A couple of Army vets are making innovative spirits and helping canine heroes. What’s not to like?
Let’s get one thing straight: Pure Distilling didn’t set out to be your average craft distillery. No pretentious labels. No vague “handcrafted in small batches” mumbo jumbo. Just two Army veterans, Drew Leyes and his longtime friend, Taylor Stuart, deciding they were done daydreaming and ready to put their boots on the ground — in the distilling game, that is.
These guys have been kicking around business ideas for over a decade. You know the type: friends who toss out startup plans over beers, laughing about how they’d do it better. Well, they did. When Drew stumbled across a small distillery going belly-up, they didn’t hesitate. They jumped in head first, military style. As Taylor put it: “The Army teaches you when to put your head down and grind, and that’s exactly what we’ve done over the past year.”
But Pure Distilling isn’t just about turning grains into good times. It’s about turning opportunity into something meaningful. The goal? Create adventurous, all-natural spirits that taste damn good at an accessible price, and give back to causes that matter. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just real-deal booze with a mission.
Whatever you think of their mission, we know you’ll love their spirits. But their whole story is one worth telling.
Marching orders: Make great booze, trust your team, support heroic dogs
Military life taught Drew and Taylor plenty — but one thing that really stuck was how to lead. Not the shouty, in-your-face kind. More like: Pick a direction, trust your people, and show them the way.
“As Army officers, we learned to lead without micromanaging,” Taylor said. “Once we agree on where we’re going, we trust each other — and our incredibly talented head distiller — to make it happen.”
That trust shows in the product. The team, including Head Distiller Cory Nigbur, isn’t here to show off. They’re here to make damn fine spirits — and they’ve got the focus and grit to do it. But don’t let their discipline fool you. These folks also have a serious soft spot — especially when it comes to dogs. Really heroic ones.
Committed to our canine heroes
Ten percent of all Pure Distilling proceeds go to charities that support military working dogs and avalanche rescue dogs. Think about that: Every bottle you buy helps train or support the real-life four-legged heroes sniffing out danger on the battlefield or digging skiers out of snowbanks. That’s not just feel-good marketing. That’s purpose with bite, and it’s a mission Taylor considers “one of the best parts of this job.”
“Over Memorial Day, for example, we teamed up with K9s for Warriors to help provide service dogs to veterans who need them,” Taylor said. It’s core to everything they do.
And yeah, the whole veteran-owned thing is important. But they don’t want to lean on that as their whole brand. “We don’t want to be known just as the veteran-owned distillery,” Taylor said. “We want to make spirits you’ll love drinking with friends at a BBQ, on a mountain, or around a campfire — and then maybe you find out we’re a couple of veterans who used to march around in the mud and now somehow make pretty great booze.”
Spirits that are like Colorado in a bottle
That brings up what really matters: flavor. Pure Distilling isn’t cutting corners. Everything is made with all-natural ingredients and distilled in glass equipment. That’s right. Not steel. Not plastic. Glass. So your gin doesn’t accidentally pick up notes of robot.
“Our spirits taste really good,” Taylor said. “That’s because we use all-natural, high-quality ingredients and distill everything in glass equipment, not metal or plastic, so nothing gets in the way of the flavor.”
They’re proudly Colorado-sourced, too. Spruce tips from Pikes Peak. Wildflower honey from the Front Range. Citrus grown in Western Slope greenhouses. Every bottle is like a Rocky Mountain postcard — and, as you might expect from true mountain spirits, they’re all distilled at 6,000 feet.
And while other craft brands throw down big bucks on flashy packaging, Pure Distilling keeps it clean and simple. That means they can keep prices fair without compromising what’s inside the bottle.
“Premium-tasting spirits without the pretentiousness,” as Taylor put it. Couldn’t have said it better.
Meet the dogs (and the whiskey)
Now let’s talk product. The first brand out of Pure Distilling is St. Bernard Mountain Whiskey. Yes, it’s named after the OG rescue dog breed, and yes, it’s got all the cozy, rugged mountain vibes you could want in a whiskey.
“Our first brand, St. Bernard Mountain Whiskey, is a tribute to the original rescue dog breed,” Taylor said. “It’s a nod to all the dogs who’ve saved lives on the battlefield and in the backcountry.”
It’s more than a cute name. This bottle is the face of their mission, and their donations go straight to programs that support both avalanche rescue dogs and military K9 units. These aren’t just mascots, they’re mission-critical.
“If you’ve got a passion for this space too, reach out!” Taylor said. “We’re always planning events across Colorado to raise funds and awareness for these unsung heroes.”
So if you’ve got a soft spot for snouts and a love of whiskey, this is your bottle. But if vodka’s more your speed? Don’t worry, they’ve got that too, and we’ll get to it in a bit.
What’s next? More flavors, more adventure, more Colorado
Pure Distilling isn’t about sitting still. That’s not really in their DNA. So they’re finalizing licensing for their new tasting room, which should be open soon. “We aim to be the least pretentious distillery in the Rockies — think an (upscale) dive bar — with dogs welcome, approachable cocktails and a friendly team.”
They’re also rolling out new products and planning new partnerships. It’s all about chasing down their big vision: “To be Colorado’s go-to craft spirit for wherever your adventures take you,” Taylor said.
That means building spirits for the flask in your hiking pack, the cooler in your fishing boat or the tumbler at your post-ski tailgate. Their vodka brand, Rocky Mountain Sunshine, is infused with wildflower honey and citrus and practically begs to be taken to the lake.
Also in the works:
- A straight 3 year bourbon finished in tequila barrels called Ma Deuce, named after the longest-serving weapon system in the US arsenal, the Browning M2 50 Cal. machine gun. “It’s a smooth classic with a kick,” Taylor said. “As a 100% vet-owned distillery, we will continue donating 10% of Ma Deuce proceeds towards military working dogs.
- Two gins: one made with only botanicals found in the Front Range (sage, Rocky Mountain juniper, orris root…) and another infused with all-natural yerba mate.”
They’re not just making booze — they’re making lifestyle-compatible booze. Think less tuxedo, more fleece vest. Less velvet rope, more campfire circle. “Our aim is to always be experimenting,” Taylor said. “Never shying away from bold new all-natural flavors. Visit Mulberry Max, which always supports us, to see what new and wonderful (or not!) things we are experimenting with.”
Why you should care about Pure Distilling
So here’s the rundown. Pure Distilling isn’t trying to impress you with jargon or win awards for Most Complicated Label Design. They’re not chasing trends or faking “authenticity.” They’re two veterans who saw a chance to build something better from the ground up.
They make spirits with clean ingredients, Colorado roots, and a real mission. And they do it without the fluff.
If you’re into drinking good stuff that does good stuff? Or you like your spirits with a side of purpose? Maybe you want to raise a glass to dogs who save lives, and to the people who train them?
Then pull up a chair, pour a glass, and say hello to your new favorite distillery.
Find Pure Distilling at Mulberry MAX, and keep up with events, releases, and fundraisers at pure-distilling.com. And if you’re in the mood to support some life-saving dogs while sipping some damn fine spirits, you know exactly where to start.