Southern Grace Distilleries, Inc (Whiskey Prison)
Front Gate - Southern Grace Distilleries (Whiskey Prison)
Guard Tower
Chapel
Outdoor Stage Area - Southern Grace Distilleries (Whiskey Prison)
Visitor Center - Southern Grace Distilleries (Whiskey Prison)
Gift Shop - Visitor Center
Cocktail Bar
Combination Mash Tun - Fermenter
Fermentation Room
Still Area
"Keith Richards" - pot still
"Fats Domino" pot still
Rickhouse (original 1929 cell block)
Inside the Rickhouse
Bottling Area
Southern Grace Distilleries, Inc
AKA: "Whiskey Prison"
Mt Pleasant, NC
(704) 622-6413
Watch our 
video tour
video tourI have seen distilleries and breweries in repurposed banks, jails and even churches. However, I had never seen an entire prison converted into a distillery until our visit to Southern Grace Distilleries, Inc. And it was very cool indeed. The Cabarrus Correctional Center (aka Mt. Pleasant Prison) was originally opened in 1929. It housed its last inmates in 2011 leaving its namesake, the town of Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina, short on jobs and revenue as the facility provided significant economic stimulation for the area. While the site was briefly used as a weapons training center for Fort Bragg personal, in 2016, Southern Grace Distilleries, Inc relocated to the former prison site and made it home.
Upon arrival at Southern Grace Distilleries, Inc, AKA “Whiskey Prison”, we found that parking was right outside the original prison fence. Walking through the main gate towards the gift shop/visitor center certainly offers a bit of a prison feel. Little has changed here over the years. The original cell block, solitary confinement, the “Hot House”, the chapel and the guard tower are all just as they were left. Most of the buildings have been repurposed inside to serve as functional components of the distillery, however on the outside they remain eerily the same.
The visitor center was just inside the main gate, and where we purchased tickets for our tour. It houses a gift shop, cocktail bar and the tasting bar, and serves as the starting and ending point for the tours. Our guide, Emily, who is also the Director of Operations and Tourism, began our experience with the history of Southern Grace Distilleries and how they ultimately relocated to the former Cabarrus Correctional Center. We then proceeded to the production area of the distillery, which is housed in former cell blocks. The cell blocks are arranged in a pinwheel type fashion. The fermentation area, the stills, the barreling area and the bottling line are all in separate wings, with the mashing area in the center.
Emily began by explaining the mashing process. It is pretty “old school”. For starters, the bourbon mashbill is a bit unconventional, consisting of 88% corn and 12% malted barley. No secondary grains, such as wheat or rye, are added. There are no large cookers here, either. The whole process takes place in 55 gallon drums. The grains and hot water are added, and the mash begins. When the time is right, backset (Southern Grace uses the sour mash process) and yeast are added, and those same drums serve as fermenters. This is a technique more common in the moonshining world, but it works just fine for bourbon as well. Fermentation generally takes about 8-9 days. The grains are locally sourced; the corn is from Barrier Farms, about 4 miles away, and the malted barley from the Carolina Malt House, in Cleveland, NC.
Next it was on to the stills, nicknamed collectively as "The Torn and Frayed”. Southern Grace has two pot stills, individually named Keith Richards and Fats Domino. Each is connected to two doublers. The average proof of the bourbon distillate is in the 140’s coming off the stills. The distillate then gets proofed down to 105 for barreling. As of October 2020, the bourbon is aged for two years prior to bottling. However, aging at Southern Grace isn’t just a bunch of barrels quietly tucked away. Oh, no. At Southern Grace, aging is a “blast”, quite literally. That’s because they employ a process called "Sonic Aging” to help mature their whiskey. There are a few distilleries practicing this method. Probably the most well know, but not necessarily the first, is the band Metallica with their Blackened Whiskey.
What is sonic aging? It is using sound to enhance or accelerate the maturation of whiskey or other spirit, wine or even beer. In a nutshell, the theory behind this process is that the vibrations (or pulsations, according to Copper & Kings, who also use this process to mature their brandies) induced by loudly playing music will cause the whiskey to have more interactions with the wood than if it was left in a quiet environment. This constant movement will theoretically result in the extraction of more barrel flavors and accelerate the whiskey maturation to some degree. Some believe that it is the bass notes that are most responsible, and distillers will create a curated sound track to elicit a specific response from the aging whiskey.
The sonic barrel aging takes place in the original cell blocks, East and West. Also within these cell blocks is a small tasting area where barrel picks, as well as “Barrel House Tastings" take place. After aging, bottling is done by hand. A four bottle filler is used to fill the bottles, labels are printed and attached by hand, and the bottles are sealed. The bourbon is bottled at barrel proof, which is close to 100 proof and lower than it began.
Our tour finished back in the visitor center with a spirit sampling. Southern Grace makes spirits other than bourbon, and we had the opportunity to taste many of them. We sampled Sun Dog 130, a 130 proof corn whiskey; Zero Dark 130, a 100 proof version of the Sun Dog; Sun Dog Pink Lemonade & Sun Dog Apple Dumplin', 45 proof corn whiskeys blended with fruit juice; and my favorite, Conviction, their bourbon. There are also some special releases, such as a Double Barreled Bourbon and some interesting forthcoming wine, sherry and cognac cask finished bourbons.
Whiskey Prison is a unique place to visit, and they are producing some tasty whiskey. Be sure to visit when you are in the Charlotte, NC area. The history and the whiskey making are worth the price of admission, and you certainly don’t want to miss the opportunity to drink behind bars!
Watch our video tour
video tour
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Please note that Distillery Hours and Tour/Tasting Availability may vary. Please contact the distillery or check their web page or social media for details before you go.
| Days of operation | Tues-Thur: 11am-5pm Fri & Sat: Noon-9pm |
Paved Drive / Lot | Yes |
Motorcycle Parking | No separate parking, just the paved lot |
-Motorcycle unfriendly features | No |
Number of tours per day | During COVID (as of Oct 2020) Wed-Sat: 12:30, 2:00, 3:30 |
Length of Tour(s) | 45 minutes to an hour |
Advanced topic tours? | Yes. Barrel House Tastings and Bourbon Experience appointment only. After Dark Tours twice monthly and announced on Facebook. |
Advanced topic tour names | Barrel House Tastings, Bourbon Experience & After Dark Tours |
Tours by owners /distillers available? | Yes |
Number of different types of tours | 4 |
On-Line Tour Reservations Available | Yes |
Advanced Reservations Recommended/Required | If you are looking for a specific time or are interested in one of the advanced topic tours |
| Cost for tour(s) in $ | $14.00 |
Tasting Included? | Yes |
| Number of samples included in tasting | 4+ |
| Tasting Only Option? | Yes |
| Tasting Only Option Cost | Free |
High-end tasting option? | Barrel House Tastings |
High-end tasting option cost? | $30 |
Designated Driver Option | No |
Handicapped Accessible? | Yes |
| Souvenirs included with tour? | No |
Gift shop | Yes |
On-Site bottle sales? | Yes |
| On-site food: Restaurant/Cafe/Snacks | No |
| On-site Cocktail bar | Yes |
| On-site event space | Yes. Outdoor stage area with seating for shows. |
| Should I visit? (Yes, Perhaps, No) | Yes |
| Unique Features | It's a distillery in a former prison! |
Website | |
Date Visited | October 2020 |
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