07/10/2023
Hello Everyone,
Rim here, the founder & owner at Brothers Vilgalys Spirits. I'm excited to be the first to tell all of you about the next chapter for our company, and for our Krupnikas Spiced Honey Liqueur.
We've reached an agreement with our friends at Durham Distillery to take over ownership and production of our Krupnikas. Also heading to Durham Distillery will be Michelle Koch, our head brewer and operations manager, who's been with us for more than 7 years.
At the end of July, we will close our own Ramseur St. distillery and cease operations. We'll be retaining a continued interest in Krupnikas under a profit-sharing agreement, and our ownership will be moving on to other projects.
Since opening our doors in 2012, it's been an incredible privilege to share this wonderful drink with all of you. I'm incredibly proud of all we've done. As many of you know I've since moved on to the tech industry, and as such haven't been able to give our brand the attention or time it deserves.
All of that said, I can think of no better fit to take Krupnikas forward than Melissa and Lee Katrincic at Durham Distillery. Their award winning Conniption Gins and other liqueurs are all amazing products, and I have no doubt they will bring the same creativity and attention to quality to Krupnikas. Between their wonderful Co**se Reviver bar here in Durham and their distribution in 17 states, they're well positioned to take Krupnikas to a level we've never been able to reach.
Finally, we have 40 cases of our final batch already bottled and waiting for you at our distillery at 803 D Ramseur St in Durham. I'll be opening our distillery up for Bottle Sales the following dates:
- Saturday Jul 15, 2023 from 2pm to 4pm
- Saturday Jul 22, 2023 from 2pm to 4pm
- Thursday Jul 27, 2023 from 4pm to 6pm
You can reserve bottle(s) for pickup at this link: https://forms.gle/ZwoB8CVt5RQpgt9Y7
North Carolina no longer has restrictions on direct bottle sales at distilleries, so the only quantity limit is the same as ABC Stores. Whatever we don't sell by the end of July will be sent to the North Carolina ABC.
For Out of State Folks – Unfortunately if you're outside of NC, you'll have to wait for online and other sales to open when Durham Distillery takes over and is able to offer Krupnikas through their own channels. The good news is they are going to have much further reach than we currently do, so we suggest you join their mailing list to stay updated.
Finally, I would like to thank our brewer Michelle, my parents Liz & Rytas, my brothers Gabe & Matas, my business partners Jason, Dylan, & Jacob, our Founder's Club, our Kickstarter backers, my wonderful partner Vanessa & our cat Beans, and all of our amazing customers for making any and all of this possible. Starting this company has been a dream that became real, an adventure that taught me a great deal about not just business but about myself, and has given me a chance to share a truly special recipe with the greater world.
As a final sign off: Į sveikatą (cheers!),
Rim Vilgalys
Rim here, the founder & owner at Brothers Vilgalys Spirits. I’m excited to be the first to tell all of you about the next chapter for our company, and for our Krupnikas Spiced Honey Liqueur.
