Blue Ridge Bootleg Coffee

Blue Ridge Bootleg Coffee Organic Single Origin Coffees. Roasted in the NC Mountains. Coffee Crafted for Creatives & Connoisseurs. World-Class Coffee Without Pretense. Enjoy! Matt King
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My grandfather, Fred King and my great grandfather, Benjamin Thomas Wright both made bootleg whiskey in the mountains of Western North Carolina. They called it the "White Mule" because it was clear in color and carried a kick, however, it was quite delicious, so you had to be careful when drinking it or you'd wind up crawling out the door

on your hands and knees. They made it behind the city incinerator in Hendersonville, North Carolina. One Christmas, they noticed that some local restaurants had thrown out citrus that was over ripened, (mostly oranges and grapefruit) so they tried it out in their mash recipe. What they wound up with was a delicious likker (spelled properly in the mountains) that apparently had a higher proof as a result of the the fruit and when cooked right, was undeniable popskull likker. Bootlegging may have it's checkered history, but it's an art that few truly ever learned to master. (Check out the documentary on Popcorn Sutton, a former friend of my father)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glQjCKAI4gA

I never got into making moonshine, instead, I've had a 20 year career as a recording artist and writer in Nashville, TN. I recorded 2 traditional country albums for Atlantic Records, spent years on the road, and then did a record with Jay Joyce called "Rube." It was a look into the darker side of Appalachian culture and the struggle so many have to make it out of a life of spiritual, physical and mental poverty. As I was writing that album, I spent most every afternoon and evening at a local roastery and became obsessed with Malabar beans and the espresso that came from them.
10 years later, I received 50 pounds of the same green beans from two dear friends as a birthday present. With an industrial heat gun and a stainless colander, I began roasting, burning and baking the beans until I had a deliciously strange roast. I gave it to friends, family and yes, coffee snobs everywhere and to my surprise, it was a hit. As fate would have it, a dear friend introduced me to her brother-in-law, Mike Arnold who is a master roaster and owns Raphael's Roastery in Coffee County Tennessee. Mike began creating a roast profile for me at his roastery and within a couple of years, I was studying roasting under Don Cox from Boone, North Carolina. Our flagship coffee is aptly named, "Popskull Pitch" after the moonshine my people used to make because like their likker, it's strong and yet seductively smooth! Today, we have our own Sanfransiscan roaster and have built a roastery (www.kingcoffeeroasters.com) in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Tuckasegee, North Carolina and spend our days developing coffees that we get to share with you. As a 3rd generation North Carolinian, it's my desire to honor the perseverance and craftsmanship of my family and of Appalachia while building a team that is honored to be a part of a globally conscious coffee community.

06/18/2026

Come on in, it’s weird, wonderful and there’s a mug with your name on it.

They’re back! Lindsey has whipped up a batch of our house-made syrups in a limited run. Grab them while they last. In st...
06/15/2026

They’re back! Lindsey has whipped up a batch of our house-made syrups in a limited run. Grab them while they last. In store only.

From Eric Hillman co-owner of Blue Ridge Bootleg:Sixty-five years ago, I had no idea where life would take me.I didn’t k...
06/14/2026

From Eric Hillman co-owner of Blue Ridge Bootleg:

Sixty-five years ago, I had no idea where life would take me.

I didn’t know about the mountains I’d call home, the businesses I’d help build, the people I’d lead, the family I’d love, or the challenges I’d face along the way.

Looking back at this picture, I can’t help but smile. Somebody thought enough of me to put a crown on my head and a scepter in my hand. Not because I was a king, but because I was loved. Because every life begins with possibility.

What strikes me most today isn’t the crown. It’s that little boy looking up, seemingly focused on something beyond the camera. Maybe that’s why this photo means so much to me now. It reminds me that life is not about where you start—it’s about where God leads you and what you do with the opportunities He places in front of you.

Sixty-five years later, I’m still looking ahead. Still building. Still learning. Still serving. Still believing the best chapters are yet to be written.

Funny how an old photograph can remind you just how far you’ve traveled. And who would’ve ever thought my last venture in business would be with a guy named King? Happy Sunday all. Big. E

06/10/2026
06/10/2026

Yes. Matt King really sings. Our founder started roasting during the pandemic after being stuck in the studio. He still writes and records in Nashville. Here’s a snippet of covering “when you say nothing at all” originally cut by the late great Keith Whitley.

MUGSHOT MONDAY WANTED: Sara CameronCharges: Bean Embezzlement, First DegreeShe rolled in from Ohio and immediately start...
06/08/2026

MUGSHOT MONDAY

WANTED: Sara Cameron
Charges: Bean Embezzlement, First Degree
She rolled in from Ohio and immediately started making herself indispensable. We don’t know what they were feeding her up there, but we’re glad she found her way to the mountains.

Welcome to the crew, Sara. Try not to steal ALL the beans.

☕ MountainMade WesternNC

It’s Sunday. Rest a minute. Drink a mug. Count the blessings.
06/07/2026

It’s Sunday. Rest a minute. Drink a mug. Count the blessings.

06/04/2026

New partner. Same coffee.

Tonight, meet Eric Hillman

Eric’s spent his career building brands people actually trust. He looked at what we’ve built here in Sylva, the roasting, the single-origin sourcing, the songs, the love, time and hearts that paid for it, and he put his name next to mine.

I don’t take that lightly. None of this is by my own hand. Grateful to God for the door and the man He sent through it. To Heidi , you have stood when most would have gotten back on the bus and left town in a cloud of dust. You are the muse and spine of this thing.

And grateful to every staff member and to the THG family for putting wheels on it. To our Nashville, NC, California families and beyond, and mostly, to everyone who bought a bag, sat at the bar, or told a friend before anybody was watching. You’re building this with us.

The coffee doesn’t change. The standard only goes up. We’re building something that lasts.

Watch the whole thing. Then come sit with us at 582 W Main.

Mugshot Monday. Booking note, 1927.Subject: Hillman, E. They call him Big E.Charge: Human Battleship. Creatine in his c...
06/01/2026

Mugshot Monday. Booking note, 1927.
Subject: Hillman, E. They call him Big E.
Charge: Human Battleship. Creatine in his cortados-zero apologies.
Most of you don’t know him yet. Give it a minute.

Mugshot Monday. Caption: NAME: Travis Meadows CHARGE: Writing songs too hones...
05/25/2026

Mugshot Monday. Caption: NAME: Travis Meadows CHARGE: Writing songs too honest for their own good KNOWN ASSOCIATES: Church. Bentley. Owen. PRIOR OFFENSES: Killin’ Uncle Buzzy / Riser / What We Ain’t Got    Bbb ONE LEG. ZERO APOLOGIES.    THREAT LEVEL: Your favorite artist’s favorite songwriter.

Address

582 W Main Street
Sylva, NC
28779

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm
Saturday 8am - 6pm
Sunday 8am - 2pm

Telephone

+18283072016

Website

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