From Corporate VP to Bourbon Blender with Brandon McCraney

Episode notes

What happens when the business you planned is not the business you actually build? In this episode, I talk with Brandon McCraney, owner of Old Raleigh Distillery, about leaving corporate life, chasing whiskey, and opening a distillery during COVID. Brandon shares how Old Raleigh started as a blending vision, how a change in North Carolina law turned him into a bar owner, and what it was like opening before he could even sell his own whiskey. We also get into whiskey blending, one-off batches, cask finishes, and why building a bourbon brand takes more than a good product. If you’ve ever had to pivot because reality wrecked your original plan, this one is worth listening to. Sometimes the business you survive is the business you were supposed to build.