Boatman Distillery Tour

Boatman Spirits Co. is running guided distillery tours at its downtown Raleigh spot, and if you're around this weekend, Friday, October 16 is one of the dates. It's a straightforward setup: you get a walk through the distilling process and a tasting flight to go with it. The tour is led by the distillery's own owners, so you're hearing it from the people who actually run the place rather than a hired guide.

Boatman is downtown Raleigh's newest distillery, a craft house that pairs its distilling with otherworldly cocktails and Mediterranean street food. The tour takes you through how they make their spirits, and the tasting flight lets you sample the results. If you like what you taste, they keep bottles of vodka, dry gin, and navy strength gin on hand to take home.

It's not a one-off thing, either. The tours run from July 3 through December 27, 2026, with plenty of slots to work around your schedule. On Fridays and Saturdays, they run at 3 PM, 4 PM, 5 PM, and 6 PM. Sundays are a bit earlier, with tours at noon, 1 PM, 2 PM, and 3 PM. If you're looking for something to do on a Friday afternoon or a Sunday mid-day, you've got a few options to choose from.

Tickets are $30, which covers both the guided tour and the tasting flight. You'll find them at Boatman Spirits Co., 713 Seaboard Station Dr., Downtown Raleigh, NC 27603.