BULK WHISKEY FINANCING

also lay the foundation for necessary conversations about the size and scope of the craft distilling process. It’s a conversation the Bargers are uniquely qualified to lead, given the other side of their business.

“Craft should be about tasting better, and about focusing on the terroir and barrel provenance,” Pete said. “These can be achieved on a large scale. If you’re producing 90,000 barrels but are still using the same grain, the same yeast, and treating the spent grain the same, you’re still making a craft product. There shouldn’t be any malice or shame about making craft on a large scale.”

Pete also states these conversations are coming at a time where the consumer is increasingly aware that exceptional bourbon doesn’t just come from Kentucky. This organically provides ample room for the Bargers to advocate for North Carolina spirits and Statesville’s forgotten history as a distilling epicenter — “There were 458 Federally licensed distilleries within 50 miles of Statesville before the Temperance movement descended on the South,” Pete notes.

Whiskey With A Purpose

Southern’s website for their Southern Star labels promotes four core beliefs — Stay True to Self; Give a Damn; Dare to Win; Be Grateful. Collectively, these beliefs tie into a much more personal side of enjoying spirits. To Pete and Vienna, the spirits they create under their own label function not just as reasons for people to get together, but also for people to deeply appreciate the connections and moments they have with each other whenever time allows them to occur. They strive to create juice that reflects the joys of the personal moments from their own lives. “The best memories of my father come from “bourbon Thursdays,” which was this little ritual we had,” Barger said. “We’d just sit on my back patio with a glass of bourbon and ‘watch the tide,’ as he’d say, even though we’d be looking at the lake by our house which had no tide. These are the type of moments we want to celebrate through our spirits. It’s personal. It’s important because my home is important.”

This personal sentiment is a prominent driving force behind Southern’s own spirits line, and it’s an expression that feels more valuable than the awards they’ve earned. In a sense, it also feels like a key element to the craft spirits Southern helps create as a contract distiller, particularly since they insist on anonymity in the process. In these cases, they aren’t just helping to build up brands. They’re helping to create legacies.

Southern Distilling Company is located in Statesville, North Carolina. For more info visit www.southerndistillingcompany.com or call (704) 978-7175.

Written by RICH MANNING