Warehouse Distillery sits in Newton, North Carolina, in what was once an old tobacco warehouse – hence the name that stuck when founders Mike and Jennifer Mudrick transformed the space into Catawba County’s first legal distillery in 2014. Mike brings a background in engineering while Jennifer handles the business side, and together they’ve built something that feels authentically local rather than trying to be the biggest or flashiest operation in the state. The brick and timber building gives you that industrial-meets-craft vibe, with exposed beams and concrete floors that remind you this place had a working life before whiskey. The Mudricks didn’t set out to revolutionize bourbon – they wanted to make good spirits using North Carolina ingredients and see where that led them. Mike handles much of the distilling himself on their custom-built hybrid pot still, focusing on small batches that let them experiment and adjust rather than churning out massive quantities. They source corn from local farms when possible and age their whiskey in full-size barrels despite their smaller scale, believing it makes a difference you can taste. The whole operation runs lean but deliberately, with Mike often giving tours himself and explaining exactly why they made certain choices. What you’ll find here is a working distillery where you can actually see and smell the process happening, not just a tasting room with pretty bottles. The space feels lived-in rather than polished, and conversations tend to be about mash bills and fermentation rather than marketing stories. They make bourbon, rye, and moonshine, plus they’ve been experimenting with rum using North Carolina molasses. It’s the kind of place where you learn something about distilling while tasting spirits that genuinely reflect the local area.