Caledonia Spirits, the Montpelier, Vermont-based distiller of Barr Hill Gin, Tom Cat Gin, and Barr Hill Vodka, is excited to introduce Joel Elmer, a highly experienced executive in the spirits industry, as its vice president of sales.
Elmer joins Caledonia Spirits after 20 years in executive sales roles at Brown-Forman Beverages, one of the largest wine and spirits companies in the U.S. He has a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record in the spirits industry.
“In this industry, we hear about grain to glass, and Barr Hill is the embodiment of that,” said Elmer. “The coming to life of agriculture meeting distillation – Barr Hill has that authenticity. When I heard there would be an opportunity to possibly work with Barr Hill, I knew it was something that I wanted to pursue.”
Most recently working at the vice president level as Northeast Division Director of Brown-Forman Beverages, Elmer has directly managed sales teams throughout the U.S., including in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Nevada, among other markets. Elmer’s knowledge of the spirits industry, his deep relationships in the field, and his experience launching new brands and new markets aligns well with Caledonia Spirits’ significant growth trajectory.
“I had the pleasure of meeting Joel in market a number of years ago, and I remember really appreciating his candor, dedication, and relationships within our industry,” said Ryan Christensen, president and head distiller at Caledonia Spirits. “The recent growth of our team and the momentum of our brand have both aligned with Joel’s career path, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to Caledonia Spirits.”
Elmer will lead the sales efforts of Caledonia Spirits, which moved into a new, sustainably-designed, 27,000-square-foot distillery in Montpelier, Vermont in late June. The new headquarters will allow Caledonia Spirits to expand its production by 10x to meet demand for its flagship spirits – Barr Hill Gin, Tom Cat Gin, and Barr Hill Vodka – and to develop new spirits using local Vermont agricultural ingredients.
Caledonia Spirits is distributed in bars, restaurants, and retail locations across 32 U.S. states, along with Puerto Rico, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, and Japan. For additional information on the distillery, its spirits, and more, please visit caledoniaspirits.com.