Episode 262

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Published on:

7th Jul 2025

Bourbon and Beyond: Exploring Hollow Creek Distillery

The primary focus of this podcast episode is the in-depth conversation with Meredith and Craig Amick, proprietors of Hollow Creek Distillery, located in the heart of Leesville, South Carolina. Throughout our discussion, we explore the origins of their distillery, which embodies a fusion of Southern tradition and artisanal spirit crafting. The Amicks share their journey from initial inspiration to the establishment of a renowned microdistillery, highlighting the significance of patience and community support in their success. With an array of award-winning spirits, including bourbon and flavored moonshines, they elucidate the meticulous processes behind their craft. This episode not only illuminates their personal anecdotes but also underscores the broader narrative of local entrepreneurship and the distillation industry in South Carolina.

Special thanks to Amii, hostess of 'Welcome To Wonder Land' Podcast for arranging this special episode!

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Transcript
Speaker A:

The All About Nothing podcast may have language and content that isn't appropriate for some.

Speaker B:

Listener discretion is advised.

Speaker C:

Welcome nothingers, to another episode of the All About Nothing podcast.

Speaker C:

This is episode number 262.

Speaker C:

I am Barrett Gruber.

Speaker C:

In just a minute, we're gonna head out to the Hollow Creek Distillery that is located in Leesville, South Carolina, truly at the heart of Leesville, South Carolina, where Southern tradition meets handcraft spirits.

Speaker C:

I'm going to be joined by Ms.

Speaker C:

Amie Bland, who is the hostess of the welcome to Wonderland podcast.

Speaker C:

So stick around for that.

Speaker C:

Up here in just a minute.

Speaker C:

Please subscribe and share the show.

Speaker C:

That's how we get new listeners.

Speaker C:

Please also consider supporting the show financially by visiting theallaboutnothing.com and becoming an official member and proudly calling yourself a True Nothing.

Speaker C:

Or more details on that at the end of the show.

Speaker C:

If you can't do that, please give us a five star review a like and follow us across social media.

Speaker C:

You can find links at our website, the all about nothing dot com.

Speaker C:

Real quick.

Speaker C:

Want to thank Nudaira for being on the show last week.

Speaker C:

She of course is AKA Most Popular.

Speaker C:

She hosts the most popular podcast.

Speaker C:

So Zach and I had an opportunity to sit down with her.

Speaker C:

If you haven't seen that one yet, go back and watch it, episode number 261 and enjoy.

Speaker C:

We had a really good conversation with her and hope that she finds all of the success that she has coming to her and I think she will.

Speaker C:

So gonna head over to the Hollow Creek Distillery now with Barrett and Ami myself in that.

Speaker C:

So we're gonna do that with Craig and Meredith Amick again from the Hollow Creek Distillery in Leesville, South Carolina.

Speaker C:

Welcome to a very special episode of the All About Nothing podcast.

Speaker C:

I'm here with Amie Bland, who is the hostess of the welcome to Wonderland podcast as well, also part of the big media conglomerate.

Speaker B:

Actually, Barrett's here with me.

Speaker C:

That's also true.

Speaker C:

That's also true.

Speaker C:

We are in the heart of Leesville, South Carolina at the one and only Hollow Creek Distillery, where Southern tradition meets handcrafted spirits.

Speaker C:

I'm joined today by our friends Craig at the far end over here.

Speaker C:

If you're watching on YouTube.

Speaker C:

Hello, Meredith, sitting next to me.

Speaker C:

We are going to be talking about Hollow Creek Distillery, the history of what it is that they've built here.

Speaker C:

Because while it's not decades old, it definitely has some history.

Speaker C:

We were talking about that prior to it.

Speaker C:

So welcome Craig.

Speaker C:

Welcome Meredith, to our podcast.

Speaker A:

Thank you.

Speaker C:

So first of all, we were talking about earlier, before we started recording, sort of how this all started.

Speaker C:

Like, what was the history behind it?

Speaker C:

Where did it all start?

Speaker C:

The:

Speaker A:

We're going way back.

Speaker C:

How did it get started for you all?

Speaker D:

So where did we start?

Speaker D:

So I always say we had a good family friend and he was actually the first one in South Carolina to put in a microdistillary license.

Speaker D:

And he got just a little ways in and saw all the paperwork.

Speaker D:

But he was a moonshiner in this area about five miles up the creek, literally from where we sit.

Speaker D:

And he and his dad made moonshine in the backwoods.

Speaker D:

when he saw the law change in:

Speaker D:

Put in the first application.

Speaker D:

Too much paperwork.

Speaker D:

And so Craig thought it was a great idea.

Speaker D:

He didn't want to let it go.

Speaker D:

At that time we had a six month old baby.

Speaker D:

And so Craig came to me and said, I want to build a distillery.

Speaker D:

And I said, I don't care what you want to do, I just want to sleep.

Speaker D:

And so he called me.

Speaker D:

Yes.

Speaker D:

And from there then he went to Lamar.

Speaker D:

The guy's name was Lamar.

Speaker D:

And he went to Lamar and he said, lamar, I'll build it, I'll license it.

Speaker D:

You come run the steel.

Speaker D:

Teach me everything you know.

Speaker D:

And we did a year's worth of research, two years worth of paperwork.

Speaker D:

We have been open ten and a half months.

Speaker D:

Ten and a half years, almost exactly.

Speaker D:

So that six month old baby turned 14 about two weeks ago and here we are.

Speaker C:

Hence why you drink in the morning.

Speaker D:

Yes, hence why it's 10am and we have alcohol in front of us.

Speaker C:

What is it that.

Speaker C:

So Hollow Creek distillery is.

Speaker C:

A micro distillery is what it's described as.

Speaker C:

Right.

Speaker C:

What is the difference between like a distillery and a micro distillery?

Speaker C:

Is it literally just size?

Speaker A:

Yes, legally is purely volume produced and it's two different permits.

Speaker A:

So in South Carolina there's a microdistillary permit.

Speaker A:

That's what we operate under.

Speaker A:

It is a much lower licensing fee and we're allowed.

Speaker A:

It's a pretty generous limit for a micro.

Speaker A:

Is it like 325,000 gallons a year or something like that?

Speaker A:

It's a big number.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

Much more than we produce.

Speaker A:

And then the only difference between that and just a big distillery is really the size and the volume.

Speaker A:

So the other permit is called a manufacturer's permit and it's not volume limited, but it's also 10 times.

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker D:

10 times the permit, 20 times more expensive, actually.

Speaker A:

Okay, your math better than mine.

Speaker C:

I get the impression someone's the accountant and management.

Speaker A:

Right?

Speaker A:

I just make whiskey.

Speaker A:

That's it.

Speaker B:

He's just here for the whiskey.

Speaker C:

That's great.

Speaker B:

So you guys have been doing this, like you said, for a little over a decade.

Speaker B:

And I know in the early:

Speaker B:

So I have on here, although I can look at the wall, I guess, and read it, I have on here that you guys have won gold medals for the high cotton straight bourbon and the low water vodka, which, by the way, guys, that is my favorite, goes in all my drinks.

Speaker B:

At the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition.

Speaker B:

Gold medals for the William Allen Small batch Bourbon and the Low Water Vodka at the San Francisco South.

Speaker B:

Best spirits, New York International Spirits, Best of Columbia, like all of the years.

Speaker B:

So when did that really kind of turn from you?

Speaker B:

So you spent a year researching, you spent two years kind of getting into it.

Speaker B:

And then I assume you made your first very small batch.

Speaker B:

Like what was this?

Speaker D:

It was a very small batch.

Speaker D:

Our first still was 250 gallons still.

Speaker D:

And you say 250 gallons, which sounds like a lot, but that still wouldn't turn out, but maybe 30 gallons at a time of product, something like that.

Speaker D:

We now have an 800 gallon still, so we can make, you know, 100 plus gallons at a time.

Speaker D:

But yeah, so when that turned for it, we were, we started racking up, you know, some of Best of Columbia, best of the state, those kind of things in, you know, 20, 16, 17, 18, something like that.

Speaker D:

And then we started entering our spirits into those international competitions.

Speaker D:

San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York.

Speaker D:

And that really started 20, 20, 20, 22, something like that.

Speaker D:

After, after kind of COVID the COVID craze settled down just a little bit.

Speaker D:

And I'll let you kind of talk to some of those medals that we won.

Speaker A:

But we were so honestly, there's several that, you know, we surprised everybody, including ourselves with.

Speaker A:

I'll give you just a couple of highlights.

Speaker A:

So you mentioned low water vodka.

Speaker A:

It won a double gold medal for the South's best in 23.

Speaker A:

And no, my memory is not this good.

Speaker A:

I'm looking at the back wall here, so bear with me.

Speaker A:

Then High Cotton, kind of the biggest award I think we've won to date.

Speaker A:

The high cotton single barrel 105 proof bourbon won best of class and best of division at LA International.

Speaker A:

That was 24, so pretty big, pretty big competition.

Speaker A:

And then to say, hey, this is the best bottle of bourbon here out.

Speaker D:

Of South Carolina, that's what Barrett and Greg have in the bar.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker A:

That's what we're drinking.

Speaker C:

And so what is it that sets you apart?

Speaker C:

I mean, like, I know there are other distilleries that we see new distilleries popping up, like, every six months.

Speaker C:

It's becoming a much more congested market here in South Carolina, which is great.

Speaker C:

But what is it that sets you all apart from what it is that others might be doing?

Speaker C:

Because we talked about before, Moonshiners is one of my favorite programs, and I know it's scripted.

Speaker C:

I get it.

Speaker C:

I'm fine with it being scripted.

