distillery in Raleigh, North Carolina. However, high real estate costs, combined with unfavorable zoning in industrial areas outside of a central, community-oriented area, made the city not viable. After considering other towns in the suburbs of Raleigh, McCraney chose Zebulon, North Carolina, in September 2019, as the location met his previously listed wants, and received support from the local Chamber of Commerce and permitting department. In Zebulon, McCraney began renovations an abandoned building which had previously housed a department store for 50 years. Despite an initial goal to open in April or May 2020, the distillery only opened on January 22, 2021, as issues during renovation, permitting challenges, and other restrictions related to North Carolina's status as an Alcoholic beverage control state delayed it.{{cite web |last1=Trump |first1=John |title=Zebulon Chamber celebrates 75th anniversary with luncheon, awards banquet |url=https://restorationnewsmedia.com/articles/wakeweekly/zebulon-chamber-celebrates-75th-anniversary-with-luncheon-awards-banquet/ |work=The Wilson Times |date=March 27, 2023 |access-date=December 31, 2024 |archive-date=January 12, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112140032/https://restorationnewsmedia.com/articles/wakeweekly/zebulon-chamber-celebrates-75th-anniversary-with-luncheon-awards-banquet/ |url-status=live}} Despite these setbacks, continued support from the Chamber of Commerce helped facilitate the distillery's opening,
After overcoming the setbacks in starting his business, McCraney became an advocate for the expansion of other businesses into downtown Zebulon, offering his distillery as a meeting space for discussions on local growth,{{cite web |last1=Perchick |first1=Michael |title=Zebulon works to enhance business community as population increases: Boomtown |url=https://abc11.com/zebulon-growth-population-business-in-boomtown/13465266/ |work=WTVD |date=July 5, 2023 |access-date=January 5, 2025 |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114130112/https://abc11.com/zebulon-growth-population-business-in-boomtown/13465266/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Zebulon, NC: Public Downtown Visioning Session is Aug. 18 |url=https://greyareanews.com/news/local-nc/zebulon-visioning-session-aug-18-2021/ |work=The Grey Area News |date=August 16, 2021 |access-date=January 2, 2025 |archive-date=January 14, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114141826/https://greyareanews.com/news/local-nc/zebulon-visioning-session-aug-18-2021/ |url-status=live}} and becoming a member of the Chamber of Commerce. One such business, MacLellan Bagpipes, moved into a vacant storefront next to the distillery after its owner performed a well-received piece there on August 28, 2021.{{cite web |last1=Shaffer |first1=Josh |title=How this world-class bagpipe maker came to set up shop in a highly unlikely spot |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article271332502.html |work=The News & Observer |location=Zebulon, North Carolina |date=January 23, 2023 |access-date=21 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241221040802/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article271332502.html |archive-date=December 21, 2024 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite web |title=The Whirl: Bourbon, Bagpipes & Bacon |url=https://waltermagazine.com/events/the-whirl-bourbon-bagpipes-bacon/ |work=Walter Magazine |date=October 2021 |access-date=January 9, 2025 |archive-date=September 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911192531/https://waltermagazine.com/events/the-whirl-bourbon-bagpipes-bacon/ |url-status=live}} Other efforts to raise the distillery's profile included operating a booth in Five County Stadium, home of the local minor league baseball team the Carolina Mudcats,{{cite web |last1=Hill |first1=Benjamin |title=Explore Zebulon's Five County Stadium |url=https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/featured/explore-five-county-stadium-home-of-the-carolina-mudcats |work=Major League Baseball |date=January 5, 2023 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |archive-date=January 12, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112051521/https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/featured/explore-five-county-stadium-home-of-the-carolina-mudcats |url-status=live}} featuring at large events such as the annual "Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ" festival in Charlotte, North Carolina,{{cite web |title=2024 Schedule |url=https://charlotte.beerandbourbon.com/schedule/ |publisher=Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ |access-date=January 7, 2025 |archive-date=January 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120063703/https://charlotte.beerandbourbon.com/schedule/ |url-status=live |quote="The Art of Blending & Cask Finishing Bourbon with Master Blender Brandon McCraney from Olde Raleigh Distillery"}} and featuring in the 21st season of the PBS travel series "NC Weekend" in 2023. These efforts helped attract out-of-state customers and boosted event space sales in 2023.
