SBP #25 | From Air Force Officer to Distillery Owner: Building a Whiskey Business

How do you start a distillery or whiskey business from scratch?In this episode of the Stay Broke Podcast, Randy Kerr sits down with Brandon McCraney, founder of Olde Raleigh Distillery.Brandon shares how his four years as an Air Force officer shaped his leadership philosophy, what he learned from senior officers about discipline and decision-making, and how climbing the corporate ladder ultimately led him to realize it wasn’t the life he wanted.In SBP #25, Brandon McCraney, founder of Olde Raleigh Distillery, shares the real story behind launching a craft bourbon and whiskey brand. This is not a highlight reel. It is a conversation about startup risk, alcohol regulations, cash flow pressure, loan rejections, and what it actually takes to build a product-based business in a highly regulated industry.Brandon walks through his journey from serving as an officer in the U.S. Air Force to climbing the corporate ladder, losing a VP promotion, and deciding to start a distillery. What followed was years of planning, navigating ABC laws, securing funding, opening a bar and tasting room during COVID, and building a whiskey brand without private equity backing.In this episode, we cover:How to start a distillery and understand alcohol regulationsStartup costs and the reality of small business loansRisk, 401k decisions, and entrepreneurial mindsetBlending vs distilling and scaling a craft bourbon brandMarketing a bar and distillery through community and organic growthDistribution challenges across multiple statesThe difference between whiskey and bourbonWe also discuss leadership lessons from a 3-star general, why entrepreneurship is not for everyone, and how to define success beyond revenue.If you are building a startup, launching a product-based business, opening a bar, or exploring the whiskey and bourbon industry, this episode offers practical insight from someone who earned it the hard way.