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Nicole and Brandon McCraney: Zebulon

  • Mar 12
  • 1 min read

2025 NC Main Street Champion

Zebulon_Nicole_Brandon_McCraney

“In January 2017, we took a leap of faith. Opening Olde Raleigh Distillery had been a dream for years, but what we thought would take months became four years of setbacks, planning, and fighting for what we believed in, “shared Brandon McCraney who added,


“We finally opened in January 2021—not just to make bourbon, but to help transform downtown. We restored the former Pope’s Department Store using local artisans, received a façade grant, and created a space that honors my military service with a challenge coin atop each bottle.


We’ve hosted the first Downtown Visioning Session, welcomed visitors through People-First Tourism, and partnered with local businesses like MacLellan Bagpipes and Baxter’s Bees.


What was once vacant is now an internationally recognized destination—from a John Wick ‘Ballerina’ bottle with Lionsgate to Savage Wolves bourbon with NC State.


This journey is about more than bourbon—it’s about community pride and possibilities.”


Zebulon is proud to honor Nicole and Brandon McCraney as their 2025 Main Street Champions.

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