BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Oak & Grist Distilling Co. in Black Mountain says it is working to find a way forward after being notified by town officials that changes would be required related to the storage of its whiskey barrels.
William Goldberg, co-founder and head distiller of Oak & Grist, said in a social media post that town officials informed the company last week that changes would be needed for the distillery to continue production and whiskey maturation operations.
Goldberg said the town gave Oak & Grist 90 days to begin making the required changes or the distillery could be forced to close.
“Last week, the town of Black Mountain informed Oak & Grist that, in order to continue production and maturation operations, we will need to make significant changes to our building as it relates to the storage of our whiskey barrels,” Goldberg wrote.
Goldberg said the notice came as a surprise and that the company believed it had been operating in compliance with applicable building and fire codes.
“I have always run the distillery to the letter of the law and to what I understand is required by applicable building and fire code,” Goldberg wrote. “In the nearly 10 years we have been in operation, I have never been given reason to believe otherwise despite annual inspections.”
Goldberg said Oak & Grist has started working to determine what modifications will be required to meet inspectors’ expectations.
In the meantime, Goldberg said the company has been told it cannot allow customers inside the building until it finds an alternative location for its whiskey barrels.
“The impact that this is going to have on the distillery could very well determine our survival,” Goldberg wrote.
According to Goldberg, the town has given Oak & Grist the option to modify its tasting room operations into an outdoor-only experience while the company works to address the barrel storage issue.
He said the distillery has already developed an alternative way to continue serving customers while maintaining a similar experience.
“The struggles brought by COVID and Helene have honed our ability to pivot, adapt and fight to survive, which is exactly what we plan to do,” Goldberg wrote.
Oak & Grist’s concerns come after another Black Mountain alcohol-related business, Black Mountain Brewing, faced enforcement action from town officials involving permits and code compliance.
Black Mountain Brewing received a cease-and-desist letter from the town late last year after officials raised concerns about permits and compliance issues related to parts of the brewery’s operation. The brewery disputed the town’s actions, while town officials said they were enforcing state building and fire codes.
The two situations involve different businesses and circumstances, but both involve disputes between Black Mountain businesses and the town over permitting and code compliance.
Goldberg also thanked Oak & Grist employees for their support as the company works through the situation.
“Over the course of a single day, we have established an alternate method of continuing to serve you with a nearly identical level of service that you have come to expect from us,” Goldberg wrote.
Oak & Grist Distilling Co. opened in Black Mountain in 2016 and produces whiskey and other spirits.
828newsNOW has reached out to the town of Black Mountain for additional information and comment, including what specific code requirements prompted the changes, the reason for the 90-day timeline and whether similar compliance issues have affected other businesses. The town has not responded.