From Neighbors to Distillers: The Oaklore Distilling Story

Join us as we visit the Oaklore Distilling Co in Charlotte, NC! – Listen to our podcast!

We recently took a trip down to the Charlotte, North Carolina area and had the opportunity to sit down with the team at Oaklore Distilling Co. Tucked away in the nearby town of Matthews, Oaklore has been quietly building its footprint since formally structuring the business in 2017. After laying down their first barrels in 2018 and 2019, they have developed a highly deliberate, quality-first operation that spans their main facility and a local cocktail bar/ bottle shop in Charlotte’s South End. We recorded an in-depth conversation with the founders to discuss their background, their production philosophy, and where the brand is heading next.

A Distillery Founded at a Bus Stop

Sometimes, the best stories in the whiskey world don’t start in a corporate boardroom or a multigenerational family farm. They start right at the neighborhood bus stop. That is exactly how Matt Simpkins and Tom Bogan founded Oaklore Distilling Co. just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. What began as two neighbors walking their kids to the school bus morphed into a shared passion for nerding out over whiskey on Tuesday nights, blind-tasting each other, and training their palates. After creating a micro-experiment blend that accidentally won “best of the night” at a gathering with local bourbon friends, a buddy pulled them aside and said, “I don’t know what your plans are, but I’m in.” From that moment on, they traded their hobbies for their jobs, officially brought on close friend and partner Travis Masters, and set out to build a distillery rooted strictly in community and patient maturation.

Whiskey Unique To North Carolina’s Piedmont

Today, Oaklore operates a tasteful, intimate tasting room and production space in Matthews, North Carolina, anchored by a strict commitment to quality. In an industry where it is tempting to rush product to market to fulfill orders, Matt and Tom stand firmly by a “make it right” philosophy. Their names are on the bottle, and if a barrel isn’t 100% where it needs to be, it doesn’t get released. A huge part of what makes their spirits distinct is how they embrace North Carolina’s Piedmont climate. Instead of utilizing climate-controlled spaces, they let the natural fluctuations of the Piedmont’s weather work the whiskey in and out of the wood. Combined with their process of a low barrel entry proof (between 100 and 115 proof) and their distinct batching and re-barreling process, their flagship pours deliver an incredibly full mouthfeel and deep complexity that drinks well above their proof.

To bridge the gap between their main production facility and the bustling city center, Oaklore has successfully expanded its footprint with a dedicated cocktail bar and retail bottle shop right in Charlotte’s trendy South End neighborhood. This second outpost allows urban enthusiasts to sample their pours, enjoy crafted cocktails from in-house mixologists, and purchase retail bottles directly without leaving the city. Looking ahead, Oaklore is on the verge of much needed manufacturing space expansion, including a brand-new 40,000-square-foot warehouse, production space, and distribution center in Charlotte. This move will allow them to bring all of their aging barrels under one roof, consolidate operations, and safely scale their production. It also paves the way for some incredibly exciting, highly anticipated releases this fall—most notably their upcoming Prohibition Oak bourbon, which has been finished with actual wood harvested and dry-aged since the late 1890s and early 1900s.

Everything Oaklore does ties back to a deep respect for the wood and its powerful effect on the whiskey, as well as a commitment to investing in their community. They are proving that if you solve enough problems and put in the hard work, you can build a quality-first operation that stands out amongst the crowded craft distillery space. It turns out that a great whiskey story can start anywhere—even at a neighborhood bus stop!

For more details, listen to our full interview at your favorite podcast provider or at bourbonobsessed.com/bourbon-obsessed-podcast/ or on YouTube.

Plan Your Visit to Oaklore Distilling Co.

If you are passing through the Charlotte area, Oaklore’s distillery, tasting rooms, and outdoor patio space are an absolute must-visit for any whiskey enthusiast.

The Main Distillery & Tasting Room

• Location: 11136 Monroe Rd., Matthews, NC 28105
• Phone: 704.617.0500
• Email: contact@oakloredistilling.com
• Spirits Offered: Four Grain Bourbon, NC Straight Rye Whiskey, Story Series finishes, Limited Releases, Barrel-Aged Old Fashioneds and other cocktails and an array of premium clear spirits including Gin, Rum, and Vodka.
• Matthews Hours: Sunday: 12 PM – 6 PM | Monday – Thursday: 11 AM – 9 PM | Friday – Saturday: 11 AM – 11 PM

Oaklore Bar & Bottle Shop (South End)

• Location: 1425 Winnifred St., Suite 103, Charlotte, NC 28203
• Phone: 919.699.9991
• Features: Full mixology cocktail bar, dedicated tasting area, and full retail bottle shop.
• South End Hours: Monday: Closed | Tuesday – Thursday: 5 PM – 10 PM | Friday – Saturday: 5 PM – 12 AM (Toast menus show close at 11 PM on Fri/Sat) | Sunday: 12 PM – 9 PM

Note: For current special events, holiday closures, and cocktail menu updates, please check their official web pages at oakloredistilling.com and oaklorebar.com.

Listen to our podcast!

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Want to learn more? Then check out these reviews of Oaklore’s whiskeys: Oaklore Four Grain Bourbon Review, Oaklore Story Series Oloroso Sherry Cask Finished Four Grain Bourbon Review and Oaklore Story Series: Port Cask Finish Rye Whiskey Review.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!