Speaker C:

Tickle is absurdly annoying.

Speaker C:

But, you know, but even through the show, like I told you before, I've made friends with one of the people that was on the show because we went to all of these distilleries, and I got to meet Steven Bean, who owns Limestone Distillery up in Kentucky, and.

Speaker C:

And it's such a cool thing that they do.

Speaker C:

Maker's Mark is one of the favorite places to visit.

Speaker C:

Like, if we're in Kentucky, that's where we go every single time.

Speaker C:

We will do the tour every single time.

Speaker C:

But South Carolina, the distilleries are popping up.

Speaker C:

What is it that sets you all apart from others?

Speaker A:

So, honestly, my answer would be patience.

Speaker A:

This is a very slow industry.

Speaker A:

If you want to build a distillery and, you know, be multimillion dollar cash flow in year two, good luck, you better start with a huge pile of money.

Speaker A:

So we've been at this open for a little over a decade now, and, you know, zero investors, which is really nice because you don't have anybody to answer to.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

And if things take a little while longer, it's okay.

Speaker A:

You're not.

Speaker A:

You don't say.

Speaker A:

I have to revive a 20% return this year, and I really think that's it.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker D:

Patience, I think, too.

Speaker D:

You know, we are typically here most days that we're open, folks get to see us, and I think we're very.

Speaker D:

We try to be very welcoming.

Speaker D:

Very Southern hospitality.

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker D:

I mean, that's just kind of our personality and who we are, but we have a lot of pride in what we've built, but also a lot of pride in this area.

Speaker D:

I know Amy hinted at it, and, you know, we can certainly go back to that.

Speaker D:

But Craig's family has been in this area.

Speaker D:

Our son is 10th generation of being right here in this area.

Speaker D:

So we have a lot of just pride in this.

Speaker B:

I'm gonna let them tell the story because someone clearly didn't look at their website or anything before this.

Speaker C:

No, I'm trying to make it sound like I'm engaged, but real quick to go back and talk about.

Speaker C:

Big Media is always looking for investors.

Speaker C:

We're happy to answer to whoever.

Speaker C:

I'm sorry.

Speaker C:

But one of the things on the website and even throughout the course of your Facebook post, anything like that, there's a lot of focus on family and traditions.

Speaker C:

And so like how many family and friends work for you all or that are here, like making an appearance, things like that?

Speaker D:

That's pretty much our workforce is family.

Speaker A:

And family and friends.

Speaker D:

And you know, several of the ladies that you now see behind the bar are folks that have been customers before that have we become friends.

Speaker D:

And then they said, let us know if you need any help.

Speaker D:

And we said, don't say that unless you're serious.

Speaker A:

That is a very dangerous thing to say out here.

Speaker D:

So we're.

Speaker D:

It's very much a little family here.

Speaker B:

Do they just get paid in moonshine or.

Speaker A:

It's a barter system.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker C:

I feel like that would, I feel like that would get expensive.

Speaker A:

They can, yes.

Speaker C:

What is typically, as far as, like the products that you all make?

Speaker C:

I know that there's probably a varying amount of time that it takes as far as the process.

Speaker C:

But like, what is your shortest, what is your shortest time product?

Speaker C:

What is your longest time product?

Speaker A:

So any sort of white whiskey or white spirit, whether we're talking about vodka or, you know, a corn whiskey that we use to make white hot whiskey, cinnamon flavored whiskey, you're looking at it can be as short as four days.

Speaker A:

If you've got, you know, a day to cook, a three day ferment, a day to distill, maybe you're at five days.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

And then bourbon.

Speaker A:

Right now we're selling almost everything at just under six years.

Speaker A:

So we'll call it five year bourbon.

Speaker A:

Before long, we'll cross that six year mark with most of our bourbon products.

Speaker A:

And we do have one barrel that is.

Speaker A:

It'll turn nine in September.

Speaker C:

And that was intentional?

Speaker A:

Yes.

Speaker C:

So in my head, I think somebody's preparing for some sort of a 10th anniversary or something.

Speaker A:

I haven't decided yet if it's gonna make it to 10.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

It will make it to nine because we are very close.

Speaker A:

But I'm here to tell you it is very good bourbon.

Speaker A:

So it's gonna find some bottles here before long.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker B:

He's been sipping.

Speaker B:

The barrel's empty now.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker D:

We'll have one bottle to release.

Speaker A:

At some point we have to sell it or it's going to be gone.

Speaker C:

Anyway.

Speaker C:

We were going to call that the angel share.

Speaker A:

Right, Right.

Speaker C:

Because difference between angel shares, what evaporates versus what gets sucked into the.

Speaker C:

What's the devil's share?

Speaker A:

Good marketing.

Speaker A:

That's what it is.

Speaker A:

In theory.

Speaker A:

People refer to like what gets soaked into the wood and doesn't come back out.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So the whole process, like I have.

Speaker C:

I have thought about potentially investing in just a little bit to do in my house, because I don't think that that's the illegal part of just doing a small thing at your own.

Speaker C:

Whatever.

Speaker C:

It's.

Speaker C:

It's the.

Speaker C:

It's the selling.

Speaker C:

Right.

Speaker C:

Is.

Speaker A:

So I can.

Speaker A:

I can give you the.

Speaker A:

The real answer and then I can give you the practical answer.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

And if you're in law enforcement watching this, this is not advice, Sheriff Lottie.

Speaker A:

I never said this.

Speaker C:

Sheriff Lott.

Speaker C:

Turn.

Speaker A:

So federally, it is actually illegal to own what is called a distillation apparatus without having your federal permit and whatever local permit, state and everything else you need practically, as long as you're not trying to sell a thousand gallons a year, nobody's gonna say anything.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

You can buy whatever the little water distillers on TikTok shop.

Speaker C:

Now, I've seen those.

Speaker D:

I saw the little guy on TikTok, good old grandpa doing that on TikTok.

Speaker D:

And I'm like, wow.

Speaker C:

I saw somebody doing it live.

Speaker C:

And the ingredients they were putting in there, I was like, that's gotta taste terrible.

Speaker C:

Yeah, there's no way.

Speaker B:

So speaking of ingredients, what was the original recipe, the one that you got from lamar?

Speaker A:

It was 2/3 corn, one third oats, and we used whole oats, which are.

Speaker A:

Oats are pretty unusual for commercial distillation.

Speaker A:

The starch conversion really sucks.

Speaker A:

Doesn't make much alcohol, but it does kind of smooth out the alcohol that all the corn makes.

Speaker A:

Corn is the workhorse of really the whole industry, if we're being honest.

Speaker A:

It makes a lot of alcohol.

Speaker A:

Pretty sweet flavor profile.

Speaker A:

Can have a pretty good bite when it's young, so.

Speaker A:

But lamar's recipe was 2/3 oats or 2/3 corn, 1 third oats.

Speaker A:

It's labeled moonshine, so you can cheat.

Speaker A:

It's got a bunch of sugar in it to help it ferment and boost your alcohol production.

Speaker A:

And that's pretty much it.

Speaker B:

And do y' all still kind of stick true to that today or.

Speaker A:

Yeah, for moonshine.

Speaker A:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

And the real secret was we used lemon juice as a ph adjustment.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

Which most people who just make moonshine at their house or in the backwoods or whatever, they don't ever even talk about ph adjustment.

Speaker A:

But that was.

Speaker D:

That was his secret.

Speaker A:

That was his secret.

Speaker A:

And it worked, no doubt.

Speaker C:

Well, if they're making it at home, I imagine that and they're not adjusting ph, they're probably blind.

Speaker C:

Anyway.

Speaker B:

Did you guys start out doing strictly moonshine or.

Speaker A:

Yes.

Speaker A:

So here's we talked about.

Speaker A:

We don't have investors, certainly.

Speaker A:

Meredith, Nora, I need come from money.

Speaker A:

So you gotta have a cash flow product upfront.

Speaker A:

We didn't start with a mountain of cash to just burn through.

Speaker A:

So in the distilling world, you only have a few options for an immediate cash flow product.

Speaker A:

You've got moonshine, you've got gin, which I hate.

Speaker B:

Oh, me too.

Speaker C:

It's the worst.

Speaker A:

It tastes like a pine tree, but whatever.

Speaker A:

And then you've got vodka.

Speaker A:

When we started out, our still was not going to make vodka.

Speaker A:

Like it was a very simple direct fired pot still similar to what you would find kind of out in the woods, but, you know, inside and cleaner and that kind of thing.

Speaker A:

But it was not going to make vodka.

Speaker A:

So.

Speaker A:

And Jen, I hate.

Speaker A:

So we're kind of out here in rural Lexington County.

Speaker A:

Moonshine fits anyway, and that's where we, you know, where we kind of got our start.

Speaker A:

And that's all we sold for a while was moonshine.

Speaker B:

Were you doing the flavored moonshines back then or.

Speaker B:

It was just straight up.

Speaker A:

So on day one, we opened up with straight moonshine, period.

Speaker D:

Because each product, each different flavor of moonshine per se, has to have a federal approval.

Speaker D:

And so the only thing we had approval for at that time was our straight unflavored moonshine.

Speaker C:

And what is it as far as like what the federal approval is?

Speaker C:

Are we talking like a proof, a percentage of alcohol in it?

Speaker C:

What does it take to get federal approval?

Speaker A:

So there's really two steps.

Speaker A:

First, you have to have a formula approval, so you tell them how you're gonna make this flavored spirit.

Speaker A:

Now, you do get to skip the formula approval if the spirit you're making meets the federal definition of, you know, a predefined category like straight bourbon whiskey.

