“We’re very, very young to be entering these competitions,” Blazer explained. “And super young to be receiving such high accolade.”
Ennis, Montana (PRWEB) January 12, 2015
2014 was a year of success and growth for Willie’s Distillery, a distillery based in Ennis, Montana.
Founded in 2010, Willie’s Distillery filled its first bottle of Montana Moonshine in 2012. This year, the mid-sized distillery entered a few competitions and rose to the top.
Early in the year, the distillery’s Big Horn Bourbon won a silver medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute out of Chicago, Ill. Shortly after, the Montana Moonshine and Montana Honey Moonshine took gold medals at the Los Angeles International Spirits competition. This summer, their Chokecherry Liquor was awarded first place at the Lewistown Chokecherry Festival – an honor considering the competition consisted of traditional recipes from Montana’s backcountry.
“This was the first year we entered any competitions,” said Robin Blazer, who founded and co-owns Willie’s Distillery with her husband Willie. “We didn’t have time before – we couldn’t even keep up with the demand for the products.”
Then, in December, Willie’s Distillery was named the Montana Distillery of the Year at the New York International Spirits Competition. For a fledgling distillery, only in its second year of distribution, the award was an honor. The judges considered taste, price, marketing and more when making the decision.
“We’re very, very young to be entering these competitions,” Blazer explained. “And super young to be receiving such high accolade.”
The success of 2014 serves as an affirmation of what Willie’s Distillery has been trying to do since its inception. The distillery is expanding, bringing healthy, responsible growth to the small town of Ennis (pop. 950), employing community members at livable wages and bringing revenue to the area.
Willie’s Distillery offers Big Horn Bourbon, Montana Moonshine – an unaged whiskey, Montana Honey Moonshine – a whiskey/rum hybrid, barrel aged and flavored with local Montana Honey and Chokecherry Liqueur – made from berries picked in Madison County, Mont., where the distillery is located. Willie’s recently released their Huckleberry Sweet Cream Liqueur and it has already caught fire in the marketplace. They also have experimented with seasonal beverages, including Tobacco Root Mountain Rye Whiskey and multiple variations of brandy.
Robin and Willie Blazer thank the Montana community for continual support. The distillery current distributes across its home state and has expanded its market to include Idaho, Wyoming, California, Tennessee and Singapore.
“We’re excited to give back to the community that has supported us so much,” R. Blazer said. “We look forward to expanding and making a positive impact on our community.”
You can order Willie’s Distillery’s products at wineliquorbeer.com, liquorama.net, and hitimewine.net or purchase them in the Tasting Room or any liquor store in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Tennessee and California.