As the state's continued status as an Alcoholic beverage control state hinders sales, McCraney has expressed interest in the creation of a "social district" in downtown Zebulon, which would permit alcohol consumption in public areas within designated blocks.{{cite web |last1=Geller |first1=Lena |title=Will House Bill 890 Help Bring North Carolina's Old-Fashioned Liquor Laws Out of the Past? |url=https://indyweek.com/food-and-drink/hb-890-old-fashioned-liquor-laws/ |work=Indy Week |date=November 10, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2025 |archive-date=December 3, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203040749/https://indyweek.com/food-and-drink/hb-890-old-fashioned-liquor-laws/ |url-status=live}} Additional goals include adding a vodka and gin line, experimenting with new recipes, forming further partnerships with local businesses, and potentially relocating the distillery to its namesake, Raleigh, in the long term. McCraney has expressed no plans to expand the brand into multiple locations, but to establish Olde Raleigh as a destination distillery in The Research Triangle and taking "spotlight off of Kentucky".
Awards
In the International Whisky Competition in 2023, the distillery won first in "Best Micro Distillery Whiskey" in the US, second and third in "Best North Carolina Whiskey" with its straight and blended bourbon, and third in "Best Barrel Finish/Special Cask Whiskey" with its straight bourbon.{{cite web |title=2023 International Whisky Competition Official Results |url=https://www.whiskycompetition.com/2024-results |work=International Whisky Competition |year=2023 |access-date=January 3, 2025 |archive-date=January 7, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250107081133/https://www.whiskycompetition.com/2024-results |url-status=live}} In 2024, the distillery won first place in "Best North Carolina Whiskey" with its straight bourbon.{{cite web |title=2024 International Whisky Competition Official Results |url=https://www.whiskycompetition.com/2023-results |work=International Whisky Competition |year=2024 |access-date=January 3, 2025 |quote="Best North Carolina Whiskey: 1st Place: Olde Raleigh - Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in a Honey Barrel - 89.86 Pts" |archive-date=January 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119165321/https://www.whiskycompetition.com/2023-results |url-status=live}} British magazine The Spirits Business had the distillery's blended bourbon whiskey bottle place in the top 10 of their 2021 Design & Packaging Masters.{{cite web |last1=Malczewski |first1=Kate |title=Top 10 award-winning spirits bottle designs |url=https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2021/12/top-10-award-winning-spirits-bottle-designs-3/ |work=The Spirits Business |date=December 16, 2021 |access-date=January 6, 2025 |archive-date=January 7, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250107081133/https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2021/12/top-10-award-winning-spirits-bottle-designs-3/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Kiely |first1=Melita |title=The Design & Packaging Masters 2021 results |url=https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2021/12/the-design-packaging-masters-2021-results/ |work=The Spirits Business |date=December 3, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2025 |archive-date=January 7, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250107081133/https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2021/12/the-design-packaging-masters-2021-results/ |url-status=live}} In 2023, the Zebulon Chamber of Commerce awarded the distillery the "Most Influential Business Award" for its community building.{{cite web |title=Zebulon Chamber 75 Years Celebrated in Style! |url=https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Businesses---Community-Leaders-Recognized-in-Zebulon.html?soid=1102880900060&aid=omf8e8WzryM |publisher=Zebulon Chamber of Commerce |date=April 20, 2023 |access-date=January 7, 2025 |archive-date=January 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120063653/https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Businesses---Community-Leaders-Recognized-in-Zebulon.html?soid=1102880900060&aid=omf8e8WzryM |url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKmm9PsU7k0 Zebulon Mayor's Show - Olde Raleigh Distillery] {{--}} 17 minute interview with the mayor of Zebulon, from East Wake Television
Category:2021 establishments in North Carolina
Category:Buildings and structures in Wake County, North Carolina
Category:Distilleries in the United States
Category:Drinking establishments in North Carolina
Category:Zebulon, North Carolina