On Dec. 7, 1941 the United States entered World War II. On Dec. 8, 1942, the US Army activated its first mountain unit — the 10th Mountain Division. They were an elite force of winter warriors who went on to successfully fight Nazi German soldiers in mountainous Italy. In 2014, the 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Company launched turning Rocky Mountain snowmelt into bourbon and rye to honor the 10th Mountain soldiers that fought in World War II, their valor and the mountain lifestyle they represented. The distillery’s aim is to represent the best of the mountains and to bring people together. Not only are their products a tribute to the soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division, it’s also a salute to those that share a passion for the mountain lifestyle.

As far as the distillery’s products, they’re equally acclaimed. 10th Mountain Bourbon earned a 92 rating from Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible while its 10th Mountain Rye received an astonishing score of 94 from the same publication. “If you don’t like it, send it back to us and we’ll drink it for you,” distillery co-founder Ryan Thompson joked with us. If you want to see 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Company crowned as RackHouse Whiskey Club’s Craft Distillery of the Year, vote now! To learn more about 10th Mountain’s mountaineering spirit and their passion for giving back, click here.

Our first step to determine the Craft Distillery of the Year Award winner was to open up the competition to the public to nominate your favorite craft distillery. From there, an expert panel of judges narrowed the list down to 10 finalists based on these four categories: compelling story, impact on community, marketing presence and branding and packaging. Now we’re turning the competition over to you to determine the distillery you believe deserves to be named the 2021 RackHouse Whiskey Club Craft Distillery of the Year. Get your votes in now, voting closes on Nov. 30! VOTE NOW!