Science and Spirits

Overview

Heather and Luke are a husband and wife team who came to Thoroughbred with a vision, passion, and opportunity - what they needed was help putting the pieces together. Heather, a brilliant scientist and yeast specialist, has an incredible penchant and gift for brewing, and Luke is a fourth-generation cheesemaker with immense knowledge of cheese production and everything that comes from it. Together, they had a dream of distilling whey and creating their own family legacy.

Challenges

• No spirits experience
• Technical expertise
• How to brand whey

Results

• World-class distillery
• Multiple brands
• Leader in Wisconsin market
• Award-winning spirits

As with any project, the first step was to confirm that the vision made financial sense. Thoroughbred got to know the team and learned more about their production process and vision. From there, we developed financial modeling and guided them through the Go/No-Go process. With a clear understanding of what was possible, the Thoroughbred team was engaged to deliver on brand development and packaging design, as well as to assist Heather in perfecting the liquid development. With multiple brands created, the team then helped with route-to-market strategies and the hiring of key personnel. Now, the family has built a world-class, multi-brand whey and grain-to-glass distillery, complete with a brewery and restaurant. They’ve also been aging their own whiskies for release within a couple of years, at which point they will expand their award-winning portfolio beyond their home state.