Speaker A:

If you're just gonna put straight bourbon whiskey on your label, you don't have to tell them how you make it because they give you a long list of requirements.

Speaker A:

And by putting the label on the bottle, you're saying, I hereto swear I meet this definition.

Speaker A:

So you've got to get formal approval if you don't meet one of those categories and then you have to get the label approval.

Speaker A:

And the label has several requirements, your branding and all that, but then total volume.

Speaker A:

So whether it's a 750 milliliter or 1.75 or whatever proof.

Speaker A:

And there's pretty tight requirements around stated proof versus actual proof in the bottle.

Speaker A:

The easiest way is you better be dead on.

Speaker A:

And then basically what the statement of content is.

Speaker A:

And they'll give you what you have to put for the statement of content based on your formula.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

So do they ever say no?

Speaker B:

They're like, no, you can't make that.

Speaker A:

Yes, they do.

Speaker A:

Actually.

Speaker A:

It kind of depends on what you're putting in there.

Speaker A:

So there's a whole bunch of different ways to go about this.

Speaker A:

You can either use like single ingredient natural sources.

Speaker A:

So like our honeymoon shine, I've.

Speaker A:

It is just, you know, essentially moonshine with raw honey mixed into it.

Speaker D:

What's in my glass?

Speaker A:

Right, there's a couple of those sitting around now.

Speaker A:

So that one's pretty simple.

Speaker A:

And then you can also go with these approved formulations.

Speaker A:

So the flavoring agent itself has already been analyzed and approved.

Speaker A:

And you say, you know, here's the, here's the flavoring product I'm going to use and here's how much of it I'm going to use.

Speaker A:

And you know, some of them it doesn't matter how much you use, and some of them it does if it's, if it's like an artificial flavor.

Speaker A:

A lot of times there's limits on how much you can put in.

Speaker A:

So try to stay away from those, honestly.

Speaker B:

So you guys have to submit it and then find out.

Speaker B:

So you don't make it first.

Speaker B:

Like, you have to wait until you get your.

Speaker A:

I mean, you can make it first, you just can't sell it.

Speaker A:

So we don't make it.

Speaker D:

Small test batches.

Speaker D:

It's a lot of R and D and somebody has to taste them.

Speaker D:

But, you know, it's a tough job.

Speaker B:

We do it, someone's got to do it.

Speaker B:

So.

Speaker B:

And you guys have a bunch of limited release flavors.

Speaker B:

So like, that's one of the things.

Speaker B:

Every week I feel like you're on Facebook and on Instagram, you're like, hey, we've got this new limited.

Speaker B:

And I'm like, I want that too, but I don't need to have 72 bottles of liquor in my house.

Speaker C:

We talked about that earlier.

Speaker B:

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B:

I'll be back later this month for S' more because it's Sunday.

Speaker A:

But.

Speaker B:

But how do y' all kind of decide?

Speaker B:

So like when you were like I want to do, like, the s' mores.

Speaker B:

Like, I want to do s' mores.

Speaker D:

Like, how'd you.

Speaker C:

S' mores.

Speaker B:

S' mores.

Speaker A:

I did.

Speaker B:

That's not yours.

Speaker B:

I mean, that's yours, but that's not that.

Speaker D:

Yeah, so we tried a bunch of different flavors.

Speaker D:

You know, we've tried s' mores, we've tried strawberry, we've tried toasted marshmallow, mango habanero.

Speaker D:

That may or may not come out later, possibly in August, possibly August.

Speaker D:

So.

Speaker D:

And we just mix them up and see if we like them again.

Speaker D:

It's a hard job.

Speaker D:

Somebody's gotta do it.

Speaker D:

You gotta taste them all.

Speaker D:

We have made some duds.

Speaker D:

Don't get me wrong, we have tried and tried and tried for a lemon.

Speaker D:

And I made one that tasted remarkably what I believe Pine Sol may taste like, which was not a great flavor.

Speaker C:

Washed out.

Speaker C:

I had my mouth washed out with soap plenty of times.

Speaker C:

I get it.

Speaker D:

But we're still trying for that lemon, so.

Speaker D:

But anyway, so, you know, some of them are duds.

Speaker D:

Some of them are great.

Speaker D:

And the great ones we submit for approval and then they hit the shelves.

Speaker C:

So when you're trying to come up with different flavors for what would potentially, potentially be like a new or a limited release.

Speaker C:

Talked about toasted marshmallow.

Speaker C:

Do you literally toast marshmallows and mash that in with the.

Speaker C:

Is that literally the process?

Speaker C:

Because again, I watch moonshiners every season and they will take old blueberry muffins and mash that in to get that flavor.

Speaker C:

Is that really what the process is?

Speaker C:

Okay, don't.

Speaker A:

It is not that romantic.

Speaker C:

It's all synthetic.

Speaker C:

No, I'm just kidding.

Speaker D:

So I will say, you know, that any flavor you put in before you distill, you're gonna get a very muted flavor out of the distillate, out of the liquor that comes out.

Speaker D:

It's very, very little flavor.

Speaker D:

Years ago, we made strawberry brandy and it was out of local strawberries.

Speaker D:

All the strawberries that were too big, too ripe for them to sell.

Speaker D:

We got gallons and five gallon buckets full and fermented those.

Speaker D:

It looked, it was just this red, red, red, deep red color distilled that the alcohol that came out was crystal clear, as it should be.

Speaker D:

And you could get like strawberry hints on the back end.

Speaker D:

But it was, it wasn't like you were biting into a strawberry.

Speaker D:

And so I think that's a common misconception that people think, you know, whatever you put in, you're really going to get this.

Speaker D:

If you want that flavor pop afterwards, you're going to have to add additional flavor to it or you just won't get the same.

Speaker C:

It's interesting, the ideas that can come up for what you potentially match alcohol or whiskey with and for something.

Speaker C:

Like, I see some things on shelves that just don't make sense to me.

Speaker C:

Like the idea of avocado.

Speaker C:

Avocado doesn't have a whole lot of flavor in my head.

Speaker C:

So it's like, how do I even know?

Speaker C:

Like, Right.

Speaker B:

Just trust us.

Speaker D:

It's in there.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

You put a picture of an avocado.

Speaker D:

We waved it past, and now it tastes like that.

Speaker C:

So, again, Amiya and I are out here at the Hollow Creek Distillery.

Speaker C:

It's 112 Rockridge Road, Leesville, South Carolina.

Speaker C:

It's a short drive from Lexington, South.

Speaker B:

Carolina, a slightly longer drive from Irmo, but totally worth it.

Speaker C:

So where we're at, this is pretty much where you all grew up, right?

Speaker A:

Pretty much.

Speaker C:

You all were high school sweethearts?

Speaker D:

High school sweethearts.

Speaker D:

So my family moved out to the Gilbert area when I was 8.

Speaker D:

My dad was the local pastor.

Speaker D:

Here I am selling on a Sunday, drinking with him.

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker D:

Sorry, dad.

Speaker D:

We didn't go to church today.

Speaker C:

It was scheduled.

Speaker D:

This was rescheduled.

Speaker C:

Scheduled.

Speaker D:

So.

Speaker D:

But yeah, so I was the preacher's daughter and we.

Speaker D:

So I was in school with him from fourth grade on.

Speaker D:

And we started dating as freshmen in high school, graduated high school together.

Speaker D:

We went to Clemson University.

Speaker D:

Sorry, USC fans.

Speaker D:

Sorry to.

Speaker B:

Y' all are the official vodka.

Speaker D:

So we'll talk about that in a second.

Speaker A:

Right?

Speaker D:

We went to Clemson.

Speaker D:

Both of our dads were Carolina grads.

Speaker D:

We went to Clemson further from home in state tuition and then moved back home after we finished school.

Speaker D:

Now, Craig did get a master's from usc, so, you know, there's that.

Speaker D:

So we're kind of split household, but we are also the official NIL spirit partner of the Gamecocks.

Speaker D:

And so we do have a garnet and Black vodka, where 25% of the proceeds go to athletes at USC.

Speaker C:

Keeping athletes at USC.

Speaker D:

Keeping athletes.

Speaker C:

I know how nil works.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker C:

That's really cool.

Speaker C:

Was this.

Speaker C:

Did they approach.

Speaker C:

Did the University of South Carolina approach you all about it or was.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

So you got to be careful here, too.

Speaker A:

It's not the University of South Carolina.

Speaker A:

It's the NIL Collective.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

For South Carolina.

Speaker A:

There's still some distance there.

Speaker A:

It does.

Speaker A:

It really does.

Speaker C:

Years and years ago, when Savelle Newton was playing for University of South Carolina, there were a couple football Players that maybe came to our house and had dinner.

Speaker C:

Because at the time, my ex wife was one of the tutors.

Speaker C:

So we had two over.

Speaker C:

I had to fill out almost 10 pages of paperwork, each of them.

Speaker C:

Because it was not a recruitment thing.

Speaker C:

It was not like we weren't.

Speaker C:

Between the two of them, they ate like five hens a pea.

Speaker C:

Like five.

Speaker C:

Like little.

Speaker C:

But yeah, it's crazy what is required in order to try and either support the team locally, whether corporately or small.

Speaker C:

Corporate.

Speaker C:

But it's a fine line you have to walk.

Speaker C:

I can't have University of South Carolina players on without filling that paperwork.

Speaker C:

Because what winds up happening is, is this advertising for the school?

Speaker C:

Is this.

Speaker C:

You know, what is the same with politicians?

Speaker C:

Politicians come on the show.

Speaker C:

I have to fill out paperwork, and if I choose to make it a donation, then I have to apply market value for the show to their campaigns.

Speaker A:

Really?

Speaker A:

I thought we just all accepted they were crooked.

