Middle West Spirits announced on Tuesday that the independent whiskey brand acquired Old Elk Distillery and all its assets for an undisclosed sum.
“This is a meaningful moment for both our teams,” Middle West Spirits Founding Lead Distiller Ryan Lang said in a statement. “Old Elk has built a respected and beloved brand with staying power, thanks to a distinct blending and innovation philosophy that complements the grain-to-glass production model. Their agility in developing award-winning blends pairs naturally with our technical approach and scale.”
The process that Lang refers to might just be Old Elk’s trademarked “Slow Cut” proofing process, that lengthens the proofing time by up to ten times what is the industry standard.
Breaking Bourbon reported on the indie whiskey brand’s innovative process and shared that the team at Old Elk believes that when hundreds of gallons of water are added at the usual pace of 1 to 2 days, many of the “lighter, finer flavors” disappear. Old Elk’s process of adding small amounts of water over weeks keeps the distillate cool and preserves those more delicate flavors, according to the brand.
The merger between the two independent distilleries appears to be a strong match, and Middle West shared that it would contribute its “robust infrastructure” to help accelerate Old Elk’s “brand momentum.”
“Since the day we launched over 8 years ago, we’ve been laser focused on one thing: listening — truly listening — to our team, customers and partners,” said Old Elk CEO Luis Gonzalez in a statement. “Our relationships have always been at the heart of what we do and have been pivotal in shaping out journey. We’re wholeheartedly grateful to our extraordinary team, loyal customers and to our national distributor partner, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, for their trust and belief in our vision. I’m extremely appreciative to Greg Metze for his mentorship, craftsmanship and dedication to the team and his lasting impact and influence on the spirits industry. We are thankful for our founders Curt and Nancy Richardson for their vision in creating a world-class whiskey. Their legacy has inspired us for many years.”
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