Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Scalabrino.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am not exactly sure why I started the business. It started when Miranda (my wife) and I visited Raleigh Rum Company in the fall of 2017 for a tour. It was the first rum I could pallet and enjoy. I asked Miranda if I could approach them to make the amaretto. Raleigh Rum nor Miranda believed I would actually follow through on my desires, but here we are 9 years later. I think my entrepreneurial spirit comes from my Mother Deb or Debbie Scalabrino. Her Father was a baker and owned his own bakery. My Mom, while primarily a homemaker, would always embroider or craft fun things and sell them in the community. She would even attend craft fairs and take home a decent chunk of change. She would in turn spend that money on our Pokemon cards, Gameboys, and iPods … we were spoiled because of her, but our family kept us grounded and we understood we were blessed. I think I started the business as a rebellion against being in the Navy and always being told what to do and where to be and for how long. While I was an officer/leader in the Navy, I might have been able to color a different color, but I still had to color in the lines I was given (the best analogy I can think of).
I called each of Grandma’s children: My Dad (Frank) , TT, and Uncle John to ask for their blessing but also told them I didn’t want to owe anyone anything or want input unless I asked for it. They all cried and said “YES!” and gave the blessing without hesitation.
The liquor business is extremely difficult on many levels: getting recognition, convincing people why your product is different, laws are a huge obstacle and change from state to state, and so on. If I had known how difficult this would’ve been, I may have started a different business.
I started the business with my own $$$ about $7,500 year one. We started with and induction cooktop (which i bought from Williams Sonoma with a 20% discount code), 160 qt stainless steal pot and a mixing paddle. We used 50lb bags of sugar and I’d spend hours in a non-climate controlled warehouse in the Raleigh Winters and Summers making amaretto 110 gallons at a time. I would hand roll labels on and then Miranda and I (with the occasional help from friends and family… Thank you!) would fill bottles for 16 hours or so on weekends. It was a manual process and a sugary mess. There were many days and weeks we wanted to give up.
As profits came in, we reinvested almost every dollar and eventually invested in new equipment to become more efficient. After 5 years of making every single bottle by ourselves, we had Raleigh Rum make our product for us and now Central Standard in Milwaukee since June 2025.
We worked with MRC Raleigh, a local design firm, to redesign the label in 2022 and then switched to screen printing to save time on rolling labels by hand.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road. If I had known how difficult this path would be, it may have deterred me from starting the business. The liquor business, let alone entrepreneurship is difficult in itself. There are so many legal obstacles and hurdles for start ups to succeed: funding, recognition, ability to get distribution, and so on.
One specific small example is that one time we were bottling and I forgot to sample along the way. I finally took the time to sample the product and it tasted completely like sugar. I forgot to mix the tote that had the amaretto in it and the alcohol settled at the top. I had to dump 100s of already capped and sealed bottles back into the tote, mix, and start back over. A couple hours wasted is a big deal when we we’re balancing multiple jobs and didn’t have much time in the first place.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Jack of many and master of some trades. I am always busy. I never stop and it’s not enough for me to have one hobby or skill. I started my career in the Navy (10 years) as a Pilot, made instructor, had many different jobs in the Navy: Safety Officer, Pilot Training Officer, Maintenance Manager, NROTC Instructor, Recruiter, Advisor, Mobile Unit Leader, and more. I then transitioned into the tech world in 2019. My BS is in IT and my MS is in Computer Networks. I’ve worked as a Sales Engineer/Solutions Engineer in AI, Fintech, and IoT over the past 6 years. I am proud that I am truly flexible and eager to learn new things to advance not only my career but the community around me.
Of course I am also an entrepreneur who wears many hats every day: which the company started when I was teaching Naval ROTC at NC State and getting my MS in Computer Networks. I am not sure how I balanced everything but I did and never gave up.
I’ve installed some home solar projects, home A/C projects, and work on my mountain bike. I love being handy and saving money where I can while learning a new skill at the same time. I am proud that I never give up and always invest in myself, our company, and family.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Family and Faith.
Faith in God that HE will always have my back. It may not be pretty or a straight path without pain but I know if I focus on HIM and HIS Golden Rules that I will be set.
Family: Nothing matters more in this “rat race” on Earth. There are lot of human constructs in this World and some are necessary (to some degree) to live a comfortable life, however, you can always want more and search for more, but what really matters at the end of the day is Family. The love they have for you and you for them is unmatched and doesn’t leave me feeling empty (unlike worldly goods).
Pricing:
- MRSP $27-$35
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.oakcityamaretto.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakcityamarettoco/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oakcityamaretto
