Tell us a little about Gulch’s history.
Tyrrell Hibbard: Gulch Distillers was started out of a passion for distilled spirits and mixology. The two of us bonded over a shared vision of creating craft spirits in Montana by capturing local ingredients and flavors and putting our story into the bottle. After a few years of bouncing ideas and encouragement off of each other, we took the plunge and jumped into production. Creating true small batch spirits in a small distillery has allowed us to be very nimble and focus on quality and take unique opportunities as they present themselves.
What would you say your vision/philosophy is as a distillery?
Steffen Rasile: We have a guiding principle to be true to our place. We grew up in this community, it is very much a part of us and our identity. Gulch Distillers takes its name from Helena, which exists at the convergence of over a half dozen gulches. Our vision extends from this principle, to create products that celebrate our place and to share our successes with our community. Part of that vision is also enriching our community, which we do through philanthropy, community events, partnerships and cultivating cocktail culture. We have had to be very nimble as a business and as a production facility to stay true to that vision. As a result we have adopted an open-minded philosophy that forces us to consider unlikely products, partnerships and processes.
You won for your fernet. Do you see a major untapped opportunity for American craft-distiller-produced herbal liqueurs?
TH: Herbal liqueurs were a big reason we got into this business in the first place. The amaro category is so broad and each spirit reflects the place it was made. The idea of place has always been one of our driving principles, and we feel our spirits represent Montana very well. You see these herbal liqueurs popping up on menus across the country because they each bring something different to the table. We love seeing these liqueurs come to the market, but consumer tastes have a way to go—we are educating 90 percent of the people who come into our tasting room on what Fernet is and how to enjoy it. We thought a lot about the bartender when crafting Burrone Fernet. Though it is delicious on its own, it also brings a lot of complexity to cocktails that really excites the drinker.
How do you position craft liqueurs in the market against larger, better known import brands?
TH: Since each amaro has a different profile we have positioned ourselves as another Fernet option. We have found that if you are a lover of fernet you are probably willing to try another expression in the category. Ours is a distinctly Western expression of an Old World liqueur. Bars that have more than one fernet often have as many as they can get their hands on. We are not trying to bump Branca off the shelf, we want to be right next to it.
What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned in the craft spirits business?
SR: The biggest lesson we have learned is that selling the spirit is just as important as the quality of the product you put in the bottle. Some people have the idea that if you make it, people will buy it. This has not been our experience; you have to get out there and tell the story of your product and make your product meaningful to consumers. Customers feed off the passion we have for our spirits and they understand what we are going for when we walk them through our product line. Engaging our customers has been critical in the development of Gulch; without their enthusiasm and support we would not have been able to take the product risks that have brought us to where we are.
Any new projects/products in the pipeline you care to share?
SR: We have been making single malt whisky since we first turned on the still. That product is still in barrels and it will make its way into a bottle when we feel like it is ready. We are also working on a new amaro that uses 100 percent Montana grown ingredients.
What was your immediate reaction when your product was announced as Best in Show?
TH: We enter our products into these competitions mostly to get feedback from industry professionals and to see how our work stacks up against other craft spirits. This feedback makes its way back into the factory where it informs our processes and helps us improve as distillers. With no expectations of placing in the awards, we were shocked and honored to win the Gold medal, then floored to win Best in Class. When Best in Show was announced I was in disbelief, and then astonished. To receive that honor when up against so many respected brands and products that we love and admire was a real thrill, particularly with our most polarizing spirit!
What do you recommend to other distillers looking to enter next year’s awards?
SR: Make yourself relevant, but be authentic. You need to create a product that is worthy of someone’s shelf space and true to yourself, your place, and your operation. You need to tell a story to keep your product on people’s minds. But most of all you need to believe in what you are doing and take pride in what you are making.
