UNC fans are getting a new way to celebrate this season: official Tar Heels spirits.
UNC Athletics has partnered with North Carolina-based Cape Fear Distillery to unveil the Spirit of Carolina Collection, the university’s first officially licensed line of UNC-branded liquor. The launch lands this weekend, just in time for football’s home opener against ETSU at Kenan Stadium.
The collection features four offerings built around Carolina identity: Chapel Thrill Vodka, Old East Whiskey, Rams Head Silver Rum and Best Blue Coconut Cream. Old East takes its name from the university’s oldest residence hall, while Best Blue Coconut Cream is a direct nod to Tar Heel blue.
UNC’s licensing partner Learfield and the Collegiate Licensing Company helped develop the line, and fans at Saturday’s game will be able to sample specialty cocktails made with the new products. That means the tailgate scene is about to get a little more interesting.
Rick Barakat, UNC Athletics’ deputy athletic director and chief revenue officer, said the project gives fans another way to connect with the program.
“This launch represents an exciting opportunity to expand how our fans engage with the UNC brand, while creating a unique product line that celebrates our traditions and community,” Barakat said in a UNC release. “We are also excited to align with a partner in Cape Fear Distillery and owner Alex Munroe, who has a personal connection to UNC and understands the deep love and passion our fans have for Carolina.”
That connection starts with Munroe himself, who graduated from UNC in 1989 with a journalism degree before launching Cape Fear Vineyard and Winery in Elizabethtown in 2016. The business has since expanded into a distillery, lakeside resort, zoological garden, spa, events center and a celebrity art museum.
For Munroe, this project ties his alma mater to the business he built.
“As a UNC graduate, bringing the Spirit of Carolina collection to life is especially meaningful,” Munroe said in the release. “My years at UNC provided me [with] incredible memories, lifelong friendships, and a passionate fan community like no other, and that’s what I hope our specially crafted beverage experiences and our new UNC-branded spirits can deliver for fellow Tar Heels.”
The full collection will be available at Cape Fear Distillery’s tasting rooms in Elizabethtown and Bald Head Island, sold online in states where shipping is permitted, and carried by select retailers and restaurants in the region.
More fan activations tied to the collection are expected to arrive during the fall. That leaves one obvious question hanging over the ACC schedule: will there be a signature cocktail for beating Duke?
No answer yet, but Tar Heel fans will have plenty to raise a glass to either way.
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