Speaker C:

A lot of them are.

Speaker D:

Well, we made it easy.

Speaker B:

The collective is who reached out to you and was like, hey, how would you like to do something special for us?

Speaker B:

Is that.

Speaker A:

Yeah, it actually happened through a mutual friend.

Speaker A:

So she kind of put us together and we worked out a pretty decent deal for both sides, I think.

Speaker A:

And that's really the kind of the crux of this.

Speaker A:

It's got to be beneficial for everybody.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

So, yeah, we launched Garnet and Black Vodka.

Speaker B:

So I haven't had the Garnet Black.

Speaker B:

How's it different from the Low water?

Speaker A:

They're both really good vodkas, so I'll start with that.

Speaker A:

And they're both 100% corn vodka.

Speaker A:

Theirs is slightly different.

Speaker A:

The biggest thing, if you are like a vodka aficionado, I would encourage you to try both.

Speaker A:

If you're not, like, really deep into the vodka world, they're gonna taste like good vodka, which is kind of all it tastes like to me.

Speaker B:

Mine just go in cocktails.

Speaker D:

Right, right.

Speaker C:

What were you gonna say, Meredith?

Speaker D:

Oh, I just said we made it easy on you guys.

Speaker D:

Cause you don't have to fill out any paperwork.

Speaker D:

We should have brought.

Speaker A:

I know.

Speaker D:

10 pages of paperwork.

Speaker C:

Oh, yeah, that would have.

Speaker B:

He's got paperwork for you to fill out, actually.

Speaker A:

Okay.

Speaker A:

Okay.

Speaker D:

Yes.

Speaker D:

You can use my name, image, likeness.

Speaker A:

Right, Right.

Speaker C:

Everything.

Speaker C:

Everything you all make here is sourced locally.

Speaker C:

Correct?

Speaker C:

I mean.

Speaker C:

I mean, for the most part, all the ingredients are pretty much sourced locally.

Speaker C:

We talked about.

Speaker C:

The honey comes from right around the corner from where I live.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker C:

Which It's.

Speaker C:

That's.

Speaker C:

That's one of the things that on our podcast, and I think Amis as well, is that we, we always want to see local businesses doing well.

Speaker C:

We almost always advertise or support local businesses.

Speaker C:

And that's one of our big things is, you know, I may not be originally from South Carolina, but I've lived here longer than I lived where I was born.

Speaker C:

What is, I guess, how often do you all see people come here from like out of town that stop by and say that, that this was one of.

Speaker C:

This is one thing they had to do when they came in every weekend?

Speaker D:

Yeah, a lot we had, you know, I guess growing up in this area, and I didn't grow up on the lake, but essentially in this community, I had no idea what an attraction Lake Murray was to folks outside of South Carolina.

Speaker D:

And so every weekend we see people coming in to vacation here or coming in to visit family.

Speaker D:

And so that's one of the biggest compliments we can get, you know, is when we have folks that are from this area, they've been here before, and anytime they have out of town guests, this is like the first stop for them.

Speaker D:

And that's a huge, you know, compliment to us.

Speaker D:

The best compliment we can get because this experience meant enough to them to bring their guests back.

Speaker D:

And so we see it all the time.

Speaker D:

And it's, it's awesome.

Speaker D:

We've met people from not only all over the country, but all over the world.

Speaker D:

We've had guests and I love to hear their stories too.

Speaker D:

We try to provide them as much history and stories about our area because we're proud of where we're from, but we try to get their stories too.

Speaker D:

And so we had some folks from Puerto Rico, we always, I always try to talk to them and ask them what is their, you know, what's their moonshine.

Speaker D:

And so in Puerto Rico, they told me their moonshine is called pitoro.

Speaker D:

And pitoro is a sugar cane base.

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker D:

Because what do you.

Speaker D:

Moonshine, I really feel like, is kind of the term for something that's made locally out of the ingredients that you have.

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker D:

And so what do we have a lot of here?

Speaker D:

We have a lot of corn, we have a lot of grains.

Speaker D:

And so that's why in the south, we think of moonshine as being some sort of grain based white alcohol.

Speaker D:

But in Puerto Rico, it's made out of sugar cane and it's called pitoro.

Speaker D:

So it's almost like a rum, like.

Speaker B:

A.

Speaker B:

Yeah, I do love rum.

Speaker C:

What's a typical day like here?

Speaker C:

So the distillery isn't just the distillery which we'll get a view of that here after a little while.

Speaker C:

Or you're seeing it right now mixed in with the video.

Speaker C:

But typical day here in this lobby area where most public facing part of it.

Speaker C:

So what is it that you typically see as far as like visitors and such?

Speaker A:

So looking for, like, how busy is it?

Speaker A:

Or kind of like what's the mix.

Speaker C:

Of folks or just mix of folks, really?

Speaker A:

I am here to tell you, you see all walks of life in this place.

Speaker A:

Anyone from just, you know, your local Joe, kind of folks that we've seen and known forever to.

Speaker A:

I guess one of my favorites, one of my favorite stories here, guy walks in and, you know, older gentleman, very nice, you know, seems like, you know, normal person.

Speaker A:

And then he comes back several times later and he brings in his Stanley cup championship ring.

Speaker A:

From being an owning partner of the Penguins, it's like, oh, that's different.

Speaker C:

Wow.

Speaker A:

Wait a minute.

Speaker B:

You're like, let us drink to that.

Speaker A:

Right?

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker A:

So literally, all walks of life, we love to.

Speaker D:

I love to talk to people.

Speaker D:

That's.

Speaker D:

That's one of the things I think, you know, we try to make connections just because of Southern hospitality, but that's who we are and love to, you know, you can connect with anybody, regardless of their background.

Speaker D:

And so love to talk.

Speaker D:

And the more you get to talk to people, the more you get to know.

Speaker D:

And so we have a picture of Craig with the Stanley cup ring on.

Speaker D:

You know, that's really cool.

Speaker D:

The other story I thought Craig may tell, we were in here one Friday evening.

Speaker D:

It was Carolina football weekend.

Speaker D:

Carolina was going to be playing Kentucky.

Speaker D:

And Guy came in with his family and showed him around, talked to him, and he was going to be the master distiller at.

Speaker D:

Or he had been a master distiller, was headed to Luca Mariano, who was opening a new distillery in Kentucky.

Speaker D:

And so, you know, some of these big guys have come in to see little old us here in Leesville, South Carolina, but they were in visiting because they were going to the floor football game the next day.

Speaker D:

And I believe that's right.

Speaker D:

Those are the right words.

Speaker D:

Is that right?

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker A:

So it was.

Speaker A:

It was kind of cool.

Speaker A:

It was late on a Friday evening.

Speaker A:

He was coming in town for the Kentucky football game over Williams Bryce.

Speaker A:

And he calls and says, hey, I just checking to see how late you're open.

Speaker A:

I'm coming in town for the football game and thought I'd stop by.

Speaker A:

I saw your website, didn't tell us who he was or anything.

Speaker A:

It's like, cool.

Speaker A:

I'M here till seven.

Speaker A:

We ended up hanging out a lot later than seven.

Speaker A:

But anyway, come to find out, we walk over next door and I'm showing him our setup and he makes a couple of comments.

Speaker A:

I'm like, wait a minute, you actually know what you're talking about.

Speaker A:

Like, who are you?

Speaker A:

And he had been master distiller for Bulleit for years.

Speaker C:

Oh, wow.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

And had left there and was going to help start up a new distillery.

Speaker A:

It's called Luca Mariano Distilling.

Speaker A:

They're in Danville, Kentucky.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

And he started showing me pictures.

Speaker A:

Their distillery is still under construction at the time.

Speaker A:

But, like, you never know who's going to walk in the door here.

Speaker C:

Danville is a huge distillery area, like Maker's Marks near there.

Speaker C:

Limestone's near there.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker C:

I mean, they're just.

Speaker C:

It's.

Speaker C:

And one of the things they talk about on their tour is the water that comes out of that limestone water.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker C:

You know, and it never runs dry because I guess it's constantly pushing up.

Speaker C:

But.

Speaker C:

But yeah, Danville is.

Speaker C:

Is just one of those.

Speaker C:

So when we first.

Speaker C:

So we had farmland in Liberty.

Speaker C:

Well, Elkhorn, which is right near.

Speaker C:

Right between Campbellsville and Liberty.

Speaker C:

And so when we go up there, we would.

Speaker C:

We would always go and visit the distilleries, mostly because I wanted to get the.

Speaker C:

The bourbon balls that they give away.

Speaker D:

Delicious.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

But, you know, so it's Danville.

Speaker C:

It wasn't always like that.

Speaker C:

Fifty, 60 years ago, it wasn't that big of a community.

Speaker C:

How.

Speaker C:

Or, you know, like, it wasn't that congested.

Speaker C:

How has Leesville, over the course of the last 10 years, like, really, have they taken you all in?

Speaker C:

Like, has that has.

Speaker C:

Have you all seen that with the community here?

Speaker A:

Oh, absolutely.

Speaker A:

The local community support has been fantastic.

Speaker D:

That's why we're still here.

Speaker D:

Is local community sport.

Speaker D:

It's really.

Speaker A:

If it wouldn't be for that, we wouldn't still be here.

Speaker A:

But, you know, everything from just local interest in general, you know, local politicians come out and see us.

Speaker A:

We've got a couple of plaques and stuff on the wall from them.

Speaker A:

And, you know, the really cool part, though, is the people that come in every week.

Speaker A:

Like, I've lived here my entire life except for a few years when I was at Clemson, and I meet folks every weekend that walk in that have been here their entire lives.

