Episode Details

Our guest this week is David DeFazio, co-founder of Wyoming Whiskey. We discuss building a distillery on a ranch and making whiskey in Wyoming. David is a former lawyer turned whiskey maker and has a wealth of experience in working hard, solving problems, and crafting whiskey. We also want to give a huge shoutout to Bob Cutler of Novio's Bistro in Bangor Maine for connecting us with Wyoming Whiskey. He's a long-time supporter of the show and of Wyoming Whiskey and we are so excited that we were able to collaborate for an episode. We hope you enjoy this week's episode and if you have a chance to try Wyoming Whiskey, let us know what you think!

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About Wyoming Whiskey

Based in Kirby, Wyoming, Wyoming Whiskey has a simple goal: to create America's next great bourbon. The company and product is a collaboration between its partners and 97,818 square miles of Wyoming. The Mead family first came to Wyoming as ranchers in 1890 and the state defines them, and their whiskey. They use the finest corn, wheat, barley, and water from the Big Horn Basin and promote Wyoming's natural and human resources. Every drop of this bourbon is 100% Wyoming.

When was WW founded? 2006

Who are it's founders? Brad & Kate Mead, 4th generation Wyoming cattle ranchers, and David DeFazio. All of the founders currently reside in Jackson, but the distillery is at the Mead Ranch in Kirby, WY.

How many styles does Wyoming have? 6 in the main lineup

• Small Batch (flagship, highest quantity produced and sold)
• Outryder (Straight American Whiskey - WW's take on a rye)
• Single Barrel (top 1% of their liquid)
• Double Cask
• Barrel Strength
• National Parks Limited Edition

Other limited release offerings they've done: Wide Open Spaces collection and some Wyoming-only releases in limited batches such as Stargazer, Thunder Basin and Wilderness.

What are some unique factors that set Wyoming Whiskey apart in the industry?

#1: WW uses non-GMO grains, including corn, wheat, barley, and rye, all sourced from a local WY farmer named Brent Rageth. Part of WW's culture is to draw upon the natural environment in making their product. Genetically modified grains are, to an extent, unnatural. And for that reason, they will only use natural seed when raising their crops in Byron, Wyoming. An experienced farmer easily works around the challenges presented by non-genetically modified crops.

#2: Wyoming Whiskey does not source any alcohol. Every drop in our bottle comes from grains grown in Wyoming, which are cooked, fermented, distilled, barreled and bottled in Kirby, Wyoming. All of our grains come from Rageth Farms in Byron, Wyoming. WW's water comes from