A cabin with business partners, heaps of market research data, pens and papers scattered all over, and a serious discussion on the massive investment that is needed. Isn’t this how businesses are planned? Actually, not really. Dry Fly Distilling is living proof of that.

It all started on a bright sunny day when knee-deep in the Gallatin River in Montana, two corporate executives, Don Poffenroth CEO & Founder, and his good friend Kent Fleischmann were enjoying fly fishing and a conversation. This casual conversation on the beauty of life and how they are not meant for corporate life anymore further unfolded itself into a revolutionary idea of producing handcrafted spirits and led to the genesis of Dry Fly Distilling.

The spirit of innovation

Established in April 2007, Dry Fly Distilling is the first distillery in Washington since the prohibition era. It produces award-winning gin, vodka, and whiskey. It has also recently released a line of canned cocktails featuring its award-winning spirits. 

Being a part of the product-based industry, Dry Fly Distilling understands the importance of keeping its products unique. As industry giants continue to dominate the market, it ensures that each product has a signature taste of its own and is made of the finest ingredients from selected farms. With a true farm-to-bottle operation, every sip of liquor offers the unfathomable purity and quality it desires. “Our beverages are enjoyed by a wide range of consumers and can be used in delicious cocktails or on their own, our canned cocktails are ready-to-drink and take the cocktail preparation out of the equation,” says Terry Nichols, Vice President, Sales & Marketing and Co-owner Dry Fly Distilling. “We are known for trying new things like making whiskey from a grain called Triticale or producing the first 100% Wheat Whiskey in the country.” Dry Fly Distilling through its products is giving the tenured players a tough time. A perfect trio of unmatched quality, versatility, and class, its products are setting new industry benchmarks. By offering top-notch quality products, it has sent a message to its competitors and is in the race for a longer run. “Today, our growth is coming from two primary sources, the new canned ready-to-drink cocktails we introduced in the fall of 2019 and whiskey, particularly Bourbon!” discusses Terry. “The cocktails are made with all-natural fresh ingredients and our premium spirits; we can scale up production here quickly so as a growth engine they are great. Whiskey on the other hand takes time to develop, it is a minimum 3-year investment from the time you put that barrel away until you can bottle and sell it, so a bit longer road to scale up.”

The alcoholic beverages industry is indeed an attractive and lucrative domain to step into. However, it is one of the toughest to survive. With people always looking out for something new, it is also an opportunity to come up with something they haven’t tasted. In an attempt to be the best in the industry, Dry Fly Distilling has consistently upgraded itself and proved itself fit in every realm of business. “Dry Fly Mission is creating an environment where quality always wins out over quantity. We are committed to balancing innovation in spirits while honoring time-tested tradition,” says Terry. “For us, the journey matters – how we make our products, and the people we meet along the way, are incredibly important to us.” May it be the quality of ingredients, the manufacturing processes, the marketing strategies, or the distribution of the final products, Dry Fly Distilling has not left even a single stone unturned. “We are a small company competing in a sector dominated by industry titans, multi-national corporations that dwarf us, so we are competitive, tenacious, nimble, innovative, quality-driven, community-minded, and socially responsible,” says Terry.