Some time back, we had the opportunity to pull up a stool at the bar at Plonk in Missoula and visit with Casey McGowan, owner of Trailhead Spirits in Billings, Montana. Casey is a classic example of the new rural paradigm; a farm kid who doesn't want to live on the farm but also doesn't want to completely sever his ties to it. After establishing himself successfully in the insurance business, he began to feel the tug of his agricultural roots, which led to the idea of creating a distillery.
Trailhead Spirits begin their life on the family's wheat farm outside of Highwood, where members of the McGowan clan cultivate and harvest the grain that is the basis for their craft spirits. The wheat, water and several of the botanicals used are all sourced in-state. In fact, 4 of the 14 botanicals used in their Healy's Gin are either grown in or native to Montana.
Healy's Gin is a light, American-style gin that contains a mix of botanicals that is 60% juniper, complimented by such odes to area flora as sage, bitterroot, and sweetgrass. A big part of Trailhead's distilling philosophy is the willingness to change, adapt, and just play around with various flavors and offerings in search of "something we like", as Casey puts it.
"We're always one batch away from changing it up," he says.
One example of this commitment to exploration is their Healy's Reserve, a cask rested gin that looks to carve out a niche in a rapidly evolving spirits landscape. Casey views experimentation as a critical element in the Trailhead business model, employing an agile, inquisitive approach when it comes to product development. He envisions a series of small releases at different times through the year, seasonal offerings that act as compliment and foil to the regular catalog of spirits, which is slated to include an absinthe, honey liqueur, and, of course, a whiskey.
And while Trailhead, like most producers of craft spirits, is banking on cultivating a strong base of loyal customers, their enterprising nature epitomizes what so many of us love about the craft movement: regional flavor, nuance, and a back-to-our roots mentality.
"There's sure to be some epic failures," Casey acknowledges. "And that's the beauty."
We agree.
MicroShiner thanks Trailhead Spirits and Plonk for their time and hospitality.
This post appeared first on MicroShiner.com
