Distiller seeks $5m for community-led distillery
The former head distiller for Widow Jane has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise US$5 million to open the first member-owned whiskey distillery in the US.
Former Bankhall and Widow Jane distiller Vince Oleson is hoping to find one million people to contribute US$5 to bring the project, called Whiskey for the People, to life.
He is seeking to build a community-led whiskey distillery where employees will be core members with full transparency over finances, data and recipes.
Oleson, who is currently on a tour of whisky distilleries across the world, is planning to create whiskey in “very innovative ways” and define a “new category of Bourbon and rye”.
After being “confronted with spirits company CEOs that treat people like numbers on a spreadsheet”, Oleson said the aim was to open a distillery without sourcing funds from “venture capitalists, investment bankers, or real estate moguls”.
The Kickstarter page states the distillery will be built as sustainably as possible, it will support the local community in Colorado and will include building a bakery to “showcase how important grains are to whiskey”.
He said: “When I first started down this path, I could have gathered investors and carved out my little chunk of equity, but that’s exactly the status quo.
“I want to dream bigger, to change how we think about whiskey. I want to build a community and do something that’s truly innovative.
“Whiskey for the People will allow members to be a part of a united journey, with an open door to share every stage of this adventure.
“I am so inspired by the people and the community that I adore, so it only made sense to make them the centre of my next project.”
Investing in the project would provide a 5% discount for life and a tour of the distillery, the Kickstarter page explained.
According to his LinkedIn page, Oleson worked at New York’s Widow Jane from 2013 to 2019. His most recent role was at Halewood-owned Bankhall Distillery in Blackpool in the UK, serving as its distillery manager from November 2019 to August 2023.
Widow Jane joined the Heaven Hill portfolio in 2022, following the company’s acquisition of brand owner Samson & Surrey.
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