Popular Montana Distillery is Closing its Doors

Sad news today for fans of Montana-made spirits. In a post on social media, Billings-based Trailhead Spirits has announced that it will be closing permanently at the end of October.

Trailhead Spirits opened in 2013. They've won several national awards over the years at various liquor competitions, taking home Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards for several of their top products.

You've probably seen some of their best sellers, like Healy's Gin, Great North Vodka, and Highwood Chocolate Whiskey, among others, in the Montana-made section of your neighborhood liquor store.

The craft distiller incorporates Montana-grown ingredients in its recipes, including wheat grown on the family ranch in Highwood, MT, and their award-winning gin has notes of native Montana plants like juniper, Sweet grass, and Bitterroot.

Originally located in The Depot in historic Downtown Billings, Trailhead Spirits moved to the West End several years ago, into a large, modern space at the southern end of 24th St West (next to the trampoline park).

Craft distilleries became legal in Montana in 2005.

Following the boom of microbrewers in Montana, spirits came next. In 2009, RoughStock Distillery in Bozeman (now closed) became the first distillery to release craft spirits since Prohibition, announcing its arrival with the tagline: "First whiskey distillery in the state since Prohibition."

There are currently around two dozen distilleries in Montana. An industry group, The Montana Distillers Guild, lists 20 members on its roster, including such well-known makers as Willie's Distillery in Ennis, Glacier Distilling in Coram, and Headframe Spirits in Butte.

Thanks for the good times.

Trailhead thanked their employees, vendor partners, and loyal customers for their support over the years. In their heartfelt post, they concluded with, "While this chapter is coming to a close, we will always be grateful for the friendships and memories we’ve made along the way."