Let’s go distillery-hopping! Leaning into state spirit—ahem, literally—we poured together a list of some of NC’s distillers worth drinking (or taking a detour for) the next time you’re looking to mix it up.
From mountains to seaside, these small-batch craft spirits-makers produce a range of liquors running the gamut from unique sips worth sipping like Mayberry Spirits Distillery’s single-malt sorghum whiskies made in copper stills that would surely make Andy Griffith proud to swigs that’ll give you strong beliefs—we see you Conviction.
Upping the ante in drinking behind bars, the latter award-winning small-batch bourbon by Southern Grace is distilled in a former prison (!). Clearly you should sentence yourself to do some time in Mount Pleasant to drink in its 1929 prison while you get schooled on the campus and how they create that bastille bourbon—and extend your stay for some swills, natch.
At home, we’re digging the metamorphosis of Durham Distillery’s Conniption gin with the 2022-released butterfly pea flower-infused pretty purple-hued Kinship, the third edition to its famed lineup that will no doubt calm any conniption fit.
Over on the coast, clear things up with “all the taste without the bite” via veteran-owned Blue Shark Vodka—aka reigning winner of North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association Chef Showdown’s People’s Choice Award. Or end your day at End of Days Distillery in Wilmington and pick your poison among a slew of spirits.
Ultimately, whether you were born to rum or you’re just looking for some gin-tuition, this cast of statewide spirits promises to raise the bar.
Durham Distillery releases new gin with butterfly pea flower.
Durham Distillery’s brand-new color-changing (!) Conniption Kinship—the third gin in its tasty, refreshing lineup—boasts a beautiful purple hue that, when mixed with citrus (or even tonic!), changes colors before your very eyes. Magic? More like science!
In the works since the beginning of the year, Conniption’s Kinship is made with a vapor-distilled botanical base of juniper, Indian coriander, cardamom, licorice root, angelica root and bitter orange—plus a delicate botanical blend of fresh orange and lemon peels, honeysuckle flowers, and ripe cucumbers—and naturally infused with butterfly pea flowers, yielding that gorge color. A pH reaction with citrus causes that awe-inspiring hue to morph into shades of blue and pink in even prettier cocktails.
“This is a match made in heaven for us because our whole purpose and mission behind Conniption Gin is to connect art and science together through the modernization of gin distillation,” says Katrincic. “It just has its own journey—and I fell in love with it.”
Forrest Mason
More than just a pretty bottle on the shelf, Kinship will stand out flavorwise from Conniption American Dry and Navy Strength gins and possess its own distinct personality. Coming in at 92 proof, it’ll also “play up really well with cocktails,” Katrincic maintains. (So flex those home bartending skills by playing at home!)
Conniption Kinship will also showcase Durham Distillery’s new custom bottle release, which will eventually be the same for all the Conniption gins—aka “still the same profile… very similar shape,” says Katrincic, “but it’s just a beautiful bottle. It’s got a showstopper kind of quality to it.”
And playing up that marriage of art and science (hence the Kinship name): “We really had fun with this packaging,” says Katrinic. To wit: the molecular structures with illustrations of juniper berries and butterfly pea flowers coming out of them that adorn the bottle. “The signature Conniption Gin ‘window’ illustration is still there behind the purple, but you’ll have to drink the liquid to reveal it. Isn’t that fun?!” she adds.
Let the good times be(gin) this weekend at Corpse Reviver, where they’ll “have some curated cocktails that will show off the gin for people who want to come in and try it,” says Katrincic. And for those looking to bring a bottle home, it’ll be available at Durham Distillery on Friday, Aug. 5, and in local ABC Stores within the next week to 10 days, according to Katrincic.
“I feel like this is the right time where we all need a little prettiness in our lives,” she adds. “This is not any kind of dark bourbony, whiskey type of thing. This is really bright.”—and it’s almost impossible not to smile while drinking it. Bottoms up!
