Cheers to North Carolina Distillers Using Locally Grown Products

Across the state, three distillers are using local farm products to make delicious spirits that are purely North Carolina. From fresh sweetpotatoes to homegrown grains, learn more about how these companies are taking ingredients from the farm to the glass.

Covington Spirits

At Covington Spirits in Snow Hill, the mighty North Carolina sweetpotato is the star of the show, used by the distillery to craft a unique vodka. Unsuitable for sale as produce, whether because of shape or size, the sweetpotatoes not only make great-tasting vodka but also help reduce waste.

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“Two owners from the puree company Yamco wanted to figure out a way to use the sweetpotato byproduct, and one of them came up with the idea to make a vodka,” says Paul Gussenhofen, production manager and brewmaster. “We produced the first batch around Thanksgiving in 2012 and went to market in January 2013.”

In its first year on the market, the vodka won the top prize at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition.

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Gussenhofen says it takes 20 pounds of potatoes to make one bottle, and the vodka does have a slight sweetpotato flavor.

“You get an aftertaste of caramel and vanilla, kind of like with a baked sweetpotato,” he says.

The spirit gets its name, Covington, after the variety of sweetpotato. The distillery is part of Yamco LLC and Ham Farms, which also grows melons, squash and other produce. Gussenhofen says in the future, they’re open to using different produce and experimenting with their spirits.

“We actually did some testing with butternut squash, which was great,” he says. “But it’s an expensive ingredient. Hopefully in the next year, we’ll be introducing a barrel-aged spirit aged in oak-charred barrels.”

Call Family Distillers

In Wilkesboro, the Call family’s moonshining experience dates to the 19^th century.

“Our history goes back to a man named Rev. Daniel Call, who made whiskey back in the 1800s. He actually took in Jack Daniel and taught him how to make whiskey in Tennessee,” says Brian Call, master distiller at Call Family Distillers. “Later, the reverend and Jack Daniel formed a distillery together, but then he sold his part to Jack after choosing to do the Lord’s work. The craft was passed down through the family, and my dad was jailed for moonshining in 1951. It’s come full circle that now we’re making it legally.”

Call Family Distillers offers several types of sour mash moonshine under the name The Uncatchable, which features a mug shot of Call’s father, Willie Clay Call, on the label. They also produce cinnamon and coffee liqueur whiskey, and Call says everything is made with local ingredients.

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“We use apples and peaches from the Brushy Mountains, and local white cornmeal for the whiskey and moonshine,” he says. “It’s been a family tradition to keep the local community and farmers involved.”

A unique feature of Call Family Distillers is its custom-designed, 2,100-gallon direct steam injection still. Designed by Call, it’s the largest direct steam injection still in the state and offers a smoother flavor to the spirits.

“The heat isn’t fired from the bottom of the still, so we never have to worry about scorching the ingredients,” Call says. “For our fruit spirits, we grind everything up and put all of it in the still, including the pulp, which makes it more flavorful.”

Broadslab Distillery

Located on the family farm outside of Benson in southeastern Johnston County, Broadslab Distillery was built on Jeremy Norris’ family legacy in moonshine.

“It started with my grandfather, who raised me and was a produce farmer,” Norris says. “I spent a lot of time with him at our produce stand growing up and heard all the stories about bootlegging. I got interested at an early age. When my granddaddy got older and couldn’t farm anymore, I got the idea to build a distillery and make spirits a value-added commodity. We started growing corn and small grains, and it grew from there.”

Broadslab’s products include several types of corn whiskeys as well as two types of rum. Norris says that it’s important to them not only to use local products and teach consumers about North Carolina agriculture, but also to keep the tradition in their business.

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“With larger brands, it’s a lot different. They add caramels and artificial colors,” Norris says. “We’re old-school and a small family. It’s a traditional, all-natural, small-batch variety.”

In addition to a bar where visitors can enjoy its craft spirits, Broadslab also has a 10,000-square-foot barn that they use as an event space for weddings, parties and more.