Durham Distillery
Distillery · Durham ·
Craft gin, Conniption Gin, canned cocktails & liqueurs
Craft gin, Conniption Gin, canned cocktails & liqueurs
"A cocktail bar located within a local distillery that showcases inventive drinks and house spirits, contributing to the city's evolving craft-distilling and cocktail culture." - Regan Stephens
"This Bull City distillery began offering tastings and tours October 1, 2015, with its Conniption gins launching in ABC stores two months prior. Now distributed in over a dozen states and the U.K, the award-winning gin now even cans its own cocktails. Why gin? “We chose to be a gin distillery not only because we love gin and have a passion for the category but also because we are the first gin distillery in the United States to distill gin leveraging both traditional vapor distillation and cold-vacuum distillation with our rotary evaporators,” says co-owner Melissa Katrincic. “The use of rotary evaporators in gin distillation had never been done in the U.S. and was only used by two other distilleries in the entire world at the time.” She adds, “It enables us to create natural flavors without heat and our techniques are truly differentiated for why Conniption gins are recognized as some of the best gins in the world.” Lee and Melissa are the first — and to date only — gin distillers from the American South to ever be inducted into the prestigious Gin Guild in London." - Melissa Howsam
"Run by Melissa Katrincic and her husband Lee in Durham, this craft distillery produces an award-winning gin but must navigate a system where the same state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) that licenses and inspects them is also their main customer and regulator. I describe how they have to personally appeal to every single ABC jurisdiction to carry their products, that ABC employees are not allowed to taste products outside two statewide exhibitions, and that distillers shoulder a 30 percent excise tax plus warehousing freight, bailment fees, and required shipments through the single Raleigh warehouse. While grateful that the local Durham ABC board has given them shelf space and support—especially during the pandemic—I note their frustration and wonder why there is resistance from the ABC to change these rules." - Matt Lardie
"With about 40% of Triangle sales coming from now-shuttered bars and restaurants and a closed tasting room, Durham Distillery is urging people to seek their products via ABC Stores and try their Conniption canned cocktails as a substitute while customers can't visit favorite cocktail spots." - Jenn Rice
"Stepping in to help address the sanitizer shortage, Durham Distillery—maker of Conniption Gin—has moved quickly to fill the void; their gins are made from 95% corn-based ethanol alcohol, which is more than enough to kill viral germs." - Eater Staff