Brush Creek Distillery appoints new head distiller

Small-batch distiller Brush Creek has appointed Philip Mundt as its new head distiller and production manager. The distillery is set on the Brush Creek Ranch, a one-of-a-kind epicurean centre in Saratoga in south central Wyoming’s North Platte river valley.

Newly-appointed Philip Mundt is a native of Colorado and the previous production manager at Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey. He brings more than a decade of experience in the whiskey industry to the role in Wyoming, where he is set to oversee all operations at the distillery, while also managing partnerships and collaborations with The Farm at Brush Creek. 

The distillery is set on a 30,000-acre working cattle ranch, enabling the brand to incorporate ingredients from the land in its on-site distilling and blending programs.

Philip takes pride in perfecting each step of the process from field harvesting Wyoming barley, to experimenting with different flavors in the fermenting process and maturation in the barrel and cask finishes. 

“We could not be more thrilled to welcome Philip to our team as head distiller,” said Andrew Wason, managing director of Brush Creek Distillery. “With knowledge of the entire distilling process along with a passion for building on tradition to create a product that is unique to its surroundings, we are confident that he will bring our program and our product to the next level.”

Prior to his role at Stranahan’s, Philip served at Mother Earth Brewing in North Carolina, where he began his distilling educational journey. His love of whiskey is a direct result of travels abroad, as well as studies at universities in Switzerland and Scotland. Now at Brush Creek he will lead all operations, including recipe development, mashing, brewing, distilling, barrel and cask operations, blending and packaging, as well as the education among his distillery team and the ranch guests.

“Joining the Brush Creek Distillery team as head distiller is the career moment I am most proud of,” said Philip. “I am elated to work with this skilled team to introduce new programs and bring to market high-quality spirits found nowhere else.”

Brush Creek Distillery launched its first line of Brush Creek spirits – consisting of Brush Creek Straight Bourbon, Brush Creek Straight Rye, Brush Creek Vodka, and Brush Creek Gin – in the Wyoming market in 2020 and will expand into the Texas and Colorado markets in early 2021.