Local distillery eyes Japan for growth

After attending a trade show in April, Whistling Andy Distillery in Bigfork is making plans to export its locally-made spirits to Japan.

Whistling Andy owner Brian Anderson traveled with six other Montana brewers and distillers to the trade show last month in Japan. The trip was organized by the Office of Trade and International Relations at the Montana Department of Commerce.

Anderson brought an assortment of Whistling Andy spirits for distributors to sample at the Tokyo show, which featured food and beverage businesses from around the world and had a turnout of about 75,000 people.

“People really fell in love with our spirits,” he said, adding that the gins and select whiskey were the biggest hits.

The Wine and Gourmet Japan trade show was a three-day event, and Anderson extended his trip to 10 days to meet with restaurant owners, craft spirit liquor stores and potential import partners. Among them, he found two importers he is now working to partner with.

One importer is interested in purchasing a container of the Whistling Andy Harvest Select Whiskey, Anderson said. The other company is interested in a mixed container of all the various Whistling Andy spirits. Each container has about 20,000 bottles — a good place to start — with the potential for a long-term relationship to follow, he said.

Anderson is still in the process of striking a deal with the two importers, adding that he feels it’s important to “Take the time to make sure we are successfully launching into a sustainable market.”

The local distillery first opened on New Year’s Eve in 2010 as one of the first in the state in over 100 years. Anderson named the company after his father, who was nicknamed “Whistling Andy” when he served in the military.

The distillery first started with moonshine, but it was the hibiscus coconut rum that gained real traction — winning the Platinum Medal from Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards, Silver Medal from Micro Liquor Spirit Award and the Bronze Medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute. The rum also was awarded 91 points in Tasting Panel Magazine.

Also in Whistling Andy’s collection of award-winning spirits are the Pink Peppercorn and Pear Gin, Cucumber Gin, Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Hopshnop, which uses Bonsai Brewing Company’s Due North IRA.

A select few of the Whistling Andy spirits are only available in the distillery tasting room and a few local businesses, such as the kirschwasser, a cherry liqueur that uses 10 pounds of locally-sourced Flathead cherries for every 375-ml bottle.

As Whistling Andy expanded to new varieties of spirits over the years, its distribution has also grown. The distillery now exports to Australia, two provinces in Canada and several states in the U.S.

Nevada was the first state Whistling Andy began exporting to, with New Jersey and Washington following shortly after. This year the distillery has also launched into Maryland, Washington, D.C., Michigan and Illinois, with sights set on Mississippi as well.

Last fall the distillery signed a two-year contract with the MGM Corporation. Whistling Andy first made its appearance on Las Vegas drink menus at the ARIA, which led to a meeting with parent company MGM Corporation, known internationally for its high-end resorts and casinos including Luxor, The Mirage, The Signature at MGM Grand and the Bellagio.

“Nevada’s been a really neat state for us, with some of the best restaurant and cocktail bars in the country,” Anderson said.

With the popular resort giant carrying their spirits, more companies have been eager to partner with the distillery, he added.

With an ever-growing list of distributors, Whistling Andy is quickly filling up the space at its current location.

The increased demands that a partnership with Japanese importers would bring also will require higher production levels. This year Anderson plans to double the size of the mash tun and add several new stills.

These new additions, he said, will bring the distillery to eight times its current production.

As the distillery’s spirits make their way into new markets, Anderson said the ingredients and the inspiration will continue to be Montana-based, bringing a taste of Montana to new points on the globe.

“We want to make the best spirits we can and keep everything local when possible,” Anderson said.

For more information about Whistling Andy, visit http://www.whistlingandy.com/.

Reporter Alyssa Gray may be reached at 758-4433 or agray@dailyinterlake.com.