About Me
“I was the only Black guy in the room; I was the only Black person in the room,” Montana said.
That didn’t stop Montana from learning everything about brewing beer as he became an avid homebrewer. But in beer, he saw a market that was being oversaturated.
“I’ve been homebrewing for a long time,” Montana told ReserveBar. “Not like anything all that serious, but serious to me; you know, I was a fastidious homebrewer. But it just didn’t seem right for beer. At the time, it seemed https://montanabrewingcompany.com/ like there was a brewery opening every other day; there were too many of them.”
Montana added a friend suggested he open a microdistillery, and to his surprise, his wife, Shanelle, supported the idea. The two began working on the distillery together; Montana on the technical side and Shanelle on the marketing side.
Black-owned distilleries were once rare, but many have popped up all over the country in recent years, increasing diversity and social responsibility in the industry.
The couple opened Du Nord Social Spirits in 2013, and the distillery makes vodka, gin, whiskey, and an apple and coffee liqueur. The distillery’s website also includes drink recipes and more information on the distillery and the Montanas.
