Charitable giving is down. Way down. It’s another highly unfortunate outcome of the pandemic that hits those who need it most the hardest—the less fortunate. And, yet, ironically, the need is greater than ever before. Homelessness and food insecurity have skyrocketed—as have the number of children going to rest their heads at night without beds to sleep in. To put the giving downturn in real-data perspective, North Carolina drew $34+ million in charitable donations between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021—down a whopping $10.8 million in overall giving from the year prior, per the most recent report, released end of November 2021. Of course, some of this decline is a direct result of charities’ inability to hold galas, auctions and the like, and will thus naturally improve upon the return of those events.
It was a “difficult year for recipients of charitable works, the fundraisers, the charities—they had volunteers before and some of those are now recipients,” said Secretary of State Elaine Marshall upon the release of the 2021 report (the 2022 annual report will be released at the end of November). “But North Carolinians are still generous at heart and willing to help their neighbors.”
And the charities have made the most out of the money they have received. For context, in 2019, on average, over 80.53% of money donated went to the charitable cause or project, with less than 20% going to the charity’s overhead—an all-time high for the state that exceeds the national rate.
Now, as we put the pandemic behind us, we have to get back there. So whether you’re feeling fortunate and able to give or looking for where to land that Q4 tax-deductible donation, we implore you to dole your dollars to the local community to breed growth and change here at home. There is no shortage of choices.
“I don’t care if your passion is children, whether it’s homelessness, whether it’s animals, veterans—just on and on,” says Marshall, “we do have a lot of opportunities because we’ve got a lot of good, loving hearts in this area.” ’Tis the season of charitable giving—give it to Raleigh. sosnc.gov
$10.8 MILLION LESS DONATIONS
Shelter & Home
The Green Chair Project
Helps put kids’ heads in beds for a good night’s sleep, and provides essential furnishings for family homes. Donate gently used furnishings or $250 for Sweeter Dreams Beds, thegreenchair.org
The Women’s Center
Assists at-risk and homeless women with safety and stability by providing basic needs and extended support. Donate supplies and funds, wcwc.org
Eat here—give a meal. Raleigh’s first and only pay-what-you-can cafe reinvents how our community is fed. Sponsor a PLACE Card to hand out or leave at cafe, tableraleigh.org
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
Hunger matters—and the Food Bank provided 81+ million meals to families & individuals last year. New this year, Pop-Up Markets fill gaps for families via direct distribution in the community. Donate funds or food, or shop the Food Bank Shop, foodbankcenc.org
“Raleigh always shows up to help.”
Maggie Kane, founder, A Place at the Table
37K Wake County ChildrenUnder 18 Years Old Who Are Food Insecure
Cook’s Mill Whiskey brings bourbon back home to NC.
What’s neat? Buying your wife an abandoned 1700s grist mill from Preservation North Carolina as a 10-year anniversary gift to upfit for weekend getaways—then discovering its condition and pivoting to salvage and revitalize it by producing a NC bourbon whiskey from corn grown, harvested, distilled and bottled in state.
So goes the origin story for brand-new NC bourbon Cook’s Mill Bourbon Whiskey—named for that very pre-Revolutionary Alamance County grist mill NC native Jason Queen bought in Mebane, halfway between where he and his wife grew up (Burlington and Hillsborough, respectively).
“When we bought it, we finally got in and it was like they had just left the day before,” says Queen of the historic mill—one of only two remaining of the original 41 in the county. “All the hand sifters, corn bags and everything were still there—so we knew we had to figure out how to restore it and get it functioning again.”
Given grist mills aren’t exactly lucrative, Queen started imagining ways to restore the building without losing his shirt, he says. Inspirited by then new-to-scene Social House Vodka and New Southern Revival’s Jimmy Red Corn’s success stories, merged with his background in restaurants and, well, the corn (naturally)—Queen’s aha moment: a whiskey company with a portion of the proceeds going back to the cost of renovating the actual mill.
Inspired by the proud tradition of farming and distillation in our state, Cook’s Mill officially splashed on the spirits scene in October after being kept under wraps for years. A straight bourbon whiskey aged in new white-oak charred barrels for two years minimum, Cook’s Mill’s first iteration blends supreme flavor as a 3-year-old bourbon made with NC native corn and a dose of history.
Born “from the hills, fields and mills of NC,” this spirit is bringing bourbon back home to NC. (Fun fact: If it weren’t for Prohibition and the moonshiner migration, we would still be one of the leading whiskey makers in the country.)
But Queen isn’t bringing any run-of-the-mill bourbon. While upward of 99% of bourbon whiskey companies rely on GMO horse-feed corns, Cook’s Mill will be a game-changer as future iterations unfold—digging deep into our state’s agriculture to resurrect seeds for sheer sipping satisfaction.
Across the state, the team is already working on farming myriad non-GMO heirloom corns native to NC—a cornucopia if you will—to yield ideal bourbon whiskey flavor profiles. To do so, Queen and his team partnered with experts at NC State who have dedicated their careers to native NC heirloom corns. The team isolated seven heirloom corns housed in a university vault in small amounts and offered them to Queen and his team for them to grow.
“These are real true heirloom seeds, original genetic varieties of these corns, that we have unique ownership of,” says Queen, “and there are only like a handful of some of these corns. They’ve never been commoditized—you can’t get them out of a catalog.” In fact, he explains, they were probably used by the pre-Prohibition NC moonshiners and distillers—and allowed to go out of production because of the dense GMO corns that are so much easier to grow.
