Oaklore Distilling Co. Launches Automated Bottling Line, Expands Production Facility

Oaklore Distilling Co. in Charlotte, NC, recently powered up a bottling line that drastically increases production capabilities from 100 cases a week, to 380 cases in 1.5 days.

“To keep up with demand we had to increase our production capabilities exponentially,” says Oaklore co-founder Matt Simpkins. ”The bottling line automated a number of the parts of the process, giving us the ability to run much more product, more efficiently.”

Before the addition of the bottling line, the distillery was bottling and labeling all products by hand. With the flip of a switch, the automation increases production by more than 250 percent.

The distillery invested more than $150,000 in the custom-built In-Line bottling line. “The line will run as production demands,” Simpkins says. “There might be weeks where it will run several days in a row. It’s all based on production needs. Because it can handle all of our different lines of spirits, it’s a game changer.”  

The launch of the bottling line is the latest step in the brand’s path to strategic growth, and an integral part of the expansion of its production facility adjacent to the distillery’s current home at 11136 Monroe Road, at the intersection of NC-51.

The renovated 6,000 sq. foot building on roughly 1.5 acres houses Oaklore’s bottling line, a warehouse, processing, shipping and receiving, kitchen and office space. 

The increase in capacity couldn’t have come at a better time: Oaklore is on the leading edge of a national movement, says a report from the American Craft Spirits Association. 

Craft spirit producers in the United States continue to outperform the larger spirits makers, particularly in North Carolina, which sits in the Top 10 of states with the most active US craft distillers. Craft distillers nationally drove more than $7.9 billion in sales in 2022.  “The Piedmont region is perfect for aging as the temps, humidity, and weather all change fairly drastically and often,” he says. “That moves the distillate more and more through the charred oak giving it an exceptional quality.” 

Additionally, North Carolina is No. 4 nationally in whiskey consumption, according to VinePair. 

Location plays a key role in the success of Oaklore, Simpkins says, as does skill and patience. 

“We bring our barrels in once they’ve aged to perfection, we batch them in our mixing tank, then they return to the barrels and continue to age for 12-18 months,” Simpkins says. “That gives them time to come together and become something more than what they originally were as single barrels. Aging together does something unique, and it’s worth the wait.”

Demand for Oaklore spirits is higher than ever, and shows no signs of slowing. Oaklore Four Grain Bourbon and North Carolina Straight Rye Whiskey are now available in more than 65  bars and restaurants, and more than 60  ABC stores across the state, most recently launching Asheville in Buncombe County. Oaklore soon expects to announce details of pairing dinners and brand activations to support that greater awareness and demand.  Plans are in the works for continued expansion into new counties as the new production facility comes to completion.

“People want high-quality products,” Simpkins says. “We keep hearing ‘wow’ over and over because, we hear them say this, young distilleries don’t typically deliver this level of quality. Many rush products to market, releasing young whiskey, which gives people the expectation that we’d do the same.”  

MORE ABOUT OAKLORE DISTILLING CO.

Built on the idea of community, Oaklore Distilling Co. in Charlotte, North Carolina, celebrates great spirits and the stories that come along with them. Born of friendship and passion in 2017, Matt Simpkins, Thomas Bogan and Travis Masters have spent years learning the art of distilling and crafting Oaklore’s signature line of spirits. Oaklore spirits – 100 percent Carolina-born – are created with dedication to the process, ingredients, quality, and presentation. Oaklore Distilling Co. was named No. 1 Distillery by The Charlotte Observer’s Charlotte’s Best in 2023. For more information, visit oakloredistilling.com.