North Carolina has taken a bit longer for their distilleries to prosper, and this is largely due to the Prohibition, restrictive laws, and lots of other factors. But in this day and age, the distilleries you can find in North Carolina are filled with many different spirits and people from far and wide come to enjoy them.

There are plenty of distilleries you can find in North Carolina, and they make all sorts of alcoholic beverages, including gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, moonshine, and other spirits. If you enjoy visiting distilleries and trying their spirits, then you have definitely come to the right place.

We have put together a list of 15 of the best North Carolina distilleries that we highly recommended you visit when you find yourself in the state. There is something for everyone on this list, and you won’t find establishments better!

15 Best North Carolina Distilleries We Highly Recommend

From clear spirits all the way to dark spirits, there is something for everyone in North Carolina, regardless of your preference! You will be able to find gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, moonshine, and other spirits in all of these distilleries.

Some only specialize in one or two types of spirits, while others specialize in a few, so read on to find the perfect North Carolina Distillery for you.

1. Clear Spirits Chemist

First, on our list, we have Clear Spirits Chemist which can be found in Asheville. They specialize in distilling gin, and there is a lot going on in this distillery for you to check out.

Clear Spirits Chemist uses a “New Western” style of vapor infusion instead of classic Juniper, and this vapor is infused with citrus, rose, and mint instead.

Along with their top-quality gin, Clear Spirits Chemist also features a prohibition-era apothecary tasting room which allows you to get a feel for what it was like to be alive during that era.

2. Durham Distillery

Durham Distillery is home to some of the best gin, vodka, and liqueurs in the whole state. Owner Melissa Katrincic is passionate about her distillery and was inspired from a very young age to do what she does.

The distillery produces award-winning versions of Conniption gin, American Dry and Navy Strength, and when you visit the distillery, you will be able to sample it for yourself. Durham Distillery is also the very first producer of canned cocktails, some of which include Gin and Tonic, Cucumber Vodka and Soda, and Rose Spritz.

3. Fainting Goat Spirits

You will find Fainting Goat Spirits in Greensboro‘s South End District, and it is home to some of the very best gin, whiskey, and vodka that is made from scratch by Bill and Andrew Norman at the distillery.

Fainting Goat Spirits actually used to be a blacksmith once upon a time, but father and son Bill and Andrew turned it into an award-winning distillery that produces some of the best award-winning gin, vodka, rye whiskey, and bourbon in the state.

This distillery is perfect for people who enjoy sipping their spirits rather than mixing them!

4. Sutler’s Gin

As you can probably tell from the name, this distillery is home to some of the finest gin you will find. Sutler’s uses lots of amazing botanicals such as lavender, coriander, juniper, and citrus to create their sweet and delicious gin.

The distillery gets its name from the word “sutler”- which is a person who follows armies around and sells them provisions. Most sutlers would sell spirits, so the name is very fitting for this distillery.

5. Broadslab Distillery

Broadslab Distillery can actually trace its roots right back to before the Prohibition, so it has been around in North Carolina for quite some time. The distillery is known for its process of growing and harvesting all of its grain, as well as processing all of its own grain to create some of the best moonshine, whiskey, and rum you will ever taste.

Moonshine has had a very tumultuous history, but when it became legal, owner Jeremy Norris saw this as an opportunity to start producing it at the distillery.

6. Call Family Distillers

If you are interested in moonshine and you are interested in its history, then you will definitely want to check out Call Family Distillers.

Willie Clay Call was a smuggler who was very skilled at evading the law when moonshine was still illegal. The distillery has been home to his descendants making moonshine ever since it became legal, which is a nice turnaround from the past.

You won’t find moonshine like this anywhere else in the state!

7. Muddy River Distillery

Along the Catawba River in North Carolina, you will find Muddy River Distillery, which is home to the state’s very first rum producer.

They use custom-built stills and the most premium ingredients found in America to create their rum, and their product is unique because it is completely gluten-free. They also created the Silver Carolina Rum, which is a small batch of smooth rum that has no color or sugar added to it.

Muddy River Distillery is definitely one of the distilleries you will want to check out if you find yourself in North Carolina!

8. Mystic Farm & Distilling

Found just 20 minutes from Downtown Durham, Mystic Farm & Distilling is home to the world’s largest solar-powered bourbon distillery!

The farm which is about 20 miles away grows all of the wheat and corn used to make the spirits at Mystic Farm, and you can get many kinds of gin and bourbon here. They even have their own beehives which produce honey for their spirits.

If you do find yourself visiting this distillery, you definitely need to try their non-chill filtered base bourbon which is aged for two years and consists of notes of butterscotch and toffee.

9. Oak and Grist

Oak and Grist is one of Western North Carolina’s only grain-to-glass distilleries and it mixes a family Scottish legacy with amazing local American ingredients to create fantastic Appalachian spirits.

They get their grain from Riverbend Malt House and all of the grain supports the local farmers. Oak and Grist also give 10 percent of the profits from their Dark Rhythm Gin to OUR Voice, which is a non-profit organization that helps people from Buncombe county who have dealt with all kinds of abuse.

10. Outer Banks Distilling

Outer Banks Distilling is home to an amazing selection of rum, with many award-winning versions being available here. Some of their award-winning rums you have to try include their Gold, Silver, and Pecan Rum, which are each unique and delicious in their own way.

They also have a line of rum known as the Shipwreck Series, which is an experimental series of rum that uses different sugars and aged barrels to create incredibly unique flavors.

11. Southern Distilling Company

Since the Prohibition ended, Southern Distilling Company actually remains as the only distillery still running in Statesville, and it’s an absolutely fantastic distillery!

With grain sourced from local farmers, Southern Distilling Company produces bourbon, rye whiskey, and brandy and it is one of the Southeast’s largest craft distillers.

This distillery is filled with lots of interesting history and it produces some of the finest spirits in the whole state as well.

12. Southern Grace Distilleries

You can find Southern Grace Distilleries in Mount Pleasant, and it is home to award-winning small-batch bourbon. The site in which the bourbon is distilled and aged is actually a former prison, which makes the whole establishment unique and interesting.

One of the bourbon series is actually called Conviction, and it is made using cherries and baked apples to create a unique and delicious bourbon that you won’t find anywhere else!

13. South Mountain Distilling Company

The South Mountain Distilling Company was founded by Don Smith’s ancestors who found that the best way to get through the gold rush for them was to make whiskey and moonshine!

The distillery uses a custom-made 200-gallon copper still to make smooth liquors that are created from a generations-old secret recipe.

14. TOPO Distillery

If you can’t decide between vodka, gin, whiskey, moonshine, or rum, then TOPO distillery is perfect for you because it produces them all! All of the spirits at TOP Distillery are USDA-certified organic as well, which just makes them even more smooth and sippable.

Along with enjoying their spirits, you can also enjoy a distillery tour, followed by a delicious meal and cocktail afterward!

15. Walton’s Distillery

If you really love moonshine and you want to try some unique and interesting flavors, then you will love Walton’s Distillery! Some of the flavors you can find here include Apple Pie, Peach, Salted Caramel, and Pineshine Colada!

Conclusion

So there you have it! 15 of the best Distilleries in North Carolina that we highly recommend you visit. You will love everything about all of these distilleries and they are all rich in the history of the state, which just makes their produce even better.

When you next go to North Carolina, check these distilleries out for yourself!