Master distiller and herbalist Mena Killough helped launch downtown Raleigh’s first distillery in August 2021. Her botanical spirits set the scene for Young Hearts Distilling’s food and drink destination.
Her path to distilling started with a deep-rooted love for herbalism and healing arts, but it was fast-tracked due to the pandemic and the increasing need for disinfectants during that time. And in 2020, she was invited to compete on a distilling TV show.
When Mena picked up the craft, she didn’t know that herbalism and distilling was in her blood. Mena told RALtoday that her great-grandmother had a certified stamp from the Thai government to dose out herbs to her community + her Scottish great-grandfather made elixirs. Over the past three years, Mena’s gone on to combine the two art forms and create botanical spirits recognized on a national stage.
Herbalism 🌿
Mena was born in Bangkok, Thailand. Her military family moved around a lot, giving Mena what she calls her “nomadic sense of wonder.”
Mena spent 20 years in Charlotte raising her two kids, Noah and Kaleb. She studied herbalism in Asheville in 2013 while working part time doing Reiki (a Japanese healing technique) + looking
into other modalities for healing, including herbal medicine. She also interned with the Carolina Panthers, tasked with keeping the flower beds in tack, and worked in The Duke Mansion’s gardens and grounds. This is where she made her first rose water using petals from a public garden.
As a member of the NC Herb Association, Mena attended the Wild Herb Weekend and started incorporating herbalism in the refreshments she made at the bar. She witnessed ~100 people’s moods change after drinking her herbal refreshments, she said.
The first distill 🚰
Inspired by the impact her drinks made at the Wild Herb Weekend, Mena enrolled in a bar program in Charlotte in 2019, learning from world class mixologists. She experimented with extractions and bitters + was able to manipulate the herbs in cocktails.
“If I can change the contents after it comes out of the bottle, then what can I do with herbs before it’s in the bottle?” she wondered at the time. “That got my interest sparked on distilling.”
Her distilling career started with hand sanitizer. Unknown Brewing offered Mena a job in Charlotte as the brewery’s head distiller. She would be making disinfectants to to offset the shortage during COVID-19. She cooked down old beers to make hand sanitizers for first responders.
“So many of us felt helpless to what was going on. And it was really satisfying to help our community when it was in need,” said Mena.
Making hand sanitizer allowed Mena to test the distilling waters. After a month of distilling ethanol, she transitioned to distilling whiskey, gin, and vodka.
TV debut 📺
After just a month of distilling spirits, Mena was contacted by Discovery Channel’s “Moonshiners: Master Distillers” — she was invited to compete against some of the country’s top distillers in a five-day race to see who can make the best spirit with limited supplies.
When the herbalist-turned-distiller arrived on set, she was still new to the distilling scene and was just happy to be there. “I wanted to get through it with as much grace and dignity as I could and learn as much as I can,” Mena said.
The three competing distillers were challenged to create absinth, a spirit that Mena had never made before. Luckily, she wasn’t completely unfamiliar with how the highly alcoholic liquor should taste. She used her vast knowledge of herbalism to take down both of her competitors to become the first woman to win Master Distillers.
In 2022, she went on the show again for a special tribute episode and won with her Popcorn Sutton-inspired whiskey.
Young Hearts Distilling 🥃
Mena moved to the City of Oaks in June 2021 to become the head distiller at Young Hearts Distilling, the first distillery in downtown Raleigh.
“I’m really proud of my gin,” Mena said. “I wanted to make something happy + cheerful and I feel like I nailed it.” said Mena.
Mena wrapped up her time at Young Hearts in February to start a new chapter in her career and personal life. You can still pick up her gin, vodka, and agave spirits at Young Hearts.
What’s next 🌎
Mena is taking time to concentrate on contracting for distillers and bar programs, making natural medicine, refocus on her passions, and spending time with her 94-year-old grandmother in the Outer Banks.
She’s also looking forward to exploring more of Raleigh. When she arrived to the City of Oaks, she hit the ground running with little-to-no-time to explore.
Her favorite spots in the Triangle (so far) are Aunty Betty’s Gin & Absinth Bar, Crawford and Son, and Cat’s Cradle.
Mena’s excited to take this time off to hopefully come back refreshed and full of new ideas. She is still accepting some distilling contract work, so, if you need a special botanical spirit made, Mena’s your gal.
Oh us? We’re hoping she gets another call from “Moonshiners: Master Distiller.”
