HIGH POINT, N.C. — A 30-year-old idea has one North Carolina couple bringing American history and alcohol distilling together.
What You Need To Know
High Point couple creates new distillery, Founding Fathers, distilling single malt whiskey and rum.
Couple shares the history of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse
Founding Fathers Distillery sits on a staging area in the Revolutionary War
Jeff Cooper and Marta Price opened their distillery, Founding Fathers Distillery, to the public in 2020.
Price is a retired school teacher and psychotherapist. Cooper is an artist, photographer and writer. While those background’s might not seem like a smooth transition to making whiskey and rum, it’s an idea they’ve aged over the years.
Cooper first thought about opening a distillery back in the 70’s. After talking with a friend, he researched it a few years later and then he waited.
"If I have an interest, I want to read into it, there’s something that I can spend my time reading and enjoying and maybe turn it to good use," said Cooper, co-owner of Founding Father’s Distillery.
He has put this interest to use by making a single malt whiskey and a rum.
"The first taste is very sweet, floral, fruity, zesty to a point. Made it to be as good as the best whiskeys I've ever had, and I think honestly, I think we’ve achieved something extraordinary," Cooper said.
Distilling, Cooper says, is a long process that collects all the alcohol.
"It’s just collecting like that, it’s a slow process. It’s very, very carefully done, and I’ve made the comment many times 'I give birth to every milliliter,'" he said. "And part of this is scientific and the other part's just me. I like to calculate things, and I challenge myself."
But what makes this alcohol so special is where it’s being made — inside a renovated farm house that once was a staging area in the Revolutionary War, surrounded by the founding fathers of our country.
Price sits out on the porch looking over letters from fallen soldiers in the war.
"It’s very interesting to me that the history actually coincides with part of what we’re trying to do with the distillery,” said Price, co-owner of Founding Fathers Distillery.
Sharing the history of America’s past with the connections of the house and the Battle of Guilford Courthouse during the Revolution.
"And our motivation is to make the best products that we can [and] do that without sacrificing anything. Our focus is on the quality of the name of our distillery. Founding Fathers helps current people and current generations to reflect back on why this country was founded and how important the cause for freedom really is," Price said.
There are no open hours for the distillery, but if you would like to visit, the owners would like for you to call 336-434-0149 to make an appointment.