History

Pinetop Distillery was originally founded in 2014, born out of a shared passion for craft spirits and supporting local movements in food, drink, and craft. A Raleigh-based distillery bringing handmade spirits to Oak City. We are 100% grain-to-glass, with every step of production taking place on-site. The name Pinetop comes from an ancient nickname for moonshine and fits a distillery born in the land of the pines. By combining the best ingredients with modern distillation methods, we have revived their classic recipes and created a handmade spirit worthy of the name.

Production / Making

Everything begins with 100% grain. We primarily use corn and supplement with wheat, rye, and barley to create a unique flavor. Our mashing takes place in a 300 gallon mash tun, cooled and fermented to a wort. We use two distillation steps: first a continuous still and then a 6-foot forced-reflux column, which helps concentrate the alcohol and remove impurities. Finally, we hand-blend our products to ensure consistency in flavor and smoothness. Our continuous still and fractionating column were cut and welded in Raleigh, NC. Our products begin with 100% grain and our grain-to-glass approach is part of our commitment.

Products and Whisky Series

Carolina Moonshine – our roots run deep in the pines; we use local ingredients and natural grains to make our classic, handmade spirits. With modern distillation methods, Pinetop is a surprisingly smooth spirit, suitable for enjoyment or mixing. Carolina Moonshine is the base for our citrus-infused Carolina Gin and aged bourbon. Carolina Gin – using our particularly smooth unaged whiskey as the base, we add citrus notes balanced with traditional gin-botanicals to create an extraordinary gin. Through a grains-to-glass commitment, the mashbill’s depth enhances our simple, yet effective, botanical blend. By vapor-infusing each of these botanicals into our spirit, we ensure the gin remains flavorful and clean in any martini or modern cocktail.

Visits and Experiences

Note: Pinetop is currently not offering tours. Tours & tastings are temporarily suspended due to Covid-19. On Saturdays, the distillery opens from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM; tours start every half hour and cost $10 per person. Tours include an overview of our grain-to-glass process, our history, and tastings of moonshine and gin. No reservations. Private events and team-building meetings can be arranged by appointment. Age requirement: Adults 21+. Tastings for persons under 21 are not offered. We currently do not sell products at the distillery; see our Products page to find your nearest ABC store. With each tour, guests can purchase up to five bottles per year after the tour and tasting. Merchandise includes Home-Aging Kits and Pinetop T-shirts.

Philosophy

Handcrafted – a Raleigh-based distillery delivering handcrafted spirits to Oak City. We are 100% grain-to-glass, with all production steps on-site. Locally sourced – we use locally sourced craftspeople and materials to support our activities. Classic recipe – Pinetop blends pre-prohibition-style recipes with modern distillation methods to create exceptionally smooth spirits. The name Pinetop comes from an older nickname for moonshine and fits our origin in the land of the pines. We primarily use grain and mash bill to deliver depth and flavor in our spirits.