The Rose Pink Cadillac
The Starling Whiskey and Wine Bar, in the Cargo District, is approaching its third anniversary.
Behind the bar you can find Kaley Brodeur, who has been there since before day one, pouring whiskey or shaking up one of her signature pink drinks. The reason she looks so comfortable is because she has had full control of the bar’s creation and logistics in becoming the first occupant of an empty shell of a shipping container on Queen Street.
This was in the service of fulfilling a dream list written by owners Abbye McGee and Matt Ray.
On that list was the establishment of a deep shelf of whiskeys, imported or local, fresh from the barrel or old enough to require an antique spirituous liquor permit from the ABC, which they must renew each year for $100. 😑
As Broder tells it, Ray, in his extensive travels as a photographer who specializes in food and drink, came across a “very fun bottle of Crown Royal from 1969.” In order to buy it from a private collection and sell it—which they do at $38 for two ounces until it’s gone—they had to prove it hadn’t been in production for 20 years, is in the original manufacturer’s unopened container, is not owned by a distillery and is not otherwise available for purchase by an ABC Board.
That may be more than you want to know about North Carolina’s liquor laws, but navigating byzantine regulations is part of the business.
“It’s cool to have the opportunity to have that taste of history,” says Broder. “And we want to make that kind of thing accessible for everyone.” There’s good whiskey available for whatever your price point.
For the recipe to go with this column, Broder leaned into interest in pink, which started at a catering event she did with McGee. “It was my original pink drink,” she says, “tequila and pink peppercorns.”
In December 2023, the Starling got a sister bar/coffee shop: the Ibis on Princess Street, where she also puts together the cocktail list, which also includes local, seasonal ingredients and nostalgia.
“I lied about my age to get my first bartending job,” says Broder, “and I’ve had a lot of mentors along the way. It’s good.”
The Starling Wine and Whiskey Bar, 1612 Queen St, Wilmington
(910) 465-6409
