We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrew Lang. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrew below.
Andrew, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The Leatherwood Distillery idea came from a long conversation with a friend of mine, Michael O’Neill. We were sitting around our hunting camp and enjoying some home-brewed spirits when he said to me, “What are you going to do when you retire from the military?” I mentioned that I’d probably go into overseas contracting like every other Green Beret and to my surprise he stated, “Why don’t you start a distillery!” The idea took off from there.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I’m a retired Green Beret with nine combat deployments spanning a 26-year career in the active component of the US Army. For years I enjoyed the distilling process and all the effort that goes into creating craft spirits and as the years went by, my exploration into wine making taught me a lot about the fermentation process. As I became more familiar with all the aspects that were essential to creating high-quality craft spirits, I gradually transitioned to distilling fermented wines and sugar wash. The thing that I’m most proud of regarding Leatherwood Distillery is that I’ve been able to leverage all the knowledge I’ve gained through years of trial and error and subsequently launch a modest line-up of high-quality craft spirits; the foundation of that success being a focus on solid fundamentals as well as incorporating procedures I’ve refined over time. Ultimately, I believe that too many distilleries today tend to overlook those very fundamentals and forget that it isn’t sustainable to take shortcuts and still end up with a great tasting, smooth product. While the Leatherwood brand has seen its share of success, it’s not just about creating a high-net-worth company – it’s an incredible opportunity to give back to the military veterans and first responders through different charities.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic Leatherwood Distillery was devastated by a fire at our production facility in Pleasant View, Tennessee. The fire easily destroyed 75% of the building and equipment and was a pivotal moment for me having lost so much, so quickly. The damage was incredible and really cemented some deep reservations about continuing on with distilling. Despite the challenges, I decided to rebuild and move forward.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I was blessed with five friends that initially invested in Leatherwood Distillery when it was just an ideae on a piece of paper. They are all good friends or former military colleagues who believed in me, believed in the product and have stood by me from the very beginning.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.
leatherwooddistillery.com Customer Support for all bottles purchased online, please contact: support@speakeasyco.com - Instagram: @
leatherwooddistillerycv - Facebook: Leatherwood Distillery
- Youtube: Leatherwood Distillery
- Yelp: Leatherwood Distillery
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