Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 1 44 I'M NO STRANGER TO HEADFRAME'S TASTING ROOM, a cozy and old-fashioned lounge that pays tribute to the history of Butte with authentic Anaconda Mining Company artifacts, not to mention some really good drinks. One of them, the Kelley Single Malt, is a particular favorite of mine. Between you and me, sometimes I'll celebrate having finished an article for the maga- zine with a shot or two of Kelley. But Headframe also produces well -known products like Orphan Girl bourbon cream liqueur, Never- sweat bourbon whiskey and more. I've been to the Tasting Room many times before, and every time someone visits me in my adopted town of Butte, I always take them there. But somehow, I never paid much attention to the bar before now. It is a long, gorgeous hardwood number that looks as if a hundred years or so of cowboys and miners have rubbed it to a reflective polish. After introducing myself to Courtney McKee, who owns Headframe Spirits with her husband John, I ask her about it. She tells me that it's the bar from the Rocky Mountain Cafe, which used to serve folks in Meaderville, a suburb of Butte destroyed in the creation of the Berkeley Pit. The World Museum of Mining had it in storage for years. "They still own it, but we're its caretakers. People have met, fallen in love, and gotten engaged in front of that bar. It's great that the people of Butte get to touch the bar again," she says. Looking at the stools arranged in front of it, I notice that they have small plaques attached to them. Examining one, I see it has someone's name on it, so I ask Courtney what it means. She tells me they're members of the com- munity that they want to know always have a seat there. The more we speak, the more apparent it becomes that making very tasty spirits from high-quali- ty and locally sourced ingredients, while noble as all heck in my book, isn't all they've got in mind for Headframe Spirits. For one thing, they're one of only seven B Corp certified companies in Montana, which means they met the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance. They also manufacture stills that blend the cutting edge with timeless tech, one of which I had the pleasure of exam- ining up close before they ship it off to a distillery in D.C., where a few Headframe employees would also go to help set the still up. "Aren't you just arming your competitors?" I ask. by SHERMAN CAHILL Spirits Inspired by the Past, But looking To the Future Headframe Headframe Spirits Spirits Headframe

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