Mystic Farm & Distilling Company sits on a working farm along Stallings Road in Durham, where founders Sarah Dooley and Misty Kalkofen transformed agricultural land into North Carolina’s most ambitious craft distillery. Dooley, a former bartender turned entrepreneur, partnered with Kalkofen, a renowned Boston bartender and spirits writer, to open their doors in 2017. The 40-acre property houses both distillation facilities and farming operations that grow some of their own grain, creating a true farm-to-bottle operation that’s rare in North Carolina’s craft spirits scene. The journey started when Dooley decided to leave bartending and pursue distillation, spending years learning the craft before finding the perfect property in Durham. Kalkofen brought decades of bartending expertise and deep spirits knowledge to the partnership, helping design their production processes and visitor experience. They built their operation around a 500-gallon copper pot still and column still system, focusing on small-batch production that allows them to experiment with different grain bills and aging techniques. The team grows corn, wheat, and rye on-site when possible, supplementing with North Carolina farmers for consistent quality. Visitors find themselves on a working farm where the distillation process feels connected to the land around it. The tasting room overlooks the production floor, and you can often see Dooley or other team members working the stills during visits. The space feels more like a working farm than a polished tourist destination, which matches their philosophy of transparency in production. Tours walk through the entire grain-to-glass process, including visits to the rickhouse where barrels age in North Carolina’s humid climate, creating unique flavor profiles that develop faster than traditional bourbon regions.