Distinctly Montana Magazine

Fourth-generation business Swanson's Mountain View Orchards and Distillery has been growing apples for over a 100 years, but is new to the distillery busi- ness. They recently added un-aged and aged apple brandy and honey whiskey to their product line. Billings will soon have two microdis- tilleries. Free Spirit Distilling is up and running, featuring Cliffhanger Vodka and 40 Love Gin (and eventually whis- key), and shares the same building and ownership as the Yellowstone Brewery. Trailhead Spirits is still in the licensing process. In Butte, Headframe Spirits is posed to issue their first release before the end of the year. Owners John and Courtney McFee's research for the distillery also included exploring the rich mining history of the area, reflected in the dis- tillery artifacts and the names of their spirits, which include High Ore Vodka and Anselmo Gin. Willie's Distillery in Ennis is shoot- ing for a late spring or early summer of 2012 opening. Owners Willie and Robin Blazer are banking on their great location along the Madison River to nab fisherman, hunters, and other recre- ationists and tourists. Every distillery has its own distinc- tive spirits, distillery, and branding. For example, Flathead Distillery's vision began with a catchy and colorful logo that depicts a flat-headed man tipping his cowboy hat. Whistling Andy touts that it is 100% veteran-owned and Gla- cier Distilling advertise their spirits as "gluten-free." Distilleries vary in size and output. State regulations limit them to 25,000 gallons per year and some distilleries use small stills and produce consider- ably less than that, while others like Whistling Andy and Roughstock have goals towards that limit and are already planning expansions. The hands-on and handcrafted nature of the microdistilleries carries over into many of their buildings. The Whistling Andy Distillery project was a lot like an old-fashioned barn raising. Family, friends, and local businessman www.distinctlymontana.com chipped in with time and materials to remodel a building for the distillery, which features reclaimed wood from a historic grain elevator and a bar made from a timber pulled out of Flathead Lake. Whistling Andy returns the favor by using almost all local products and providing a venue for local meetings and musician jam sessions. This community "clubhouse" atmo- sphere exists in part because state laws limit microdistilleries to serving two ounces of liquor per customer per day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., which gives the micrdistilleries a civility that transcends the typical bar attitude that can turn some people away. Many of the distilleries invite visitors to watch them at work. The distillers are a pleasant mix of mad scientists and comfy cooks surrounded by still, tanks, and vessels where they monitor and tweak each batch to their perceived per- fection. RoughStock and Glacier Distill- ing even invite the public to participate in bottling parties. Go to www.distinctlymontana.com/distillery121 for a list of Montana distilleries, contacts, and video with a co-founder of RoughStock Distillery. Distillers will tell you that it is this hands-on element that makes it so much fun. Distiller and owner, Nico- las Lee at Glacier Distilling, explains, "Handcrafted spirits are unique in the personal attention we can give to each distilling run. Each batch of grain we ferment has subtle differences that we can either emphasize or reduce in the distillation. We make each cut off the still based on what our senses tell us, relying on the technical parameters only as a guideline." Bryan Schultz of RoughStock Distillery also thinks the ability to experiment allows them to make something different than mass- produced spirits. He notes that the traceability also makes them special, "If you can point across the road or point to a map and tell the public where your grain was grown, where your water comes from, the name of the cooper 43 DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL KAY BJORK

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