From Barrel to Ballerina: A Spirited Collaboration
The past two weeks have been an absolute whirlwind, a beautiful storm of creativity, and a testament to the incredible things that can happen when passion for whiskey and cinema collide. As a blender at Olde Raleigh, I’ve had my share of exciting projects, but our recent collaboration with Lionsgate for the upcoming film Ballerina has been a career highlight.
It all started with an idea: to create an exclusive bottling that captured the spirit and intensity of the John Wick universe. The result was a special release of our Olde Raleigh Barrel Proof Batch 3, a whiskey we knew had the character and punch to stand alongside the film's unstoppable protagonist. But we couldn't just release the bottle; we had to create an experience.
And so, for two intense weeks, we transformed our beloved Olde Raleigh Tasting Room into a slice of the Continental Hotel. The rich wood of our bar was accented with gold, the lighting dimmed to a conspiratorial glow, and the air buzzed with a curated soundtrack straight out of a John Wick film. We wanted every person who walked through our doors to feel as if they had stepped into the world of assassins and high-stakes adventure.
The culmination of this flurry of activity was the release day on May 31st. To say we were blown away by the response would be an understatement. The line started forming two hours before our noon opening, a testament to the dedication of our amazing customers and the anticipation for the film. We met people who had traveled from out of state, their excitement palpable as they waited to secure their own exclusive Ballerina bottling. Seeing our whiskey in the hands of so many enthusiastic fans was a truly humbling experience.
Lionsgate was an incredible partner throughout, providing a treasure trove of movie merchandise that we raffled off as part of the festivities. The energy in the tasting room was electric, a perfect fusion of whiskey appreciation and cinematic hype. By the end of the day, every single bottle of our Barrel Proof Batch 3 was gone, a bittersweet moment that marked the incredible success of our venture.
The grand finale to this amazing collaboration was an invitation from Lionsgate to be their special guests at the pre-release viewing of Ballerina in North Hills. It was a surreal experience to see the world we had worked to emulate on the big screen. The movie was everything we had hoped for and more – two hours of non-stop, breathtaking action that had us on the edge of our seats.
Looking back, this partnership was more than just a bottle release; it was a celebration of craftsmanship, storytelling, and community. From the first sip of our Barrel Proof Batch 3 to the final, heart-pounding scene of Ballerina, it was a journey we were proud to take. This was a collaboration for the books, and a memory the entire Olde Raleigh team will cherish for years to come. Cheers to that.