Prior to the COVID 19 shutdown, the distillery employed two additional staff. “Right now, it’s just us four business owners and my fiancé, Ashlee, that pretty much run the show and are involved every day. When we have a big event, everybody in the family gets to work that day. I put my kids to work. It’s a family run show.” As the pandemic hit the country, the distillery pivoted to supply hand sanitizer. “That kept many doors open in this country and it made the business stronger, more diverse. And we came together as a family when we had to make important decisions to stay alive.” Williams believes all the strug - gles have made both the business and the family stronger. After COVID 19 restrictions began, the distillery closed for in person shopping. “For the first month or so we pretty much locked the door and took orders via the internet. We left the orders on the front porch for pick up.” With the easing of restrictions now, distillery tours are back and the Busted Barrel Cocktail Bar is open again. The name for Busted Barrel Cocktail Bar also points to family history. “We chose that name because in the 1920s, when the revenuers came in, they broke and busted all the whiskey barrels, We couldn’t use our name, because it was already taken here locally as a bar, which can be confusing for custom - ers. So, if they roll into town and think “Let’s go to the ‘Old Nick Pub’ that’s not us.” ONW has grown from simply a rebuilt distillery. “When we started the business, we started a distill - ery. Now we’re a distillery. We’re a museum. We’re a bar. We do outdoor concerts. It’s snowballed into multiple businesses – and with that comes a lot of work. “When we started the business, we started a distillery. Now we’re a distillery. We’re a museum. We’re a bar. We do outdoor concerts. It’s snowballed into multiple businesses – and with that comes a lot of work.”
“I think growing up it was every male Williams’ dream in this family to rekindle the business. I spent countless Saturdays and Sundays with my cousin Matt, digging in the trash piles left by the revenuers when they came in and broke all the bottles and the barrels. We were always looking for that elusive bottle that didn’t get broken.” The Old Nick Williams farm and distillery was rebuilt on the original land now owned by Zeb’s father. “My dad is a retired school teacher of 35 years. He taught shop and built houses in the summer. So that’s been very advantageous for us with renovations as we built the farm and the dis - tillery. My uncle’s retired as well. My cousin Matt flies as a paramedic on a helicopter here at one of the local hospitals.”
“I think growing up it was every male Williams’ dream in this family to rekindle the business.”
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SEPTEMBER 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2020
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