September 2022
Building
The roof is one small step away from being complete. Ben Carroll’s crew removed old and unneeded equipment from the roof (pictures here) and laid down the metal roofing. It looks amazing (see picture above). They are waiting for a shipment of flashing to wrap everything up.
Derek is also close to finished dismantling the old office space. He took apart the second level, the well-built floor between the two levels, and the walls of the first floor. See picture below to see how they floored over the old horse and buggy ramp from when this was a showroom and repair shop.
As we renovate, we’re thinking ahead to what we’ll build. To help us do it well, we applied for a Planning Grant through the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund. This grant will help us tackle more advanced work with our architect, Drew Nuding. Yesterday, we were invited to the next step in the application process!
In other grant+building news, Derek is working on estimating the cost of energy-efficient materials that would be eligible for a grant called the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
Business
The UMW Western Capstone Consulting Team pitched us a scope of work on Monday. They will focus on:
establishing the value proposition of our tasting room,
helping us understand our customer base and market segment, and
defining key communication channels so that we spend our time and money wisely.
These students are engaged and sharp - we’ll keep you posted on their work through the semester.
We’ve also reached out to Michele Lake, a brilliant communication strategist, who is helping us ensure our brand reflects our values. Part of our work with her will be finding copywriters and art directors to translate our logo into different versions for its different uses.
Speaking of logo, we’ll soon be ready to show you! We’re polishing right now, dreaming of days it will be on bottles and merch, and working through the trademark process. It will be worth the wait.
Distillery
Now that we’ve decided on the hybrid pot still, we’re turning our attention to paperwork and hiring:
As I’ve mentioned before, we are navigating permits, fees, and licenses on the local, state, and federal levels. These processes will ramp up in the coming months. Wish us smooth sailing, helpful people, and the right amount of luck.
We’re crafting a job description for a head distiller to join us in late spring / early summer. When we’re ready, I’ll include the link in an upcoming newsletter as well as on social media.
We’ve been sipping on some Blue Corn Bourbon from Blackpot Distillery. Smooth, slightly sweet, and Montana-made, we thoroughly enjoy this bourbon and highly recommend it.
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