When many think of the distilling industry, the general impression is it’s mostly a man’s world and we’re all just living and imbibing in it.
Local rum distilling company Happy Raptor Distilling bucks this myth. Distillery co-founder, chief brand officer and majority owner Meagen Moreland-Taliancich; her husband, Mark Taliancich; and their partner, Peter Rivera, co-founded the company in 2018, and opened the distillery and tasting room in February 2020 — only a month before COVID-19 hit.
In April 2020, the company focused on cocktails to-go and offered batches of cocktails for customers to pick up and enjoy at home. During that first summer, like many distilling companies, Happy Raptor began making hand sanitizer, partnering with local organizations like Hands On Nola to provide 3,500 bottles to frontline workers.
To increase the pool of distillery employees, Happy Raptor has also created partnerships with the University of Holy Cross and Delgado Community College and launched a distilling apprenticeship in which students can come to the distillery to learn the craft.
Always focused on the next opportunity, the company plans to launch a line of bitters and syrups in the fall.
“It’s a really creative time,” said Moreland-Taliancich. “It’s a time of growth, we get to really craft this company and make something special with it from the bottom up. And that is completely priceless.”
