I have been on a bourbon kick lately. On my way to Asheville for a weekend trip, I stopped by to…read morevisit South Mountain Distilling. Donald Smith was super nice and gave us the overview of his family history in distilling. We tasted 3 whiskey's that he produced, the Sinister, Dignified, and Cherry Bounce. These are either family recipes or in the case of Cherry Bounce a famous recipe of Amos Owens who bought/owned Cherry Mountain. I bought 1 bottle each mainly to just support him and his vision for making great whiskey. It is tough to get started in this business, since you need to age the whiskey for years. I think Sinister was aged just 2.5 years, Dignified 3.5 and can't recall on Cherry Bounce. Don also showed us Old Bessie the still he designed. Its a great visit and worth stopping in to see on your way down I40.

What a great locally family owned distillery! Not only do they have very good quality liquor (…read morewhiskey, rum and a moonshine) Owners Don, his Mom and Wife along with David "Doc" , are really down to earth friendly people that will gladly give you the family history on moonshining. Everything is done in this one building, the mash, the brew and the bottling. It's also a nice gift shop that sells shirts, hats, glass wear, canned goodies like jams and sauces. They offer tours and tastings for $10. It was really cool being able to see the mash cooking away. What other Distillery can you do that at? One thing that is an absolute thing to do, is they have a program where you can do your own bottle. They show you ( and you do the work) from start to finish until you have bottled your own liquor with your name on the bottle.

Stopped in for dessert drinks after dinner and loved each one! I got a blackberry smash and subbed…read moremint for the basil, which was a perfect balance. Everyone else got sweeter drinks, like the PB Cup, the smoretini, and the banana split. Everything was really yummy and the perfect way to end the night.

This is a very small establishment. I tried two of their house spirits and can say the tequila…read moretastes very bottom barrel, but the vodka is really smooth. Do not expect classy because this place is far from it, All my drinks came in clear Dixie-style cups. Even though they have copper mule mugs hanging behind the bar, my Moscow mule arrived in one of these cheap vessels. All in all it was fun for a one-time visit.

We overall enjoyed our experience and especially thr mojito and jungle bird drinks…read more It was a rainy cold day for May weather so unfortunately didn't get to sit on the patio as I had hoped! The crowd was a little slow (prob due to weather) so not a super vibrant atmosphere when we arrived but it got a little busier as time went on. We enjoyed all of our cocktails, the ones we ordered were: Daiquiri -- 8.5/10 Jungle bird. -- 10/10 our favorite drink of the night!! Iced coffee (this is a cocktail) -- 9/10 because of the uniqueness and the drink was really yummy Mojito -- 9/10 really good mojito but was heavy on the ice Basil French 75 -- 6.5/10 I personally wouldn't order it again, I was excited to try it but it just wasn't my personal preference Hurricane -- 7/10 didn't love this one and asked for more sour mix I would absolutely come here again, especially on a nice summer day, and sit outside to enjoy the vibes! I also think it would be fun to come back for live music. I will say we ordered some food and it was just okay, convenient while drinking yes but not really the standout aspect of this place. We got the pretzel with beer cheese and the meat lovers flatbread, which is very small, about the size of a 8 inch personal pan pizza.

This place has done amazing work making this place what it is today…read more Great drinks great bartenders and very knowledgeable tours when available Must visit!

Staff was great and informative. Cute little place with wines and spirits. I loved the bourbon…read morewhiskey.

Good people running the show. It's very small and personal. The whiskey is pretty good too. They'll…read moretake you back and show you the labeling and bottling and the whole thing. The tasting is a good deal too. They give you a lot of wine and liquor.

Wow this was a micro craft distillery at its best. Customer service, selection, and knowledge. They…read moretruly deserve being the face of the charlotte area whiskey. 1st entering, you walk into a small area with a gift shop area, bar area, and small separate sitting area on the first floor. The small sitting area also houses their original small still they currently produce their gin in. Pretty cool piece of history. So about the juice...They're really got some good stuff. You can do a curated flight for 10 dollars each pour, you can also do single pours of whatever they have available as well from their core products to the single barrels. I really love what they're doing with the "Story" line where they experiment with different finishes and blends. I'm not a huge rye guy but they are certainly doing it right. That says a lot for me to grab 2 to take home of their rye single barrels..my bartender was so cool and knowledgeable I even grabbed the one he actually picked. Overall 10/10. They're giving the bigger names a definite run for their money. You will not go wrong supporting and drinking local with them. Hands down the best in the charlotte area. They do offer shipping but, you NEED to go in for the full experience and the option to grab distillery exclusive bottles. #Foodierunner approved lol

It was a scorching hot North Carolina day in April when we arrived for the afternoon tour at…read moreSouthern Grace Distillery. We had paid in advance and made it just in the nick of time to join our group of about a dozen people. The crowd was a mix of adults and children; personally, I didn't quite understand the presence of kids on a jailhouse and whiskey tour, but the group was ready to dive into the history. The tour kicked off with chilling news of hauntings. Our guide mentioned that the show "Ghost Hunters" had even visited the site, certifying the old jail as haunted--though fortunately by "friendly" spirits. The sensory experience was a bit of a rollercoaster. I generally enjoy the scent of bourbon, and the initial aroma upon entering the distillery is quite pleasant. However, the main room where we spent a significant portion of the tour had a scent that was overwhelming and wholly unpleasant. That said, the content of the tour was good. It provided a well-balanced mix of intriguing historical facts about the prison and the technical side of whiskey making. The kids got restless during the tour and actually started brutally kicking each other in the shins. They each had on shell toed Crocs, so you could hear the crunch of bone and flesh beneath each kick. Their parents let it go on indefinitely. The hour passed quickly and was well worth the $14 adult admission. The tasting at the end is not for the faint of heart. They serve hard liquor, and I do mean HARD. My lips were numbing and my face was next. I had to tap out after the third swig! On the bright side, the gift shop is fantastic. They have the most darling items; we walked away with two tote bags and a delicious pink lemonade drink that will be perfect for sharing with friends this summer. This is a unique, affordable way to spend an hour, provided you can handle the heat and the high proof!

We have seen this distillery, and today was the day we finally stopped! There is signage to show…read moreyou are going the right way because you feel like you are going in someone's driveway, but follow the signs, and you arrive at the distillery. They do tours and tastings and we arrived just in time to take the tour. The distiller gave lots of information but made sure to explain the process in a way that those of us who just enjoy the drinking part can understand. We had 4 products during the tasting and all were fantastic! My husband loved the smoky one, and the rye was mine. They do offer some cocktails but we unfortunately had to get back on the road. We will be back when in the area. It is out of the way, but 100% worth it.

REALLY DIG THIS PLACE! On a cold, rainy March day, Erick spent a long time explaining how they…read moremake whiskey and why. This is a true small batch distillery and they're making great craft whiskey. Everyone there (three employees) were super friendly and knowledgeable. They only make 2 products, and both are exceptional. It's worth the drive and their whiskey is worth the price. I'll be back next year.