Speaker A:

I've never run into them.

Speaker A:

And it's really not that big of a community out here.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker A:

Like, especially when I was growing up, there was nothing out here.

Speaker A:

This is like, middle of suburbia now, as far as I'm concerned.

Speaker B:

Well, there's a San Jose right there.

Speaker C:

Right there is what a great view of the lake, by the way, just out the windows.

Speaker C:

And.

Speaker C:

And Ami told me that you all pull the chairs out on the front porch.

Speaker C:

I just have to imagine that the.

Speaker B:

Environment, it is, like, walking up.

Speaker B:

It's very welcoming, like, as a visitor.

Speaker B:

So obviously they see it from their side, but as a visitor coming in.

Speaker B:

I came for the first time about a year ago.

Speaker B:

It was August.

Speaker B:

I came for a birthday giveaway because my birthday's in August.

Speaker B:

I was like, let me check down there and see what this is about.

Speaker B:

And I walked up, and there were people on the.

Speaker B:

In the rocking chairs on the front porch, just sitting there rocking.

Speaker B:

There's a food truck out there selling food.

Speaker B:

And then I came in, we think.

Speaker B:

And then just immediately, like, we were greeted by whoever was over at the desk.

Speaker B:

There were people milling.

Speaker B:

The setup was a little different, but there were people milling all around.

Speaker B:

They had people doing the tastings over here at the counter.

Speaker B:

They had a slushy machine going in the back Saturdays.

Speaker B:

And we walked up, and Erin was, Who was working behind the counter at the time, and she was like, hey, what are you guys here for?

Speaker B:

I was like, well, we looked you up on the Internet, and it said that, you know, to come out and try a tasting and you guys could do a tour.

Speaker B:

And, like, it was just.

Speaker B:

It was such an incredible experience.

Speaker B:

And, I mean, she didn't know anybody from Adam on that.

Speaker B:

We just came in.

Speaker B:

It was me and Michelle, and it was a really welcoming experience.

Speaker B:

Like, I felt really good after.

Speaker B:

I was like, oh, we've got to go back.

Speaker B:

Good.

Speaker D:

We did our job.

Speaker A:

That's good, right?

Speaker C:

What is by far the most rewarding thing from having started this venture and now being 10 years into it?

Speaker A:

I'll let you answer first.

Speaker D:

I think the connections that we built just with the community, with.

Speaker D:

With the folks that we see every week that come in, we've made some, you know, very close personal friends, but with just everybody that comes in, I feel like we've made great connection with.

Speaker D:

So that's what I would say.

Speaker B:

To be clear, I don't come in every week.

Speaker D:

Amy.

Speaker D:

Amy does not come in every week, but we do have people that are here every week, and we love to see them.

Speaker C:

So I think Amy's denying.

Speaker C:

Uh.

Speaker A:

Oh, what would you say the most rewarding part of it?

Speaker A:

I mean, there's a lot of politically correct answers, right?

Speaker A:

Like, the people and Everything.

Speaker A:

And yes, it's all rewarding for me, though.

Speaker A:

It's really seeing what you can grow something into.

Speaker A:

Like, we are not.

Speaker A:

We are not in Danville, Kentucky.

Speaker A:

This is not the center of the distilling industry at all.

Speaker C:

Sure.

Speaker A:

Right here in Leesville, South Carolina, you know, middle of nowhere.

Speaker A:

Not.

Speaker A:

So we've got the lake, but it's not a huge tourist destination.

Speaker A:

There's.

Speaker A:

But what can you make out here?

Speaker A:

That's.

Speaker A:

That's kind of the cool part for me.

Speaker C:

Well, but just to point out, Danville is also not in Louisville.

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker A:

Like, true.

Speaker C:

Like the.

Speaker C:

The.

Speaker C:

With respect to, like, Columbia and Greenville and Spartanburg, this is.

Speaker C:

This is kind of the perfect set or setting for.

Speaker C:

For the success that you've had.

Speaker A:

And honestly, there was some forethought that went into that.

Speaker A:

A lot of people would never believe it, but I personally don't like the idea of a distillery on Main Street.

Speaker A:

Whatever your local town is, it doesn't feel right.

Speaker A:

So where we are here, we're out away from town, although town is moving this way every day.

Speaker A:

But it's a relatively quick drive.

Speaker A:

You know, we're 10 miles west of Lexington.

Speaker A:

It's all highway to get here.

Speaker A:

It's a nice, you know, relatively scenic drive.

Speaker A:

You get to look out over the lake a couple of times.

Speaker A:

It just feels right to me when.

Speaker D:

You make that drive, the further you get out this way, things slow down just a little bit.

Speaker D:

Life just.

Speaker D:

And that feels right when you.

Speaker C:

I got passed three times when we were at.

Speaker A:

It wasn't me, was it?

Speaker A:

Maybe.

Speaker C:

I think.

Speaker C:

Well, so I guess the next question would be, what is one of the wildest or funniest things that's happened in the course of the years?

Speaker A:

Funniest things?

Speaker C:

Because I have to imagine that there are stories that go on.

Speaker C:

There are things that you think about after you close up and.

Speaker C:

And you go home and you're like, I can't believe that happened.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker A:

There's one story that happened inside this building that's probably too much to get into.

Speaker A:

Couple came in from.

Speaker A:

You remember that?

Speaker A:

Orangeburg.

Speaker A:

And luckily we did not wait on them.

Speaker A:

Somebody else did.

Speaker A:

And just the story after was, wow, they.

Speaker D:

Might get that information to myself.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker A:

I definitely would have, like, don't tell people all this stuff kind of thing.

Speaker A:

One funny one, though, that comes to mind.

Speaker A:

Actually, we were at.

Speaker A:

So there's a.

Speaker A:

There's a big whiskey festival that happens in Columbia every year.

Speaker A:

It's called the Great American Whiskey Fair.

Speaker A:

So how do we not know about this?

Speaker D:

It's in September, I think, every year.

Speaker A:

All right.

Speaker A:

It's a good time, right?

Speaker A:

You should go.

Speaker A:

So anyway, I went over there one year and Aaron, good friend, works for us, was there with me, and we were, you know, it's a ticketed event.

Speaker A:

You buy your ticket, you get in, and you go around to all these different distilleries and they pour you samples.

Speaker A:

You get to try a whole bunch of bourbon in a few hours, which is always a good plan for a lot of reasons.

Speaker A:

But anyway, the.

Speaker A:

The table right next to us had a.

Speaker A:

A different vendor with a rep there.

Speaker A:

And interestingly enough, when we were trying to pack up, you know, events over, we're packing up, getting out of there for the night.

Speaker A:

The rep at that table actually tried to pick both me and Aaron up.

Speaker A:

Like the same rep to pick you up, right?

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

Okay, Kudos.

Speaker A:

I was like, I'm not sure if you're just not picky or what.

Speaker A:

It was.

Speaker A:

It was like.

Speaker D:

And we're like, the two of us are not a package deal.

Speaker D:

I don't know.

Speaker D:

Good friend, but not that good of a friend.

Speaker C:

Well, it was a drinking festival.

Speaker A:

It was a drinking fest as defense.

Speaker C:

But mazel tov.

Speaker C:

That's.

Speaker D:

I will say this didn't happen in this building, but I always love to tell this one, too.

Speaker D:

So our son, who's now 14, was a baby when we started this.

Speaker D:

And so he's grown up in this building.

Speaker D:

You know, this is nothing, you know, special to him, so to speak.

Speaker D:

But so he's always known us as, you know, the liquor people or, you know, the moonshiners, that kind of thing.

Speaker D:

And so I always worried he would go to preschool or to school and say something about his parents making alcohol and then here, you know.

Speaker D:

But we never had any knocks on the door about that, but I do.

Speaker D:

So when he was in primary school, some of the teachers knew who we were, you know.

Speaker D:

And so back in the day, before COVID when we went, he switched schools into an elementary school.

Speaker D:

Cause he aged out of the primary school, went to the elementary school.

Speaker D:

And before COVID happened, when you now register your kids online, you actually went in person to register your kids for school.

Speaker D:

And that's when you had like the bus table and the car rider table and the lunch money table and all that.

Speaker D:

And so I was like, okay, we're going to go in and nobody's going to know who we are.

Speaker D:

And we're going to just not be the liquor people.

Speaker D:

And we walk in the door.

Speaker D:

Here I am with my 6 year old 7 year old walking in the door and the first table, hey, there's a liquor lady.

Speaker D:

So that was busted right away.

Speaker C:

But the context is important.

Speaker B:

So do you send a bottle of alcohol at Christmas and on teacher appreciation, just in case your son is the reason why.

Speaker D:

So there was one year.

Speaker D:

So the year that we released William Allen, which is our.

Speaker D:

One of our bourbons.

Speaker D:

So the year that we released William Allen that's actually named for William is Will's first name, our son, and Alan is Craig's middle name.

Speaker D:

So will is 10th generation of the family.

Speaker D:

So that one's kind of a forward looking product to the future in generations.

Speaker D:

And so the year that we released that, it was close to Christmas and so we sent a nice note to his teachers and we were like, hey, we can't send a bottle of liquor with our 70 to give you.

Speaker A:

But I wanted to try.

Speaker A:

I'm willing to have this conversation with.

Speaker D:

The principal, bring this paper back to us.

Speaker D:

And we'd love to give you a bottle of, of William, you know, that we've named it for him and all that stuff.

Speaker D:

And so interestingly enough, a little bit later, at least one, if not both of the teachers came in because he had two teachers that year came in and brought it.

Speaker D:

And so we gave them their bottle of William Allen and they have actually since opened a liquor store and so they carry our products.

