FAQs about Durham Distillery
questions about Tours and tastings
I'm not interested in taking a tour but I'd like to stop in for a tasting. Is that possible?
Yes! We welcome you to stop in for a Quick Tour option which are drop-in and flexible to your schedule. A Quick Tour is available for $10 per person and with a self-guided tasting flight of 3 products.
Can I enjoy a cocktail at your distillery?
You sure can! We offer several options. In the tasting room, we have open hours for drop-in Quick Tours and perusing our cocktail retail shop. You are also welcome to enjoy a cocktail on draft and take a seat to relax awhile.
If from-scratch cocktails are more of your style, our onsite cocktail bar, Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge is a full cocktail bar, with a full range of spirits, beer and wine.
Do you offer private tours?
Yes, private tours are available to book and usually during days or hours when the distillery is not open to the public. Please reach out to us for more information!
Can I book the distillery for a special event?
Yes, our tasting room and Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge are available to book for a special event. Please note: our capacity limit is about 50-60 people.
Please reach out to us for additional information!
Is the distillery pet-friendly?
While we love our four-legged friends and all of us are dog or cat owners here, it's just not possible for them to be in the distillery. We always allow service dogs.
During warm weekends, the garage door is usually open and we'll keep out a bowl of water outside near the benches for them!
Do you have a gift shop?
Stop in during our open hours, to purchase that special gift. Our retail gift shop has a lot of options including cocktail shakers, bitters, cocktail glasses, mixing glasses, shirts, hats, tonic - and much more!
You can also search for an item in our Shop for Pickup online store!
Questions about the distillery
When did Durham Distillery open?
Durham Distillery incorporated in 2013. Yet, because it takes a few years before you can legally make liquor in this country, our Conniption Gins and Damn Fine liqueurs launched in 2015. The tasting room opened then too. Our onsite cocktail bar, Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge, opened in 2020.
How many people does Durham Distillery employ?
As of summer 2022, we have a team of 25 here! We have been growing into many different states and are proud that we have team members in NYC, Nashville, Atlanta, Miami and Orlando.
Who are the owners of Durham Distillery?
Melissa Katrincic and Lee Katrincic co-founded and own a majority of Durham Distillery.
Melissa is President & CEO, running all divisions of the company including its strategic growth of the Conniption gin brand as it expands nationally.
Lee is Master Distiller and leads all production, distilling and logistics for the company.
There are a combination of private and strategic investors in the distillery. The most notable investor is Constellation Brands who invested in Durham Distillery in 2019, recognizing the distillery as part of their Constellation Brands Ventures division.
How important is it that Durham Distillery is women-led?
It is very important that Durham Distillery is a woman co-founded and led company. Melissa Katrincic, President & CEO, is an executive with background in advertising agencies, marketing, consumer products and pharmaceutical experience. Ingraining an ethos of equal opportunity for all, the distillery team is two-thirds women and with responsibilities across the organization including: distilling, production, bottling, logistics, management, accounting, bartending, tour leads and sales.
Is Durham Distillery a Grain-to-Glass distillery?
Durham Distillery is not a grain to glass distillery.
We do not ferment grain at Durham Distillery. Because we are focused on gin, cold distilled vodka and liqueurs, we leverage corn based ethanol. It is a clean base that we use for the re-distillation into Conniption gins. Most gins on the market today are re-distilled products which means that it is a multi-step distillation from grain to gin.
The art of gin is in the flavoring and transformation from base alcohol into gin. For us, we prefer corn based gins rather than wheat or other grains as corn based ethanol is flavorless. The botanicals now have a stage to shine from.
None of our products are made off site. All of our products are distilled, produced, bottled or canned here at Durham Distillery.
Does Durham Distillery produce all of its products?
YES! We do not work with any contract manufacturer or contract distillery to produce Durham Distillery products.
Every single product is made on site. We do not buy and bottle any spirit and label it as our own.
How many states are Durham Distillery products sold in?
Conniption gin is distributed and sold through our partners for retail and restaurants in 10 states: Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts, North Carolina.
Additionally, our products are available via special order in four states: Virginia, Idaho, New Hampshire and Iowa.
For purchasing online and if you are not located in the states above: Spirit Hub can now ship to all 50 states; ReserveBar also ships Conniption Gins to several states.
