Getting to Know Charleston’s First Micro-Distillery: Striped Pig Distillery
Jun. 13, 2017
In 2013, a new resident moved to Charleston eager to make a name for himself. “Jackson” took a job at the brand new Striped Pig Distillery where he quickly became not only the most popular among the staff, but a real heavy hitter in Charleston. Walking the streets of Charleston, Jackson quickly made friends of about every local who stopped to say hello.
Some might even call Jackson an attention hog.
Eventually, Jackson became too big for the distillery gig – literally. At a whopping 500 pounds, he retired to a nice farm upstate where he spends quality time with his friends.
You might be wondering – who is Jackson?
A striped pig.
Jackson and the Striped Pig Distillery have both grown so much during the last four years. With a diverse portfolio, including rum, bourbon, whiskey, gin, vodka and moonshine, Striped Pig Distillery has quickly become a major player in the craft spirits marketplace.
We were thrilled to be able to catch up with the Striped Pig team of owners and distillers, including Johnny Pieper, Todd Weiss and James Craig, to hear more about the unique Striped Pig story, as well as learn about what it takes to break into the competitive craft spirits space.
First off – how did you decide on the name, Striped Pig?
Johnny Pieper: The name Striped Pig dates back to the Temperance movement, before Prohibition. The government enacted the 15-gallon act, which means liquor stores could not sell liquor under 15 gallons, putting a lot of small stores out of business. So, a liquor store owner would set up a side show at a militia muster. Above his tent flew a flag with a striped pig on it. For a couple of pence, patrons could enter to see this "magical" creature and were rewarded with a free glass of rum. It was an innovative way around the law and kept the liquor store owner's business afloat.
Walk us through your lineup of spirits and tell us one unique aspect of each one.
Todd Weiss: Striped Vodka is made from corn we get from Myer's Farm in Bowman, SC. It's a nice, sweet vodka with a little something to chew on.
Striped 'Shine is made from this same corn. At 120 proof, it is traditional, historically-accurate moonshine, which is un-aged whiskey.
Striped Gin, with its orange lavender flavor profile, is much more floral than most gins. It turns a lot of gin haters into gin drinkers! It's very unique while also approachable.
Striped Rum is made from blackstrap molasses that we get from Savannah, GA, the closest source we could find. It has a vanilla and butterscotch taste and packs a whole lot of flavor for white rum.
Striped Spiced Rum is very unique. At 70 proof, it's super smooth and flavorful. It's perfect as a shot, in a tiki drink or even a warm toddy. The recipe was derived from distiller Johnny Pieper's grandmother who taught him these are the basic baking spices that all Americans love.
Tell us about your small batch of bourbon. What can your customers expect to enjoy from that release?
James Craig: Striped Bourbon - Limited Release Batch #2 is a special release. There will only be 500 bottles and they are going very fast. This is the second single barrel release in our bourbon and whiskey program.
Do you have a favorite spirit to produce? If so, which one and why?
TW: Our gin is my favorite to produce. The oils from each botanical come over at varying times during the distillation process. I particularly like running gin when we have tours, as it gives the guests a sensory experience of how distillation works.
Tell us how you got into the spirits industry and eventually launched the Striped Pig brand.
JP: I became interested in distillation when laws were beginning to change in favor of micro-distilleries. I became infatuated with the idea of crafting spirits. I worked at a small distillery in Denver for a year, where I learned the art of producing spirits and the day-to-day operations of running this type of business. Once my apprenticeship was up I moved back to Charleston and immediately began pursuing my own startup. Within a few months a group was organized to start Striped Pig Distillery. It was a rewarding, terrifying, amazing and backbreaking two years and eight months, but the pig was born and we were ready to serve Charlestonians a spirit they could call their own.
JC: I came out of retirement from a 44-year career in the healthcare industry to provide the business sense, knowledge of customer service and enthusiasm!
TW: I came from a home-brewing background. My younger brother was a brewer in Colorado and my dad owned a homebrew shop in North Carolina. As a former bartender, I developed a taste for spirits and cocktails. While visiting friends in 2007, I was sipping on a craft rum and initially thought about trying to distribute it in SC. At the end of the night (and the bottle), I decided I was going to make my own spirits rather than move someone else's.
Where does the Striped Pig brand fit into the growing world of craft spirits?
JP: Having been the first distillery in Charleston since Prohibition, Striped Pig remains a small craft distillery, and has since assumed a sister role with three local distilleries and a dozen statewide. A new brand requires constant energy and huge capital resources to stand out if you expect to convert "tryers" into buyers. It may be an uphill haul to the top, but the market is there if it can be reached by having a recognizable brand, a good story behind it and great-tasting products.