Speaker D:

I've gone and done many tastings at their store, so, you know, that all worked out.

Speaker C:

But what a great environment to have a parent teacher conference.

Speaker D:

Right, right, right.

Speaker C:

I, you know, I wonder how many.

Speaker B:

Teachers want to photocopy that note and be like, I'm his teacher too.

Speaker C:

Yeah, but you're behind the bar lunch table.

Speaker C:

You're on this side of the bar, they're on that side of the bar.

Speaker C:

The power.

Speaker C:

The power struggle swaps places.

Speaker B:

So speaking of your alcohols being sold in different places, obviously you sell it here and then you guys are sprawling out.

Speaker B:

Like, my, my folks up in Simpsonville did a tasting at one of the spirit stores up there.

Speaker B:

Like, I saw it on Facebook, I was like, hey, this is the place I like, go try it.

Speaker B:

And then they're like, this cost me 250 to go try your.

Speaker B:

I was like, I'm sorry.

Speaker B:

But yeah, kind of talk to us about that process about moving because I saw you're going down to Myrtle beach and like, absolutely.

Speaker D:

So, yeah, I'll let you.

Speaker D:

Because Craig's been the one kind of heading that distribution.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker A:

So that's a fun world.

Speaker A:

Let me Tell you, we've basically kind of fleshed out the whole state.

Speaker A:

Now we work with.

Speaker A:

It's the Anheuser Busch network.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

So it's.

Speaker A:

It's different essentially, beer distribution territories.

Speaker A:

And all these distributor distributors have since added spirits distribution licenses to their warehouses.

Speaker A:

So in the Columbia market, it's.

Speaker A:

Well, it's Southern Crown now.

Speaker A:

It used to be kw.

Speaker A:

KW got bought out and then.

Speaker A:

Yep.

Speaker A:

So they've got that.

Speaker A:

That's the.

Speaker A:

The entire coast up through the Columbia market.

Speaker A:

And then Simpsonville is Southern Crown Mountains, the Greenville market.

Speaker A:

Then there's another small one out Aiken.

Speaker A:

There's one in Spartanburg and one in Rock Hill.

Speaker A:

And we actually just signed the Spartanburg contract last week.

Speaker C:

Congratulations.

Speaker A:

And actually, if you're from Rock Hill watching this, that contract is sitting in my inbox.

Speaker A:

And I was supposed to send it back to you Friday and I haven't done it yet.

Speaker A:

I'll have that back to you tomorrow, I guess is Monday.

Speaker A:

I'll have it back to you before this airs.

Speaker C:

Yeah, that is correct.

Speaker A:

There you go.

Speaker A:

So that rounds out the whole state for us.

Speaker A:

We've got a little tiny piece of Georgia.

Speaker A:

It's not the big.

Speaker A:

We haven't focused on it all yet.

Speaker A:

And really, it's kind of one of those, how much product do you have?

Speaker A:

How many markets can you support?

Speaker A:

So we.

Speaker A:

I'm sure we could add territory quickly and just spread ourselves too thin.

Speaker A:

Like, I'm a manufacturing guy.

Speaker A:

Make anything in the world you want to.

Speaker A:

Spirits being one of them.

Speaker A:

I'm not a marketing guy.

Speaker A:

So we're kind of trying to figure this out as you go.

Speaker A:

And I think a recipe for a quick disaster would be, hey, let's try to put Hollow Creek products in half a dozen or a dozen states.

Speaker C:

Well, then you run into supply issues under your federal license.

Speaker C:

Right.

Speaker A:

Then it's how much product do we have?

Speaker A:

How quickly can we make it?

Speaker A:

How much bourbon do we have?

Speaker A:

Maturing, which.

Speaker A:

That's a real limitation.

Speaker A:

And then how do you support all that marketing?

Speaker A:

Yeah, that's.

Speaker A:

That's a real thing.

Speaker A:

Getting the initial placement in a liquor store is actually the easy part.

Speaker B:

You just walk in and set it on the counter.

Speaker A:

The real question is, how do you keep that bottle from collecting dust?

Speaker A:

Yeah, like somebody's got to walk in and buy it over and over again.

Speaker A:

And then the store has to reorder.

Speaker A:

That's where all the money's made on the reorders in wholesale.

Speaker A:

Like the initial placement is whatever.

Speaker A:

We'll put a half dozen bottles of whatever, whatever you're selling, it costs us very little to try.

Speaker A:

Half dozen bottles, we'll give you a single face spot.

Speaker A:

Probably not in a great space in the store.

Speaker B:

It's in the corner by the bathroom, right?

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

And then you got to get those bottles to sell.

Speaker A:

That's the hard part.

Speaker C:

So what you've learned about marketing.

Speaker C:

What's the ideal location in a liquor store that you want your product right.

Speaker A:

Beside your national competitor.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

Really?

Speaker A:

Absolutely.

Speaker B:

And who's your national competitor?

Speaker A:

It depends on what product we're talking about.

Speaker B:

William Allen.

Speaker A:

Bourbon World's kind of.

Speaker A:

It's nice because bourbon fans are some of the most kind of deep into it.

Speaker A:

Like they will actually seek out brands they've never tried before, that kind of thing.

Speaker A:

So, you know, certainly you don't want to be all the way on the end of the shelf where nobody ever, ever gets to, you know, back by the bathroom or that kind of thing.

Speaker A:

But as long as you're somewhere reasonable on in the bourbon section, you're okay.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker A:

You do want to be eye level.

Speaker D:

We talked about that the other day.

Speaker D:

You know, people talk about top shelf liquor, but you really don't want to be on the top shelf because people don't see you up there.

Speaker D:

Especially me.

Speaker D:

I'm so short.

Speaker D:

Right.

Speaker C:

How many of the shelves go above your height?

Speaker C:

Like, because you're not many.

Speaker A:

Yeah, the top shelf's not a problem for me.

Speaker A:

But.

Speaker A:

But a lot of people never reach up to the top shelf.

Speaker A:

So you really don't want to be there.

Speaker A:

Which comes into, you know, what kind of bottle are you going to use?

Speaker A:

What kind of shelves do retail stores have?

Speaker A:

Like if you go over 13, maybe 14 inches, you have to go on the top shelf.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

Because there's not space between the other shelves.

Speaker C:

Oh, yeah.

Speaker A:

And now, you know, it better be something that, that people really, really want.

Speaker A:

You want to be eye level.

Speaker C:

How important is it that the bottle be transparent enough that you can.

Speaker C:

That someone purchasing it can see.

Speaker C:

See exactly what it is they're buying.

Speaker C:

Like to see the colors that you have with some of your.

Speaker C:

Or to see, like with the vodkas, to see that it's completely clear.

Speaker A:

I mean, I think it's important.

Speaker A:

That's why we have all clear glass.

Speaker A:

But if you go through the liquor store, you'll see some brands that are in screen printed bottles and you can see very little into them.

Speaker A:

Hopefully there's enough trust in the industry that whatever's in the bottle is at least the color it's supposed to Be.

Speaker A:

This is purple, right?

Speaker C:

Have you all had to do any or had to do any classes or anything to learn about the marketing part of it?

Speaker C:

I mean, like YouTube videos or tutorials, that sort of thing?

Speaker C:

Is that something that you all have.

Speaker A:

Done so you can hold my phone and what pops up on YouTube or TikTok or anything?

Speaker A:

It's all business and marketing.

Speaker A:

I've got a very boring feed.

Speaker A:

It's all business and marketing videos.

Speaker A:

No cat videos.

Speaker D:

I'm the one that gets the fun in cat videos.

Speaker C:

So for folks at home, what is something that you would say to somebody that's never experienced the Hollow Creek distillery or your alcohol, your bourbons and whiskeys and vodkas?

Speaker C:

Because there's a lot.

Speaker A:

There is a lot.

Speaker A:

So if you're local or, you know, within reasonable driving distance of Leesville, and reasonable is probably a little further than you think, come on out.

Speaker A:

Like, literally just come try it.

Speaker A:

It's.

Speaker A:

We try very hard to have a very welcoming environment.

Speaker A:

So don't be intimidated.

Speaker A:

Just come out and, you know, walk in, say, hey, let us know, like, are you a vodka fan?

Speaker A:

Are you a bourbon fan?

Speaker A:

Whatever.

Speaker A:

And we'll kind of guide you from there.

Speaker A:

If you're not local, you know, look for it in the liquor store.

Speaker A:

And not even just our stuff.

Speaker A:

Try stuff.

Speaker A:

Whatever your local distillery is, give them a shot.

Speaker A:

It can be hit or miss.

Speaker A:

There are some gems out there, though.

Speaker A:

Yeah, there are absolutely some gems.

Speaker C:

Me.

Speaker C:

Did you have anything else that you want?

Speaker B:

Well, now we're gonna go do the tour, so that'll be a special treat at the end of this, I guess.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

So before.

Speaker C:

So just.

Speaker C:

I'm.

Speaker C:

I have.

Speaker C:

I have something in front of me, and I think it's the same thing in.

Speaker C:

In front of Craig down there.

Speaker C:

So who wants to tell me about what this one is?

Speaker D:

So this is our high cotton bourbon.

Speaker D:

This is our high cotton 105.

Speaker D:

It is a single barrel product.

Speaker D:

And then we actually proof it down just a bit to that 105 proof point, so it opens up the flavors a Little High.

Speaker D:

Cotton 105 is the one that won the best whiskey in the entire competition in Los Angeles last year.

Speaker D:

So we're pretty proud of that guy.

Speaker D:

70% corn, 26% rye, 4% malted barley, and it is close six years.

Speaker D:

It was aged in an American white oak char barrel.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker D:

So close to six years old.

