IMPORTANT: NC-WHISKEY.COM is not affiliated with the North Carolina ABC system or any local ABC boards throughout the state. We are an independently run website, here to offer as much info as possible. We do not host any lotteries of our own.
Given the influx of traffic here, I know people are interested in the schedule of allocated bourbon lotteries for 2023. Unfortunately, no such “official” schedule exists. Each local county/ABC board handles the distribution of allocated products as they best see fit for their stores, community, and customers. While some of these boards elect to use a lottery system to distribute these products, others use preferred customer lists, and some offer them on the shelf for a first-come, first-serve basis. Sometimes a board will make a big announcement for a release, and there will be a…. party… in the parking lot.
Durham ABC Lottery Is Wrapping Up
Durham ABC has been running their lottery, and announced that they’d finish making calls to winners the week of January 9th.
Wake County ABC Lottery
Wake County has finally opened their entries for their lottery for 2023 releases (despite it being early 2024 already. Entry is open until Valentine’s day, and winners will be announced no later than February 19th. The Wake County ABC Bourbon Lottery is open to Wake County residents only. For more information and regular updates, visit the Wake County ABC website or follow their socials on Facebook.
Entrants will be able to select their priority order of available bourbons offered in the lottery. Here’s the full list:
| PAPPY VAN WINKLE 23Y | $399.95 |
| OLD FORESTER BIRTHDAY BOURBON | $169.95 |
| VAN WINKLE FAMILY RES RYE 13Y | $169.95 |
| PAPPY VAN WINKLE 15YR | $169.95 |
| MAKER’S MARK CELLAR AGED | $149.95 |
| BLANTON’S STRAIGHT FROM THE BARREL | $149.95 |
| WOODFORD RESERVE MASTER COLLECTION | $149.95 |
| OLD FITZGERALD BIB 10Y | $139.95 |
| THOMAS H. HANDY | $124.95 |
| WILLIAM LARUE WELLER | $124.95 |
| GEORGE T. STAGG | $124.95 |
| BLANTON’S GOLD | $119.95 |
| BLANTON’S GOLD BOURBON | $119.95 |
| VAN WINKLE SPL RESERVE 12YR | $109.95 |
| OLD RIP VAN WINKLE 10Y | $99.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. SINGLE BARREL BOURBON | $79.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. BARREL PROOF BOURBON | $77.95 |
| BLANTON’S SINGLE BARREL | $69.95 |
| BLANTON’S SINGLE BARREL SELECT (BTB) | $64.95 |
| WELLER FULL PROOF | $55.95 |
| WELLER CYPB | $55.95 |
| WELLER ANTIQUE 107 | $55.95 |
| STAGG JR (BTB) | $54.95 |
| STAGG BOURBON | $54.95 |
| WELLER SINGLE BARREL | $53.95 |
| E.H. TAYLOR JR. SMALL BATCH | $49.95 |
| 1792 FULL PROOF | $47.95 |
| WELLER 12Y | $47.95 |
| ELMER T. LEE SINGLE BARREL | $44.95 |
| WELLER SPECIAL RESERVE | $33.95 |
| BUFFALO TRACE SINGLE BARREL SELECT (BTB) | $32.95 |
| BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON WHISKEY | $32.95 |
Again, www.nc-whiskey.com is not affiliated with the North Carolina ABC or Wake County board.
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NC ABC Bourbon Lottery FAQ
Who can enter North Carolina ABC whiskey lotteries?
As for the lotteries, some of these may be offered to county/local residents only (this is how Wake County has handled the process in recent years), while others are open to anyone and everyone. Of course, all entrants to lotteries must be over the age of 21. Most lotteries will be open for one entry per person, though some may limit to one per household. Again, this is all handled at the local level, not by the state.
How do I enter an ABC bourbon lottery?
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, entry methods are also handled, of course, by the local ABC board or individual stores. In past years, many counties like Wake, Durham, and Mecklenburg offer an online entry form. Others, like Gibsonville, require an in-person entry. Other lotteries work on a same-day event, where you must come be present, get a number, and hope yours gets called. If you’re curious how to enter lotteries with your local ABC board, ask employees at a local shop.
When is the next allocated bourbon lottery?
Typically, the “big” lotteries happen closer to the holiday season. Many of the major allocated releases like the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection and Van Winkle releases come out in the mid to late fall, so ABC boards wait for their full allocation to come in before hosting their lottery.
Sometimes, however, boards may do more periodic lotteries. They may not be as chock-full of the ultra-rarities, but they might contain Stagg, Weller, Old Fitzgerald, or other similar-tier products. Again, check with your local ABC store to see how they handle the distribution of these products, and when they might be hosting a lottery. Some ABC boards will have email lists of their own.
If I get wind of new lotteries around the state, I’ll try to keep a running list of them here on this page. Bookmark this page, or sign up for my email list and I’ll keep you all updated when I hear something.
Usually we get information about the following ABC lotteries, but if you hear of something missing, please share!
- 2023 Wake County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Durham County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Orange County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Cumberland County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Greensboro ABC Lottery
- 2023 Pitt County ABC Lottery
- 2023 Mecklenburg ABC County
- 2023 Rowan/Kannapolis ABC Lottery
