As Butte, Montana, continues to push forward, so does Headframe Spirits, with some big changes in store. The distillery unveiled a new look that combines the grit and polish of Butte history along with a new website and branding.
In the last 10 years, John and Courtney McKee took strides everyday to become stewards of the community. With innovation and drive they successfully built not only a strong business through spirits and stills, but jobs, community strength and hope.
“It’s amazing to see what’s changed, what’s grown, what’s evolved here in Butte, Montana, that wasn’t here 10 years ago,” said Courtney McKee, CEO of Headframe Spirits. “I can point in every direction to things that are new—that weren’t here before.”
Ten years ago, Butte was a little mining town that found itself focusing on its past, to the point where it was missing out on its future.
“Everyone was just sort of waiting to see what someone would do,” described John McKee, CTO of Headframe Spirits. “We took the plunge and then people started coming up to us and asking, ‘How did you do that?’ or, ‘How do I do the same thing with this idea?’ and all of a sudden, a lot of Uptown Butte started to change.”
Buildings that once stood empty became full. Businesses started to grow and support one another, and people started to once again Believe in Butte.
Headframe took a step further in 2016 when they decided to lease land from Butte-Silver Bow County. Once known as a superfund site, the Kelley mine yard received the opportunity to be reinvented into something bigger than its past. Everyday, Headframe employees venture to the top of that Butte hill and create a new future.
“We still hold on to the past, and we care for it and we treat it with respect, but our eyes are pointed forward,” said Courtney.
Now, Headframe stands as one of the largest distillery manufacturing centers west of the Mississippi—right in the heart of Uptown Butte. With a proud history of innovation and hard work, Headframe proudly continues that Butte legacy for distilleries around the world.