Whistling Andy Distillery celebrates 15-year milestone

Montana’s oldest distillery looks back on humble beginnings and more than a decade of serving high-quality, handcrafted spirits.

Founder and Distiller Brian Anderson sat down next to Head Distiller Gabe Spencer in the lounge area of Whistling Andy Distillery, located of Montana 35 in Bigfork. They looked around their front-of-house, with its warm wood interior and ample space. There’s a section with tables and chairs for diners to enjoy their Crafthouse menu, a gift shop and of course, a large bar with bottles of spirits lining the walls.

The distillery is a welcoming, comfortable space, just waiting for the community to get there and enjoy it. These days, they can handle hosting large events or the annual barrage of summer tourists — but it remains a cozy spot for locals, who will stop by for a drink after work or grab a bite to eat.

That’s always been the goal for Whistling Andy, according to Anderson, who set out on this journey more than 20 years ago.

Anderson is a geo-hydrologist by trade. Prior to starting Whistling Andy, he spent time on the North Slope of Alaska doing wetland delineation engineering. This work took him to several other states across the country, where he would work on stormwater runoff design projects.

He settled down in Bigfork, and his wife Lisa Cloutier, a chef, opened two restaurants. They also opened a small, boutique hotel across from The Raven.

It was the early 2000s, and Anderson said they were both really getting into spirits.

“I appreciate good beer and wine, but they were never what I really geeked out on. So, I originally tried to put the project together in 2003. But it was still illegal in Montana, so I had to wait for some legislation to get passed,” Anderson said.

In 2005 state legislators changed Prohibition-era liquor laws to allow distilleries to produce small batches of alcohol for limited distribution.

There were no opportunities to practice distilling spirits before he officially started the business, as it’s illegal without a license.

“It's not like home brewing, where you can distill at home or in your garage and start working on recipes ... We had to have a commercial building, equipment and a federal license before we were able to start it all. And because my wife already had a liquor license (for her restaurants) I definitely wasn't jeopardizing that by making moonshine, right?” Anderson said.

But he was determined. After getting his liquor license, he purchased the building that would become the distillery’s first home. It was a small building that sat off the highway, south of current location, near the entrance to Bridge Street.

Anderson said they started construction in 2009, but had to wait for equipment to be manufactured, because everything was custom built.

“Then we got the still in and I frantically tried to figure out what I was doing,” Anderson said.

The business was named Whistling Andy, which was his father’s nickname in the Air Force.

In 2010 there were 145 distilleries in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Anderson said of that number, only 40 made their own spirits in-house.

He dove into books that were written before Prohibition to get better information about distilling. This included a look at how other producers set up shop. He said he learned about how the Seagrams plant was built in Lawrenceburg, Indiana and read peer-reviewed articles from the University of Michigan’s distilling graduate program.

He also visited distilleries in other states, which helped him navigate rules and regulations. Because distilleries were so new in Montana, he remembers learning alongside the state and county inspectors, who were also getting familiar with the new state regulations.

There was a lot of trial-and-error with their first batches of liquor, he said.

“I made subpar spirits for the first several months and kind of lied to myself. I told myself that they were unique and had character, but they were just bad,” Anderson said. “And then I had that hard, honest conversation— t hat this isn't good, and I need to go back to it. So, I had a cot set up in my office and I slept there five nights out of every seven for the first couple of years, just trying to figure out what we were doing.”

Anderson said he’s thankful they had an honest conversation about the quality early, because it only pushed him to do better.

This meant finding their niche, which is still one of their strong suits: delicious spirits made from real ingredients.

“We really want to bring something new to the conversation ... We're not doing extracts or flavorings. With the huckleberry vodka, it's real huckleberry. And with the hibiscus coconut rum, it’s real hibiscus, real coconut, that's spun in a centrifuge and separated out from the fat,” Anderson said.

It wasn’t long before someone as equally nerdy about the distilling process would join his team. Spencer, now the head distiller, started working at Whistling Andy in July 2015. He knew Anderson’s business partner Mike Marchetti through the beer brewing world, as the two worked together briefly at Flathead Lake Brewing Co.

Spencer brought a love of craft beer and a “curiosity” to learn how to make spirits. He said he and Anderson hit it off, with their relationship having a little bit of yin and yang.

“Gabe is phenomenal at being really meticulous. All of his strengths balance out my weaknesses, and hopefully vice versa,” Anderson said.

The two have seen the business grow over the years, eventually moving to a new location, which used to be the Flathead V8 Ford Museum. The space offered 25,000 square feet to grow production and expand their tasting room.

Whistling Andy now offers a multitude of spirits, from a crisp cucumber gin to a moonshine whiskey — which are shipped domestically and internationally.

Anderson and Spencer have also become advocates for the craft distilling industry in the U.S. Anderson said he and Cloutier spoke at one of the largest whiskey festivals in the world in Taiwan, where he taught a class on American distillates.

Spencer joined other distillers across the country this past fall, representing the American Craft Spirits Association in Washington D.C. He sits on the Association’s Government Affairs Committee, which organizes a legislative fly-in for their members every year. During this time, Spencer said they discussed topics important to the industry, like tariffs and market access.

One topic on everyone’s minds this past fall was the looming government shutdown. Spencer said it affected their ability to create a new spirit for their anniversary, as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has to approve new labels before a new product can be brought to market.

He said the lag doesn’t affect them as much as other distilleries who are just getting started.

“It’s always nice to bring something out and kind of have that buzz and excitement, especially during the holidays. And it's Bigfork, it’s very seasonal and our foot traffic spikes for six to eight weeks,” Spencer said.

There are still plenty of ways to celebrate with Whistling Andy this month. There will be a holiday themed trivia night on Dec. 10, followed by a visit from two of Santa’s reindeer on Dec.11, from 6 to 8 p.m. An all-day hot chocolate bar will be available on Dec. 13, and a Christmas sing-a-long with Nick Spears that night. There’s also a cookie decorating class set for Dec.17 and a Christmas market on Dec. 20.

Their anniversary celebration will be on Dec. 27, dubbed “Mixology, Milestones and 15 Years of Whistling Andy” starting at 5 p.m.

Spencer said he and Anderson will be behind the bar during the anniversary celebration, which is a nice “return to form” for the distillers. The two will be making signature cocktails and competing to see who's will sell the best.

When asked what drinks they might have in store, Anderson got a little tight-lipped.

“I have a couple of ideas,” he said.

“He just doesn’t want me to know,” Spencer said with a laugh.

Looking back on 15 years of ups-and-downs, Anderson said it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and not spend time reflecting.

“When it started, obviously, I wanted to grow and be successful. I think for anybody that's ever opened their own business or done their own thing easy to get bogged down in the minutia. But then when you get a chance to actually step back and kind of view it from the outside, it's pretty amazing,” Anderson said.

Learn more about Whistling Andy on their website, whistlingandy.com/.

Taylor Inman may be reached at 758-4440 or tinman@dailyinterlake.com .

Lisa Cloutier and Brian Anderson were selected as the winners of the Big Hat Award. Casey Kreider/For the Eagle

Whistling Andy Distillery celebrates 15-year milestone

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