Harnessing the Spirit of American Ingenuity

In 2017, at a backyard barbecue, a casual question sparked a big idea: "What if we could make great whiskey, faster?" This challenge inspired Joel Pawlak, an NC State professor and PhD engineer, and Scott Bolin, a tech startup CEO to fundamentally rethink how spirits are made in our industry.

After months of experimentation, the two developed a patented method to transform white dog into a fully finished whiskey in under three hours–a significant milestone in the spirits world.

They nicknamed their innovative system "The Martian," as a nod to its otherworldly speed of production. It soon grew and evolved into "Jupiter" which is used today to process, finish and rapidly enhance the flavor profiles of our spirits.

We have been granted two patents for this groundbreaking technology – one for the Spiranova™ process and the second for the system that powers it.

Our patented Spiranova™ technology revolutionized bulk spirits processing and finishing, driving the inevitable expansion of our fully integrated, end-to-end production operations at our Zebulon, NC lab and facility.

As our capabilities expanded, so did our scope. In 2018, we launched Creek Water Whiskey in partnership with Yelawolf, marking its initial venture into branded spirits. Building on this momentum, we introduced Caddy Cocktails with golf legend Greg Norman in 2022.

We soon launched Bear Fight American Whiskey— an award-winning, bold and smokey American single malt whiskey— a collaboration with founding investor, famed actor and creator Seth MacFarlane, now championed by actor Gabriel Macht as partner and spokesperson.

Leveraging Spiranova™, breakthrough products like cool mint-chocolate flavored whiskey, we created Numbskull to compete in the booming world of flavored whiskey rising in popularity.

In May 2024 we expanded our portfolio with the strategic acquisition of Nue Vodka, Henderson Whiskey, and Calamity Gin. In March of 2025, we acquired Blue Chair Bay Rum, owned by Kenny Chesney, strengthening our presence across multiple spirit categories.

With an active pipeline of new-to-world brands in development, we are committed to meeting consumers’ tastes and delivering high-quality, innovative spirits at accessible price points.

Our Team

Anthony Moniello

Chief Executive Officer

Matthew Bronfman

Executive Chairman

Kenny Chesney

Shareholder & Board Member

Damon DeSantis

Board Member

Tom Spisak

Chief Financial Officer

Joel Pawlak

Co-Founder

Arjun Rajaratnam

General Counsel

Adam Cook

VP of Operations

Shari Baxter

VP of R&D and Quality

Amanda L. Blanco

VP of Brand Marketing

Next Century Spirits is committed to promoting responsible consumption and a healthier relationship with alcohol.

As proud supporters of Responsibility.org, we stand alongside industry leaders in advocating for education, moderation, and informed choices.