Pete Barger

A chance encounter at a Grateful Dead concert in 1989 prompted not only a romance but a lifelong partnership between Southern Distillery’s Pete Barger and his future wife, Vienna. Pete  had grown up on his family’s farm in Statesville, North Carolina, where, from a young age, he learned the common-sense value of hard work. “You’re driving tractors as soon as you can reach the pedals. You break stuff, you have to learn how to fix it,” reflected Barger. The words point toward a resourceful, hands-on mentality that would shape a future distiller’s destiny.

With a 1996 degree in engineering from Humboldt State University in hand, Pete began honing his ability to modernize processes with a stint in industrial construction while Vienna finished at the University of North Carolina. Before long, their courtship led to marriage. To this day, the couple’s strength remains in how they complement each other—Pete brings logic and innovation, while Vienna contributes sensibility and extraordinary interpersonal skills.

In 2013, the Bargers purchased a 20-acre farm in Pete’s hometown of Statesville, which, because of its fertile farmland, sheer number of distilleries, and easy rail access, was once known as “the liquor capital of the world.” There, they founded Southern  Distilling Company. Starting first as a contract distillery, the Bargers soon seized an opportunity to revive their region’s long-forgotten history of whiskey production. Pete’s engineering mindset soon defined their operations. He installed lofty Vendome column stills rather than small-scale pot stills, and embraced a data-driven, precision-focused approach that intelligently combined science with tradition.

Just four years after its founding, Southern Distillery had welcomed visitors from all 50 states, even with restrictive state laws that limited them to selling only five bottles per year to each customer. But with strategic tenacity led by Vienna’s background in public policy, the couple set about spearheading efforts to reform North Carolina’s archaic liquor laws. Their efforts bore fruit in 2019, with landmark legislation allowing unlimited bottle sales as well as on-site tastings, transforming their quaint distillery into a true whiskey destination. There, the Bargers now champion a “grain-to-glass” philosophy, sourcing only local grains and employing regenerative agriculture practices—a commitment that earned them North Carolina Exporter of the Year honors in 2023.

Beyond whiskey production, the Bargers also pursue passion projects. In 2023, Pete and Vienna co-navigated a vintage 1967 Pontiac Bonneville convertible in “The Great Race,” finishing fifth in the highly contested rookie division. The event doubled as a celebration of their brand and as a community engagement opportunity, complete with a limited-edition barrel-release high-rye bourbon. Following that race, the Barger family enjoyed a trip from St. Augustine, Florida, to Colorado Springs, Colorado, with their son and daughters in their Pontiac. The following year, 2024, with Southern Distillery as the title sponsor of the event, the Bargers came in a disappointing 47th in their division, following two days’ worth of mechanical woes out of their nearly 60-year-old machine, which simply proved too much to rebound from. But the husband-and-wife team did manage to bring home a pair of aces (perfect time) during the event. “It’s not a race, it’s a time trial,” explained Pete. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also fatiguing,” he added. “You’ve got to hit the checkpoints at exactly the right time: you can’t be too early, you can’t be too late.”

Today, with Pete’s leadership as CEO and Vienna’s stewardship in operations, Southern  Distilling stands as one of the Southeast’s most advanced craft distilleries. They produce award-winning bourbons and fan-favorite ryes across their entire Southern Star line. Critics and bourbon connoisseurs agree: In 2022, the judges at the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition named Southern Star Paragon as the Best in Show in a category consisting of more than 600 entries.

Pete Barger’s journey—spanning farm chores to industrial engineering to building and operating a groundbreaking distillery—exemplifies innovation, perseverance, and local pride. With Vienna at his side, he not only revived a historical industry in a state that first wholeheartedly resisted it, but also built a thriving business deeply rooted in community values.

References

1. American Mash & Grain, mashngrain.com, Xander Evans, 2019

2. chilledmagazine.com, “Founding of Southern  Distilling…”

3. Southern Distilling Co. website: southerndistillingcompany.com

Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee