October 2025

Building

Many of you locals have probably noticed the exterior improvements: a roof on the awning, replacement windows for the original ones that had been boarded up. The wood for the finished window trim, door trim, and walk-up counter repurposes wood found inside the building  

Derek has also repurposed shiplap siding to use in the distillery room – after he installs it, we will waterproof it so it is washable in the production area.  

We mentioned last month that Chris at the Beaverhead County Museum had found some Olmstead Stevenson grocer receipts for Joe A. Browne. I think he may have been of Twin Bridges, not Melrose as I said. Below are his receipts from April 1922 - it’s amazing to see what he was buying (and the prices).

Business / Community

Jesse Scofield has started on the lighting fixtures in the tasting room – he’s using an old piece of heavy sheet metal from the building. The patina will tie in beautifully with the antique ceiling tiles.  

Distillery

This month, Katrina brought her University of Montana Western students on a study abroad trip to Japan. With her co-leader, Laura, she enjoyed a variety of drinks the country had to offer, from convenience store caffe latte’s to matcha eggnog cocktails at Secret=View (and Laura had a chance to scout the acclaimed Mori Bar Gran!). It turns out, matcha’s seemingly ubiquitous popularity is more of an American phenomenon (and is having some issues).  

Katrina had a chance to visit two sake brewery museums and learn how the fermented rice wine was made, as well as try shochu, a distilled Japanese spirit. Usually made with one type of starch (ex. rice, wheat, potato) and distilled in a single run at a lower proof (usually 25-25%), shochu is a distinctive but flexible spirit. It is served either neat, with cold water, with warm water, or on the rocks (rokku), all of which bring out different flavor profiles. Katrina’s favorite was sweet potato shochu on the rocks.  

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