“It’s unique that we’re experimenting with these different heirloom corns and using them in a very traditional manner—in regards to bourbon-making—as we move forward with our small batches,” says Queen, acknowledging the spirit’s shelf volume. “This whole business we’re launching is really focused on high-quality small-batch runs of these native North Carolina heirloom corns. And the North Carolina connections are very important to us.”
Queen and his team don’t plan to stop with one bourbon, one flavor profile or even one plan. “The goal is to really take an innovative approach—not unsimilar to the wine industry—trying different climates, soils and corns across the state,” he says, “then comparing once they start to age, and really starting to identify which ones are best and where and why.”
And, of course, to restore the mill—and, in a full-circle moment, eventually use it partly as the grindstones to create the brand’s whiskey “mashbill” (aka mix of corn, grains, etc.). “Historic preservation serves a fundamental function in establishing a community’s sense of identity in the present,” says Queen—“and its idea of what it wishes to be in the future. The grist mill to us doesn’t just represent Mebane or Alamance County, it represents all of the Carolinas and its diverse communities. More so, it represents the best parts of us and our history, and what we want to carry into the future—that determination, that resourcefulness, that grit.”
“There’s a very long rich history of producing corn spirits in North Carolina and it’s just kind of been allowed to fall by the wayside,” adds Queen. “Our state was a really important area for it a long time ago—and it’s not being celebrated the way it should.” Until now. Find it on shelves (or ask for it) at any local ABC store statewide, cooksmillwhiskey.com
In brilliant news, longtime Raleigh jeweler Charles & Colvard (nee 1995) opened its flagship showroom in October—giving “shine bright like a diamond” a whole new meaning. Showcasing “fine jewelry with a conscience” from its 2,000-square-foot gem of a space within its RTP HQ, the luxe jeweler is redefining “real” within the jewelry industry—and taking accessibility and beauty next-level. Out to prove ethically made jewelry is more than possible—but also luxurious and necessary—the brand works exclusively with premium lab-grown gemstones and precious metals… “crafted without disturbing Mother Earth,” says Hillary Watson, senior director of sales and merchandising. Intentionally choosing Raleigh for its premiere locale “to honor the roots of the brand,” says Watson, “we are dedicated to being community-focused… and will be the first made-not-mined fine jewelry retailer in the area, able to offer ethically sourced engagement rings and bands to couples looking for a choice in how to celebrate their love.” Beyond bridal, the boutique brand will bring a line of lab-grown diamond and moissanite fashion jewelry—Forever One moissanite, Caydia lab-grown diamonds, the iconic Signature Collection and more are all on-site to experience. Holiday shopping commence. Bling-a-ling… hear them ring! charlesandcolvard.com
It’s been four years since we voted for mayor and Raleigh City Council thanks to the pandemic. Love it or hate it, our city has changed dramatically in that time—think: growth, affordable housing, safety and development, the latter of which is proving to be the most divisive issue. Case in point, Raleigh City Council candidates’ elevator pitches almost all point to development as their catalyst for running. And since we last voted, the districts have shifted slightly (type in your address here to find out which district you are in). And click here to read up so you can head to the polls on Nov. 8 armed with this election cheat sheet. Click here to learn why each candidate is running.
Kenny Chesney said you and tequila make me crazy—run like poison in my blood. But swap in mezcal for me (hear me out). ICYMI mezcal is (not so) quietly becoming the top-selling spirit in the U.S.—as imbibers will spend more $ on the agave spirit (and its sister tequila) than whiskey this year, and, by 2023, the agave category is expected to surpass vodka as best-seller at a cool $13.3 billion.
So you’re expecting a rave? Think again. But, let me preface this by saying ranting about mezcal as an unconvinced fan is about as intimidating as writing about Kratom or Roe v. Wade. People are passionate about their potions—and this one is arguably divisive. Not because it isn’t good or doesn’t deserve all the hoopla. Bacon and pumpkin irrefutably have more than enough flavor to back the fandom.
The mania is not the problem—it’s the ubiquity of a market trying to feed the frenzy… often to the point that it can jump the shark (hey, pumpkin everything!). It’s everywhere and it’s not always in the right hands—read: misuse, low quality options, etc. Look, I’ve loved pumpkin since I was a little girl whose grandma made a famous pumpkin chiffon, and I’ve likewise hated bacon the same length of time (don’t @ me). The only benefit to the popularity of either was now I didn’t have to wait for Thanksgiving chiffon to get my pumpkin fix.
Mezcal is the new pumpkin. Socials are full of “reel” obsessions; the smoky spirit is making rounds (had to) on the national media circuit; and lovers are likely over the moon at the spirit’s now omnipresence on menus—from dives to high-end cocktail bars (and here I can’t get a vodka drink on a menu to save myself—but I digress). Honestly, I blame George Clooney for the cult status (his Casamigos brand was one of the top performing from 2016–21)… but with a face like that as your poster child you can hardly blame a soul.
As much as I want to love the trendy tipple, lately, there’s a (perceived) snobbery to it. A few years ago, as it emerged, a bartender would kindly sub the smoky spirit for tequila. Now, the request is met with a hard no. It’ll ruin the drink, they’ll tell you. While infuriating at first, that attitude was my aha moment. Maybe they’re right. As a former bartender, I have to admit craft cocktails devised with purpose are intended that way. And it’s only at top-notch bars where cocktailiers are doubling down on their mezcal mixology. They implement the mezcal purposefully—not as some thoughtless add to a random cocktail because trends. It has a time and place—like in mezcal maven Lily Ballance’s Willco or brand-new mezcaleria (see p. 48) or at Gallo—or in Oaxaca, Mexico, for that matter. And I believe it has a true audience with a primed palate—and I plan to learn to love it. Or at least appreciate it (s/o to Lily for the education).
