Established in 1938, fourth-generation family-owned and operated Terlato Wine Group, through its subsidiary Terlato Artisan Spirits, has announced its strategic investment and partnership with Fort Worth, Texas-based Blackland Distillery.
Blackland Distillery was founded in 2019 by attorney-turned-chef-turned-distiller, Markus Kypreos. After practicing law for 15 years, Kypreos attended the Culinary School of Fort Worth, graduating with a culinary arts degree in 2011. In the following years, he completed an Introductory Sommelier Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers and earned certifications from the Artisan Craft Distilling Institute, Kothe Distilling in Chicago, and distilling equipment producer iStill University.
Inspired by his passion for food and wine, Kypreos became determined to approach distilling with a unique point of view. Today, Blackland Distillery is known for its diverse product portfolio, high-quality ingredients sourced from Texas farmers, and the use of state-of-the-art technology to produce its sophisticated suite of spirits.
Blackland Distillery’s mission is to ‘elevate spirits and standards’ through an unwavering dedication to quality and craftsmanship — from its use of superior ingredients to its stylish packaging and everything in-between. As such, Blackland Distillery incorporates a modern, tech-focused approach to traditional distilling processes, producing clean, vibrant new tastes in its small-batch spirits. Contrary to traditional distilling methods that focus on old-world techniques and extensive aging processes, Blackland Distillery distills its spirits using high-tech hardware, computerized pot, and column stills (referred to as iStills), and stainless-steel mash tuns.
Blackland Distillery boasts an exceptional suite of spirits catering to a wide range of palates. With their new partner, Terlato Artisan Spirits, they will continue pushing the envelope with bold new flavor profiles and product releases.
According to Bill Terlato, partnering with Markus and Blackland Distillery is another step confirming Terlato’s commitment to growing this category. “In the past few years, we have expanded our spirits business and made a series of progressive steps in developing our luxury portfolio. We are very confident about the category and believe consumers will continue to support great artisan brands. The Blackland Distillery team will be great partners. The products are exceptional, the packaging is unique and sophisticated, and their passion is authentic.”
Terlato will expand Blackland Distillery’s production capabilities by injecting the business with the capital it needs to grow existing volume and expand current offerings via new product development. The company sees tremendous upside in utilizing Terlato’s sales and marketing organization to launch the products nationally.
Markus Kypreos, founding owner of Blackland Distillery said, “Since founding Blackland Distillery in 2019, our mission has been to elevate the craft spirits industry by prioritizing innovation, quality, and authenticity. While we’ve seen remarkable growth over the past five years, a strategic partner was critical to accelerating our expansion and elevating our brand to a national and global stage. Bill Terlato shares our vision, and Terlato Artisan Spirits is the best strategic partner for us. They are a respected leader in the wine and spirits industry, and bring the distribution network and sales and marketing expertise needed to enhance our enterprise value, secure national distribution, and fuel our substantial growth into new markets.”
Blackland Distillery also offers a beautiful, full-service, upscale cocktail bar and tasting room. Open-to-the-public Wednesday through Saturday, Blackland’s tasting room offers a rotating list of award-winning craft cocktails, weekly tours and tastings, and a dynamic event space. All existing Blackland Distillery employees will maintain their current positions.