OUR STORY
Willie’s Distillery was established in 2012 with a simple goal in mind: create a brand and develop products that embody the independent spirit and authenticity of the American West while supporting its local economy and residents. Founders Willie and Robin Blazer showcase the character of their small hometown with local ingredients and regional flavor in what’s considered to be some of the best Spirits in Montana.
Willie, originally hailing from Appalachian moonshine country in western North Carolina, is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces and U.S. Forest Service. He served as an Army Ranger, Special Forces Medic, Hotshot Wildland Firefighter and Smokejumper. Robin, being raised on a grain farm in southwest Montana, brought a strong business development and marketing background along with her Montana roots. Her work serves as a testament to Montana’s prohibition-era history of a female-driven spirits industry.
Rest in peace Robin Hensley Blazer, Matriarch of the Distillery (11/24/1975 – 1/27/2022)
At Willie’s Distillery we use a custom-made copper pot still from Bavarian Holstein, a family-owned company that has built world-class spirit stills since 1958.
We mill, mash, ferment and distill corn, barley, oats, and rye on-site, and produce spirits using ingredients such as molasses, honey, cream, chokecherries, apples, and the best water under the big sky. Just ask our trout.
We run with a very hands-on process. Every batch is different. We taste and select only the best parts of the spirits, the hearts.
The majority of a whiskey’s flavor comes from the barrel aging process. We only select the best wood for our barrels using several sizes ranging from 10 gallon to 53 gallon. Our process of blending and marrying these barrels to the perfect taste is something we take very seriously. Our mountain climate; temperature, humidity, and elevation are ideal for aging whiskeys and brandies. All of our spirits are nonchilled filtered.
In the last decade, we’ve grown to become Montana’s premier destination distillery. Our stills produce some of the state’s bestselling Montana-made spirits. As was the case in the early days of the Distillery, we still produce, bottle, label, cork and pack all of our spirits by hand. We’re independently owned and operated. Our facility captures a fading piece of Americana; we put that undying Americana spirit in a bottle.
Our team takes pride in not only hard work but quality over quantity.
Duckworth / Helle Ranch
REVOLUTION RESERVE
Willie’s Distillery is celebrating America’s 250th! Revolution Reserve is a bourbon whiskey that has been crafted to honor 250 years as the United States of America and the enduring spirit of 1776. We have made exactly 1,776 bottles of decadent straight bourbon whiskey. We embrace freedom, resilience, and pride. The alcohol percentage is 56% in honor of the 56 signers on the Declaration of Independence. This 112-proof premium product will be the highlight of your summer. Rich, full-bodied and unapologetically American, this spirit celebrates liberty, love of country, and the timeless tradition of enjoying finely made American spirits.
This limited edition product will be release on July 1, 2026. We will have Montana Picture Gallery onsite doing historic and nostalgic photography from Noon-6pm. There will be a food truck and live music in the evening, along with your fellow Americans. Celebrate liberty with us and have a taste of the Revolution before it is gone.
Daems Ranch
The Daems family history runs deep through the Madison Valley. In 1863 Dr. Levinus Daems settled in Virginia City, opening the City Drug Store on Wallace St. A visionary, he served as the first doctor, mayor, and put his heart and soul into bringing law and order into the Montana Territory, even leading the famous Vigilantes of Virginia City.
Henry and Lev, sons of Dr. Levinus, established the Daems Ranch on Varney Road in 1883, purchasing the land with gold coins left to them when he passed away. Registering the livestock brand Two Bar in 1883, they lived side by side for over 60 years. Another son of Dr. Levinus, Paul Daems, lived on Varney with his wife Hattie Wood, herding sheep and managing the Economy Power Plant on Spring Creek. Their sons helped to run the ranch on Varney Road as it passed through family over the years, including using unique horsemanship talents to break, train, and sell horses to the US Army.
Allen Daems, his son Kevin, and grandson Luke, fourth, fifth and sixth generation Daems in Madison Valley, now continue the family legacy on the Daems Ranch. With their spouses and children they manage the family cattle business that is now 142 years in the making.
little belt cattle company
Little Belt Cattle Company (LBCC) is a veteran founded business in the Musselshell River Valley in Meagher County, MT. Owned and operated by former Navy SEALs, Tim Sheehy and Greg Putnam, the company is founded on the entrepreneur-minded ability to embrace challenges, transition to civilian life, and to support family and community. LBCC is a working cattle ranch and premium beef company.
The ranch takes its name after the Little Belt Mountains, the range that frames the northern border of their headquarters where they run their cow/calf and yearling cattle operations. LBCC has successfully built a vertically integrated local supply chain of 100% Montana premium beef. They supply several local restaurants and markets, along with having national distribution via on-line sales.
Little Belt Cattle Company produces the highest quality Montana cattle and beef start to finish. They retain ownership of the cattle throughout their lifecycle, providing quality assurance every step of the way. The cattle are bred, born, and raised in open pastures on the ranch. The ranch utilizes regenerative practices to get the highest level of performance from both the rangeland and the cattle. You can trust that the cattle have been raised the right way, the Montana way.
Whiskey, wisdom, and updates
JUG BRAND
We honor the Jug Brand with batch one. The passing of brand heritage was shared with our cofounder Robin Hensley Blazer when she and Willie began the distillery. The jug brand is a foundational part of the Willie’s Distillery logo.
In 1921 Woodrow Hensley settled in the Crow Creek Valley in Broadwater County. There he raised a family while ranching and farming the land. His son, Rob Hensley, continued their family agricultural traditions in Toston, MT. In the early 70s, a local rancher took a liking to Rob and his wife, Sue. He gifted the Hensley’s the Jug Brand, which they used to brand their small herd of Herford’s. The Herford’s were a gift from Woodrow when Rob and Sue’s third daughter, Robin, was born.
Robin grew up on the grain farm with her family. They farmed three sections of irrigated Durham wheat, malt barley, alfalfa hay and corn silage. The malt barley was sold to Coors, and the silage was fed to the feed lot cattle owned by Boulder Valley ranchers. This grain farming also gave Robin specialized knowledge of critical ingredients that would later go into crafting bold spirits at the distillery she and Willie would build in Ennis.
The jug brand remains in the Hensley family today. With four generations of Montanans, they carry on the spirit of the American West.
Title: CEO/Founder
Favorite Drink: Bighorn Bourbon on the rocks.
Favorite song to drink to: Rooster.
Most unusual job you’ve ever had: Special Forces.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up: Chuck Norris.
Three words to describe working at Willie’s: Whiskey is smooth.
