Olde Raleigh Distillery sits in downtown Zebulon, about 20 miles east of Raleigh, where founders Matt and Jennifer Joyner turned their passion for craft spirits into North Carolina’s boutique whiskey operation. They opened in 2018 after Matt, a former IT professional, spent years perfecting recipes in his garage before taking the leap into commercial distilling. The couple converted a former automotive shop into their 3,000-square-foot production facility, complete with a custom-built 300-gallon copper pot still and small tasting room that feels more like visiting friends than a corporate tour. The operation focuses on small-batch bourbon, rye, and seasonal spirits using North Carolina grains whenever possible. You’ll find them working the stills themselves most days, and Jennifer often runs the tasting room where she’ll walk you through their growing lineup of aged spirits. The Joyners didn’t just want to make whiskey—they wanted to bring craft distilling back to a town that once had several legal distilleries before Prohibition wiped them out. Their approach stays deliberately small-scale, with annual production around 1,000 cases, allowing them to experiment with different mash bills and aging techniques that larger operations can’t risk.