In Capulet’s sea of divine cocktails, its houseblend gin shines.
The Exchange’s highly anticipated Capulet Cocktail Club recently bowed with a bang, instantly winning over Raleighites with well-balanced cocktails from mixology mastermind Zack Thomas. But beyond the menu’s celestial lineup lies an off-menu gem deserving of its own spotlight. Enter Capulet’s houseblended gin, forming the backbone of many of the ornate Italian-inspired destination’s signature gin-based ’tails.
Like a restaurant’s housemade oil or spice mix—designed to bring balance across dishes—Thomas’ custom concoction combines three of the Capulet crew’s favorite bottles: Conniption Navy Strength and two that remain under wraps. He hints that one leans heavily juniper, while the other brings a brighter citrus profile into the mix.
Altogether, the resulting house gin is “layered, expressive and resilient… balancing citrus lift, botanical depth and proof-driven structure—and performing consistently across stirred and shaken drinks,” he says. No stranger to the gin game, Thomas pulled inspo from his days of blind-tasting the spirit, tuning his palate to how different flavor indicators and styles behave when stirred and served up, or shaken with citrus.
While some bars blend rums for Tiki or tropical cocktails, blending gins is far less common, says Thomas—and allows Capulet to make its spirit a deliberate expression and not just a single-bottle default. “We wanted to do it for our house identity,” he explains. “It tastes like us and not like a brand [patrons] have had somewhere else before… appealing to all cocktails and giving us a unique expression of the spirit.”
Giving the already notable cocktails a further leg up, the house blend features prominently in standout sippers like the Quattro Bianchi—a 1980s-era Long Island Iced Tea riff layering gin with rum, tequila, Cointreau and tart soda—as well as the Ghost Light, a floral gin martini with Luxardo and jasmine, plus standards such as a Negroni or G&T.
A defining detail in Capulet’s already buzzy cocktail menu, the one-of-a-kind gin blend doesn’t just raise the bar—it underscores the team’s commitment to making every pour unmistakably its own. And the proof is in the glass.
The Crunkleton is about to be pouring, shaking and stirring in Raleigh.
The wait is finally over, Raleigh. Almost three years after the initial announcement, acclaimed Chapel Hill-based cocktail bar and restaurant The Crunkleton is finally ready to make its Smoky Hollow debut in March. *Cue resounding cheers.*
Known for its craft cocktail prowess and live-fire kitchen, The Crunkleton Raleigh will serve up a DTR dining and drinking destination delivering timeless hospitality with an elevated yet approachable full-service menu.
The Raleigh locale marks the third of the nee-2008 brainchild of Gary Crunkleton—now owned by 1957 Hospitality Group—which also grew its Franklin Street flagship to Charlotte in 2019. With its footprint already in the City of Oaks, 1957 Hospitality CEO Blake Thompson has had a hand in developing fellow Raleigh favorites like Standard Beer + Food, Bad Daddy’s, and Firebirds.
Photo by Curtis GrollPhoto by Curtis Groll
While the new Hollow space promises a cozy, neighborhood vibe with 88 indoor seats and a patio for warmer months, the heart of The Crunkleton will be its carefully curated dishes. An homage to live-fire cooking, the menu will feature raw and charred oysters, hearth-fired wings, a “really good” burger, fire-roasted vegetables and—the pièce de résistance—a giant Tomahawk steak for the table (!), all at the hands of The Crunkleton’s longtime executive chef Gregory Balch.
For an interactive twist, diners can snag a seat at the Chef’s Counter to enjoy the full menu while spying the magic of the hearth unfold firsthand. And on the beverage front, the cocktail haven is staying true to its roots, highlighting timeless classics like the old-fashioned and Sazerac, alongside inventive original recipes crafted with premium spirits, housemade syrups and fresh juices—and with ever-popular handcarved clear ice.
And for those who pref their booze straight up, there’s the bar’s rare and antique spirits collection, a signature offering that began with Crunkleton’s successful lobbying for NC House Bill 909 in 2015. The legislation allows statewide establishments to sell antique spirits (read: bottles at least 20 years old, out of production and in an unopened and sealed bottle) after obtaining a special permit.
“Finding these rare treasures is an exciting process,” says 1957 Hospitality COO Hannah Smith. “Gary often acquires them through estate sales or personal connections. Many people discover old bottles without knowing their history or value, and Gary educates them on both.”
Further ingraining spirits lovers into the world of The Crunkleton is its exclusive Top Shelf Program, which scores first access to dining reservations, a monthly newsletter and concierge services. So, as expected, The Crunkleton Raleigh promises to be as timeless as its tales—and ’tails. thecrunkleton.com
