Touring Oak And Grist Distillery in Black Mountain

As a 100% grain-to-glass distiillery, Oak & Grist is commited to providing superior spirits in the picturesque mountains of western North Carolina. Come along with me as we chat with President and Head Distiller, William Goldberg. Watch our video to learn how he crafts the booze inside the bottle.

I love traveling to the Asheville area for the weekend.

The air is crisp, the sites are breathtaking, and there’s always somewhere to explore. On my most recent trip, I took a tour at one of my favorite whiskey distilleries, Oak & Grist! Here, they are committed to creating uniquely Appalachian spirits. They partner with local and regional farmers to produce a superior blend unlike any other. My friend and restauranteur, Clark Barlowe, told me about their whiskey during our cooking collaboration. He uses their spirits at his restaurant, Heirloom, if you’d like to try them in the Charlotte area.

Prior to visiting the distillery, I had only tried Oak & Grist’s whiskey. However, upon arrival I quickly learned that they distill gin as well! I couldn’t wait to try it.

William was originally inspired to distill whiskey by his business partner’s father, Edwin Dodson. Edwin once served as the distillery manager at Glen Moray.

After his first visit to the Moray region of Scotland, William was determined to create an American Single Malt Whiskey in North Carolina. Prior to distilling spirits, William worked at a small family creamery making artisanal cheeses. It was here that he met Ashley Ioakimedes, who now assists in the distilling process at Oak & Grist.

INSIDER DETAIL: Snag a bottle of Oak & Grist’s first release of whiskey and you’ll discover that Ashley hand-wrote the details on the back of every single bottle. Talk about a dedication to her craft!

It’s William’s dream to release a ten-year-old Single Malt Whiskey.

In order to make this dream a reality, a bulk of their whiskey is doing exactly that. Aging. However, Oak & Grist is committed to highlighting how their spirits interact with barrels over time… so they have released limited batches of whiskey as part of their Stripling Series. This program will span approximately two years and will have 5 – 6 releases of 2,500 bottles. Currently, they are on release #3. Because of the barreling process, each batch will embody a slightly different aroma and flavor.

Tasting Hours are every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 1-6pm.

Grab Oak & Grist’s address and make a reservation by shooting them a note. Click here to contact them directly. Oh, and make sure to tell them Jess sent you! You’ll have an amazing time, I promise!

Want to make a cocktail using Oak & Grist Whiskey? Please see William’s fabulous recipe for his Negroni below.