“If you understand whiskey, you’re going to love it” – unlock the taste of Breckenridge Distillery
Situated in the mountainous skiing paradise of Breckenridge, Colorado, award-winning Breckenridge Distillery is a true icon for whiskey lovers everywhere. Renowned for being the ‘World’s Highest Distillery’, the company is based on the cusp of the Rocky Mountains’ Tenmile Range, with a main tasting room, restaurant, bar, and retail shop door-to-door. Its product portfolio encapsulates the beauty and freshness of its surroundings, offering everything from traditional craft whiskies and bourbons right through to gins, vodkas, tequilas, rums, liqueurs, bitters, and a variety of limited-edition treats.
With its products some of the most highly recognized in the United States, Breckenridge Distillery has something for everyone – tantalizing every tastebud and
satisfying every craving. Food Chain sits down with Bryan Nolt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at the business, to learn more about the company’s latest innovations and how it maintains its prominent position within the beverage industry. He begins by sharing some insight into Breckenridge Distillery’s heritage and its journey thus far.
“Breckenridge Distillery was officially founded in 2008, though I started out in 2007. I was working full time as a physician, so it was a bit of a passion project for me, but I really wanted to make great whiskey because I love whiskey,” Bryan reveals. “I originally set the business up as a kind of hobby, but we started releasing whiskey in 2011 and it started growing like crazy. We began winning the most coveted awards and we soon became a bit of a cult brand.
“Along the way, I started hiring people personally, guaranteeing all the debt myself; it was still very much a mom-and-pop kind of operation at that point. We then brought in Martin Franklin – an incredible business operator. Martin saw the company and asked for a stake, so I gave him one in exchange for him helping me to transition the business into a publicly-traded company. From that point onwards, we continued to grow, distributing to all 50 states, and we now have a large product portfolio – still very whiskey-centric, but also including vodka, gin liquers, brandies, aquavits, bitters, and other eclectic things. Four years ago, we were then acquired by publicly-traded company, Tilray, and we’re now the fourth largest craft beer brewer in the US.”
Innovative product portfolio
Augmenting the business’ existing success, the Tilray acquisition marked an evolutionary shift in Breckenridge Distillery’s wider growth trajectory. The $109.2 million acquisition, which was finalized in 2021, further built upon Martin and Bryan’s operational strategy, unlocking new marketing opportunities and greater economies of scale for the company going forward. As a result, Breckenridge Distillery has been able to invest further into new innovations, allowing it to pivot with the market and continue to delight its expansive customer base.
“With the market being where it currently is, you can either be stubborn, or you can try to understand it better. I think a lot of companies have suffered because they’re having trouble understanding the younger LDA groups, such as Gen Z; they like different flavors, not necessarily seeking out traditional spirits or craft beer as much. Understanding that market has been a huge endeavor for us over the last couple of years and we’re continuing to innovate with new products a little outside of our comfort zone,” Bryan explains. “For example, we’ve got a new product called Mountain Shot. It’s a lower-cost whiskey shot that tastes like an Andes chocolate mint. It’s a bar shot, but it also comes in these little collapsable serving flask packages with a big mountain gnome on the front. It’s very untraditional for where we’ve been; we made it for Gen Z but found that all age groups love it. We’ve also launched a non-alcoholic spirit line called Mock One which includes whiskey, gin, tequila, and rum. It’s going to be available on Amazon next month and you can also purchase it directly from Drinkmockone.com.”
Destination distillery
This unparalleled commitment to quality and innovation is just one of the reasons why customers love Breckenridge Distillery. With its 20th anniversary on the horizon, the company’s spirit and passion keep it ahead of the curve in this competitive market, allowing it to excite and impress its customers year on year. When Food Chain asked Bryan what qualities he feels differentiate Breckenridge Distillery, he homes in on the unique flavors and experiences that remain synonymous with the Breckenridge brand.
“There are a few things that I think set us apart from our competitors,” Bryan says. “First off, we’re a destination distillery; it’s not just about a product in a bottle that was created in some industrial location, and I feel that you can really taste that sense of place in our product. Secondly, the water quality here is incredible. It’s naturally rich in nutrients and minerals, which gives a great mouthfeel on all our products.
“There are a couple of ways you can do a spirit: you can be utterly committed to quality, or you can be utterly committed to just making money at the expense of everything else. We’ve taken the quality approach. We have a real commitment to whiskey and rye. I love what rye contributes to whiskey, and ours are 35 to 38 percent rye mash – that’s our signature style. If you understand whiskey, you’re going to love it.”
Organic growth
Blending lifelong passion with a continuous strive for excellence, Breckenridge Distillery has grown from a humble home project to a beverage market leader. With great things in store for the future, the company is well-positioned to grow further and prosper, despite current economic challenges.
“The environment’s really tough. I’m thankful that we’re a smaller player, meaning that we’re not so big that we can’t be nimble and navigate around inflationary challenges or labor issues. However, we’re still big enough that we’re well-known and can get some great economies of scale, which has helped us to manage well throughout this market downturn,” Bryan affirms.
“In five years’ time, I hope to see double digit growth on the same high-quality spirits and innovations that we’ve built our reputation on,” he concludes, optimistic for the future ahead. “We’d like to find more opportunities to diversify and grow our revenue; the Tilray partnership has really helped us to understand retail chains where our innovation will be a great fit. We’re hoping that one day, you’ll be able to find Breckenridge products in those larger national chains.”