A downtown Raleigh distillery launches its first spirits
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The entrance to Boatman Spirits. Photo: Zachery Eanes/Axios
Boatman Spirits Co., a new restaurant and distillery that opened in downtown Raleigh last year, is now releasing its first spirits made in the City of Oaks.
Why it matters: The debut of the company's first spirits comes at a time when Americans are drinking far less than they used to. But Boatman's owners are betting that there is still room for products with a strong local story.
Driving the news: Boatman opened in Seaboard Station last year, operating a Mediterranean-focused restaurant alongside a distillery.
- The restaurant is run by Aaron Lambert, formerly of Whiskey Kitchen; Geremy Prichard, the group's distiller; and George Ghneim, a local veterinarian and restaurateur.
Zoom in: After getting through the permitting phase and initial production, Boatman is now selling vodka, gin and Navy-strength gin at its restaurant and distillery.
- The gin has a unique flavor profile, with 13 botanicals including jasmine flower, sumac and Palestinian thyme, in honor of Ghneim's heritage.
- Boatman will host a launch party on Feb. 22 for the new spirits. Thanks to changes in state laws, distilleries can now sell bottles directly to customers.
Between the lines: Like many new distilleries, Boatman is starting with gin and vodka because the neutral spirits are quicker to produce.
- But the goal is to add a rye whiskey, a single-malt whiskey, amaros and different fruit brandies to its offerings in the coming months and years, once they have aged in barrels.
What they're saying: Prichard said Boatman's restaurant allows for the distillery to have more time to age products and be creative, since it is not just reliant on sales from the distillery to operate.
- "We want to put something we're proud of in front of people," Prichard said, "and I think people are searching for [quality] more and more on the local scale than ever before."