Speaker C:

All right, so this.

Speaker C:

This is.

Speaker C:

This is very truthfully, this is the first time I've ever.

Speaker C:

I think I've ever had this.

Speaker C:

Have I had this before?

Speaker B:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

Oh, okay.

Speaker C:

So this is the first time I've had it not mixed in something else.

Speaker B:

Also true.

Speaker C:

Okay, so cheers.

Speaker C:

No.

Speaker C:

Oh, cheers.

Speaker C:

Sure.

Speaker C:

Is it?

Speaker C:

Is it?

Speaker D:

Well, I've already had a couple of sips.

Speaker B:

Cheers.

Speaker B:

Anyway.

Speaker C:

All right.

Speaker C:

So.

Speaker D:

Mine was honey, just for the throat, you know.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

That's very smooth.

Speaker A:

Thank you.

Speaker C:

It's not the.

Speaker C:

So typically with a bourbon, you have a.

Speaker C:

Some of them, you have a fairly significant.

Speaker C:

But bite that comes at the end of it.

Speaker C:

That's not there.

Speaker A:

That means we did our job.

Speaker C:

It's really very, very good.

Speaker C:

I'm not saying I didn't.

Speaker C:

It's not that I didn't think it would be.

Speaker C:

I mean, obviously there is a lot of success, but, like, I would hope that people watching or listening would understand.

Speaker C:

Like, it's very good.

Speaker C:

It's very smooth.

Speaker A:

So don't get me wrong.

Speaker A:

I realize we're in South Carolina, and we are out to prove that you can make good bourbon in South Carolina.

Speaker A:

It is not the reputation this state has, but there are some out there, and we surprised.

Speaker A:

I think we got one of them.

Speaker D:

You know, we thought our stuff was good, but we honestly surprised ourselves when we.

Speaker D:

tuff that we submitted was in:

Speaker D:

And we were shocked, you know, just this tiny distillery in South Carolina up against the big boys, you know, and then when we're up against the big boys two years later, when we submitted stuff and we come back with the metal out of the.

Speaker D:

So the whiskey category is this really huge category, and then it's got subcategories of bourbon and scotch and Irish whiskey and all the things.

Speaker D:

And there's different age statements in the bourbon.

Speaker D:

This was actually in the youngest age statement of bourbon, because in six years or less category.

Speaker D:

And there's other.

Speaker D:

But we took the entire category, like, best of.

Speaker D:

And so we were, you know, again, against the big boys and shocked.

Speaker D:

But we thought we had good stuff.

Speaker B:

But.

Speaker C:

Well, and just to describe.

Speaker C:

So the.

Speaker C:

The.

Speaker C:

You get the whole mouth tickle.

Speaker C:

If that.

Speaker C:

Does that make.

Speaker C:

Does that.

Speaker C:

That make sense?

Speaker C:

So the tongue all the way.

Speaker C:

The lips, like, you feel.

Speaker C:

You feel all of it.

Speaker C:

And it's.

Speaker C:

I.

Speaker C:

I don't know.

Speaker C:

Like, if I drink a bourbon, typically it's Maker's Mark, because someone for my birthday and for Christmas tends to buy me just bottles and bottles of Maker's Mark that sit on my shelf.

Speaker C:

And she's learned her lesson.

Speaker C:

But I don't get that with Maker's Mark.

Speaker C:

And I don't know if it's just because I've gotten so used to it, but it.

Speaker C:

I don't.

Speaker C:

I don't remember ever having the.

Speaker C:

The tingling that.

Speaker C:

The sensation not to.

Speaker B:

I know he's a wergick or something.

Speaker D:

And his throat closes up.

Speaker D:

Saving his life.

Speaker C:

Yeah, well, you know, it makes for good.

Speaker C:

It makes for good TikTok videos.

Speaker B:

And I think that I actually have a moonshine.

Speaker D:

Right, you do.

Speaker B:

So I feel like you told me it was salted caramel.

Speaker B:

It smells like salted caramel.

Speaker D:

Is that what it is?

Speaker D:

Yes, it is.

Speaker B:

I actually don't think I've tried this.

Speaker C:

No, you're not.

Speaker B:

No.

Speaker B:

I've got Peach at home right now.

Speaker D:

Okay.

Speaker D:

Okay.

Speaker C:

So while she's drinking that, how often.

Speaker C:

Okay, so for a layman bourbon or whiskey drinker, when it, when it comes to drinking something, if they're just sipping on it whatnot and they're drinking it neat, like, what is your suggestion as far as like mixing different flavors?

Speaker A:

I've got a.

Speaker A:

I've got a really strong opinion on this.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker A:

Please drink it how you like it.

Speaker C:

Oh, awesome.

Speaker A:

So you'll get a lot of bourbon.

Speaker A:

Folks will tell you, you know, you have to drink bourbon.

Speaker A:

That's how it was intended.

Speaker A:

And you have to drink it barrel proof, neat because that's how the distiller intended it to be savored.

Speaker A:

I call bullshit.

Speaker A:

I think you should drink it however you enjoy it.

Speaker A:

Some of the most renowned master distillers ever to live say, drink it with Sprite.

Speaker C:

With Sprite.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker D:

I always tell Craig that we are irreverent drinkers.

Speaker D:

You know, you get these bourbon snobs or you know, these folks that are liquor snobs and they really, like you said, drink it neat.

Speaker D:

And so we said, you know, we drink it how you like it.

Speaker D:

So I just think we're rather irreverent, but.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker C:

Oh my gosh.

Speaker C:

It smells like it's really good.

Speaker B:

It tastes like licking a caramel, like a sugar.

Speaker A:

Now that does just taste like candy.

Speaker A:

I tell folks that is responsible.

Speaker C:

But it's smells like salted caramel ice cream.

Speaker D:

That's one of my favorite things to do with that is throw that into some vanilla ice cream and blend it.

Speaker D:

Instead of putting milk, put that and then blend it into a milkshake.

Speaker C:

That is very good.

Speaker A:

I tell folks that one is responsible for many bad decisions and several children.

Speaker B:

I would believe it.

Speaker C:

Some of those might be the same thing.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker D:

True.

Speaker C:

How so?

Speaker C:

So and you don't you don't have to answer this question with any sort of like, directness.

Speaker C:

But competition there's.

Speaker C:

Got it.

Speaker C:

There is obviously got to be competition.

Speaker C:

Do you all ever see any of your competition come in here to sort of stake out or some R and D, you know?

Speaker A:

Yeah, I've seen them before.

Speaker A:

I've seen a couple actually come in before they open their distillery.

Speaker C:

Oh my gosh, that is really good.

Speaker C:

Sorry.

Speaker B:

In a couple weeks I'll get you a bottle.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker D:

Next week.

Speaker D:

No, just.

Speaker D:

I'm just kidding.

Speaker C:

Yeah, right.

Speaker C:

No sales.

Speaker A:

We'll see you next week.

Speaker C:

But, but.

Speaker C:

So you, you've actually, you've.

Speaker A:

We've seen them but like wearing a funny nose.

Speaker A:

Not really.

Speaker A:

Here's the thing, like, I've been in their distilleries too.

Speaker A:

It's.

Speaker A:

It's not so much competition with whoever the next closest micro distillery is.

Speaker A:

Like, there's plenty of room in the market for all of us in South Carolina.

Speaker A:

We're all just trying to steal a very tiny fraction of market share from the national brands so they can come in and look around and see whatever they want to.

Speaker A:

It doesn't matter to me.

Speaker A:

But it's not really.

Speaker A:

We're all just trying to take market share from the bigger market.

Speaker C:

Is there any desire to try and keep.

Speaker C:

Because obviously you all do different flavors.

Speaker C:

You all have different, I guess, like releases, small batch releases and things like that.

Speaker C:

What are the core.

Speaker C:

The core ones, the core flavors that you all sell, that will always likely be the definition of what Hollow Creek Distillery is.

Speaker A:

So we've got, we've got a bunch of flavors right now.

Speaker A:

We started out with moonshine, so we'll start there.

Speaker A:

We've got apple pie, salted caramel and honey flavored moonshine and then a Hellfire.

Speaker A:

This is one of the cinnamon.

Speaker A:

No, it is actually Carolina Reaper pepper.

Speaker B:

Geez Louise.

Speaker A:

Right, It's.

Speaker A:

This is one of those.

Speaker C:

That one does burn.

Speaker C:

It does.

Speaker A:

It does.

Speaker A:

This is one of those.

Speaker A:

Like why.

Speaker A:

But it sells.

Speaker D:

So, hey, it makes a great addition to like a margarita to spice it or to a Bloody Mary.

Speaker C:

Mary.

Speaker A:

Right, A Bloody Mary.

Speaker D:

We have people cook with it a lot.

Speaker A:

And then we also do seasonal moonshine flavors.

Speaker A:

So it's hot outside right now, like, so peach and watermelon.

Speaker A:

In the fall we'll switch over and we'll make pumpkin pie and then peppermint right around Thanksgiving for, you know, six weeks or so, maybe through January.

Speaker A:

And then of course we make white Hot.

Speaker A:

It's a cinnamon flavored whiskey.

Speaker A:

Right.

Speaker A:

That one's always around.

Speaker A:

It's just three ingredients in the bottle.

Speaker A:

Corn whiskey, cinnamon oil and cane sugar.

Speaker A:

It's a third less sugar than all the national brands.

Speaker D:

All natural.

Speaker B:

So it's a diet product.

Speaker A:

It's a diet product.

Speaker D:

Yeah.

Speaker A:

There's no antifreeze, anti inflammatory.

Speaker B:

It's healthy for you.

