Endless red walls… miles of river… inspiration from solitude… The Grand Canyon inspires many boaters of the West and P.T. Wood was no different. The inspiration to distill spirits was born after many days on the river and whiskey bottles shared among friends. The inspiration turned to reality around 2008 when we began piecing together what would become Wood’s High Mountain Distillery with the opening of the tasting room and distillery in November, 2012.
Wood’s started with, and still uses, one of the oldest stills in commercial operation in the world. “Ashley”, our antique German pot still built in the 1880’s, was initially used to distill all our products and is still in use today to distill all our gins. To keep up with demand, we added two additional larger stills named “Ernie” and “Bert” for whiskey and vodka production. However, our hearts are still with “Ashley”; you never forget your first (still).
Wood’s High Mountain Distillery was founded with the goal to bottle their passion for outdoor adventures into spirits that shine with the essence of the mountains of Colorado. Enjoy a cocktail or dram of our spirits and celebrate a little high mountain life.
Check out this video of P.T. to learn more of what we’re about.
PT Wood – Head Alchemist
PT is a Colorado native and has been in Salida since 1990. He’s in charge what goes into each bottle and when, and is the chief inspiration for our unofficial logo.
When not making spirits at the Distillery you may find him on the Arkansas River, skiing in Sawatch Range or out in the community in his elected role as Chaffee County Commissioner. He’s also a former Salida Mayor, Board Member of the American Craft Spirits Association, and President of the Colorado Distillers Guild.
Lee Wood – Chief Cook and Bottle Washer
Lee (also a Colorado native) runs the non-production piece of the business and works to make sure the machine runs smoothly. When not in the Distillery you can find him out on a backcountry ski tour, or with a fly rod in hand. He can’t grow nearly as a good a beard as PT but still managed to get elected as President of the Colorado Distillers Guild.
Meet The Team
Taylor "Gingi" Howell
Best bartender on the planet
Amanda Farthing
Best bar manager on the planet
Drew Hoag
Distiller and Tour Guide