Speaker A:

Right, we'll go with that.

Speaker B:

And it's very reasonably priced indeed.

Speaker A:

Yes.

Speaker D:

Kind of matches our competitor pricing.

Speaker A:

Amazing guys.

Speaker C:

Almost intentionally.

Speaker A:

Almost.

Speaker A:

And then vodka wise we always have a low water chocolate espresso.

Speaker A:

It's a chocolate coffee flavored vodka.

Speaker A:

And then we do all these special releases and really our special releases are twofold.

Speaker A:

Number one, to have something new and different going on which is always helpful but also to help find what the next flavors are.

Speaker B:

Well they seem to create a fair amount of engagement on your social media and stuff that a special reserve coming in like I'm always looking, I'm like what's this one?

Speaker C:

You all do fantastic on the social media.

Speaker A:

I do not.

Speaker A:

Well somebody does.

Speaker C:

I do not you all as a whole and the fact that you all have more than 500 reviews and I could not find a negative one.

Speaker C:

So Carl Hunter, you wrote down reviews.

Speaker A:

Oh geez, here we go.

Speaker A:

He comes prepared.

Speaker B:

I like a great grandpa.

Speaker C:

So Carl Hunter, great place owners are fantastic and very knowledgeable.

Speaker C:

Lot of excitement and stories from customers.

Speaker C:

Excellent selections of moonshine and bourbon whiskeys.

Speaker C:

Convenient locations just off of Highway 378.

Speaker C:

Very knowledgeable staff.

Speaker C:

Zachariah.

Speaker C:

I looked for interesting names too.

Speaker C:

Just so you know.

Speaker C:

Zachariah Kitzhaber.

Speaker C:

I don't know how often they come in but Aaron gave us a great tour.

Speaker C:

So shout out to Aaron.

Speaker A:

Gave us a great tour too.

Speaker C:

And the tasting.

Speaker D:

Scotland right now.

Speaker C:

Oh that's cool.

Speaker A:

And I'm jealous.

Speaker C:

The tasting was awesome.

Speaker C:

I learned all about the distilling process and how they make each of their products I absolutely recommend.

Speaker C:

So that was.

Speaker D:

Let's see if I can see his picture.

Speaker D:

I never knew Mr.

Speaker D:

Carl before here but I know Mr.

Speaker D:

Curl now.

Speaker C:

Okay.

Speaker C:

Katie Smallwood.

Speaker C:

I'm looking to see if these names know so took a group of friends to Hollow Creek for my husband's birthday.

Speaker C:

Loved the tour.

Speaker C:

The two tasting was so much fun and informative.

Speaker C:

The bartender was so knowledgeable.

Speaker C:

Very impressed with the wide variety of products made here.

Speaker C:

Needless to say we found plenty to buy and can't wait to share with our friends.

Speaker C:

Thanks for the great experience.

Speaker B:

See that's what happens.

Speaker B:

You come in thinking you're going to pick up a bottle of something, and you leave with, like, a box.

Speaker C:

I can see exactly how that would happen.

Speaker B:

Well, and it's the special flavors.

Speaker B:

Like, they are just the mint one even, like, I didn't think I was going to like that, and I totally, totally dig it.

Speaker D:

Oh, was it the peach mint or the mint julep?

Speaker B:

Peach mint.

Speaker D:

Okay.

Speaker B:

Like, I was like, I don't know that peach and mint go together.

Speaker D:

It'll come back.

Speaker C:

The last one, last one I have is great tasting.

Speaker C:

This is Hope Williams Jackson.

Speaker C:

Great tasting moonshine.

Speaker C:

Do you know Hope?

Speaker D:

Yep.

Speaker C:

That is made.

Speaker C:

That is made locally.

Speaker C:

Responsible prices, wonderful people and customer service and excellent atmosphere.

Speaker C:

What more could you possibly want?

Speaker C:

So I will leave those with you because.

Speaker C:

Well, also the important thing is on the back of it.

Speaker A:

Oh, there you go.

Speaker A:

Hold that up.

Speaker D:

Right?

Speaker D:

Let me hold this up.

Speaker C:

But, but no, I, you know, like, like I said, Ami has.

Speaker C:

Has been very.

Speaker C:

Has.

Speaker C:

Has been one of your cheerleaders here for.

Speaker C:

For as long as she's come here, Which.

Speaker C:

Which is right.

Speaker C:

And I think that, that it speaks to what businesses in South Carolina can do, and I think that's for everything else.

Speaker C:

That is probably one of the coolest parts, is that for me, I really like to see small businesses really bloom into what you all have done here, and I think that's incredible.

Speaker C:

The community, obviously, has been a part of it, but I think that them embracing you is also about the fact that you've embraced them and.

Speaker C:

And made that really work.

Speaker C:

And it's.

Speaker C:

It's.

Speaker C:

It's something that is clearly spreading across Colombia and the rest of the state.

Speaker C:

So congratulations and sincerely, very much appreciate you all taking time out of your Sunday, which is supposed to be when you're closed.

Speaker B:

Don't worry.

Speaker B:

Jesus forgives you.

Speaker C:

Doesn'T he?

Speaker C:

Forgives everybody, but, you know, so this is.

Speaker C:

This is.

Speaker C:

Has been an awesome experience, and I'm very thankful for letting.

Speaker C:

Letting us come out and share it with our audience.

Speaker A:

Thanks for coming out.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker B:

And now we get to do a tour.

Speaker C:

Yeah.

Speaker C:

All right, we're gonna send it back to the studio.

Speaker C:

Again, thanks so much to Craig and Meredith Amick for meeting with Ami and I to do our respective podcasts from the Hollow Creek Distillery.

Speaker C:

We did record this on a Sunday, so there was no purchasing of alcohol.

Speaker C:

Purchasing of spirits, I think in South Carolina is still not yet legal here in South Carolina, so.

Speaker C:

But again, had a blast.

Speaker C:

And genuinely, when I say that the.

Speaker C:

The.

Speaker A:

The.

Speaker C:

The two that I had were fantastic, they.

Speaker C:

They really were.

Speaker C:

I am not much of an alcohol drinker, especially of late, but I truly enjoyed the samples that I had and if I'm being honest, driving home probably was a little potentially would have been a little bit of a struggle if we hadn't done quite as much walking around inside of the actual distillery and getting to talk with Craig and Meredith.

Speaker C:

So if you have an opportunity, absolutely, you should go out there and check it out.

Speaker C:

112 Rocky Ridge Road in Leesville, South Carolina.

Speaker C:

You can check out their website show.

Speaker C:

Show them some love.

Speaker C:

There are links in the podcast episode notes and go do that.

Speaker C:

Their website is hollowcreek distillery.com you can find them on Facebook.

Speaker C:

They are very, very active out there as well.

Speaker C:

So that's going to do it for this episode.

Speaker C:

Number 262 thank you again to the AMEX for letting us, you know, basically Bogart most of their Sunday in order to sit down with us.

Speaker C:

Links to all of our past episodes, podcast platforms, merchandise and social media are available on our webpage theallaboutnothing.com if you think our financial model of giving away free content and entertainment is silly and you're in the entertaining, you're in the giving mood.

Speaker C:

Why not become an official nothinger and support the show?

Speaker C:

Members get early access to this episode as well as exclusive content.

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You can visit members theallaboutnothing.com or you can find a link on our webpage.

Speaker C:

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Speaker C:

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Speaker C:

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Speaker C:

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Speaker C:

Links can be found on our webpage.

Speaker C:

Thanks for listening everybody.

Speaker C:

You all stay safe, be kind and keep your hands to yourself.

Speaker C:

The All About Nothing podcast is a product of Big Media and produced and engineered by me, Barrett Gruber.

Speaker C:

Thanks to Cake for our intro music Sick of youf can follow Everything Cake the band@cakemusic.com thanks to muff the producer for our Outro music.

Speaker C:

You can follow muff on Instagram mufftheproducer.

Speaker C:

You can follow me across social media by visiting linktree barrettgruber and you can follow Zach King on linktree aanzack.

Speaker C:

Want to support the show?

Speaker C:

Visit our webpage theallaboutnothing.com and become a member.

Speaker C:

There are several tiers available that give you early access to episodes as well as exclusive content.

Speaker C:

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Speaker C:

Visit theallaboutnothing.com if you'd like to be a part of the show, you can email theshowhealaboutnothing.com or you can call our number and leave a message.

Speaker C:

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Speaker C:

If the time between these episodes is more than you can handle, check out our sister shows what the Pod Was that?

Speaker C:

With Carrie, Zach and My welcome to Wonderland with Ami Politically Speaking with Erica, Kirsten and Emily and Black, White and Blue in the south with Dr.

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Jamil Brooks and Bill Kimble.

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Thank you for listening and hear us next week.

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About the Podcast

The All About Nothing: Podcast
All about nothing, while being all about something.
In this world of 24-Cable-News, Editorializations of our World, Politics, Wars, Pandemics, Partisan-ism, Sports, Entertainment... The constant barrage of information, we like to take a few moments and discuss particulars and their effect. We seek to learn and find direction. We look for understanding and good conversation in a world of unease.
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About your hosts

Barrett Gruber

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Originally from Atlanta, Barrett has worked professionally in Radio and Television. By day, he works in Business Analytics and Quality Assurance, and by night he takes in news, politics and sports and some how makes light of nearly all of it. Rooted in Comedy and Satire, Barrett gives his honest and well informed opinion on the world we all must experience.

Zachary King

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Just a guy that wears free shirts. Seriously. You give him a shirt, he will absolutely wear it. Don't ask for it back. He's all about the freebies. Seriously, again, he begs for free stuff.