High West
Type: Distillery and brand
An original copper pot still remains in High West’s Park City Saloon, a restored livery stable and garage, according to the producer’s visitor information. It is a fitting introduction to a Utah whiskey business built around both distilling and blending, including whiskey made by other producers. David and Jane Perkins founded High West in 2006; its main production site at Wanship began production in December 2014. [1][2][7][8]
| At a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Country and locations | United States: Park City and Wanship, Utah. [3][6] |
| Founded | 2006, by David and Jane Perkins, according to High West; Dartmouth Tuck confirms the year. [1][8] |
| First distillation | 2007, according to High West. [1] |
| Owner group | Constellation Brands completed the acquisition by 17 October 2016. High West’s website carries its 2026 copyright. Checked November 2026. [3][5] |
| Exact owning entity, effective date and ultimate parent | Not reliably established in the supplied records. |
| Distilled at | High West’s Wanship site; documented rye blends have also included whiskey sourced from Indiana and Kentucky. [7][9] |
| Main whiskey styles | Rye whiskey, bourbon whiskey and blends combining bourbon and rye. [3][9][11] |
| Business status | Not reliably established in the supplied records. |
| Distilling status | Not reliably established in the supplied records. |
| Visitor access | Current status not reliably established in the supplied records. |
| Site status | Current status not reliably established in the supplied records. |
| Official website | High West. [3] |
What High West is known for
High West’s rye story is as much about what went into the blend as what came off its own stills. Sourced whiskey shaped its rye releases, and its own distillate later joined those blends. A 2020 account traced the shift from combinations of Indiana and Kentucky rye to blends of High West’s own rye and whiskey from MGP in Indiana. [9]
The name on the bottle identifies the business behind the blend, rather than necessarily the distillery behind every component. “Double Rye!” illustrates that approach: sourcing remained part of the work after the larger distillery opened, with High West bringing its own spirit into the mix. [9]
Place gives the brand its other defining thread. Its story runs from a restored livery stable and garage in Park City to a larger production site on Blue Sky Ranch outside the town. [2][7]
From biotechnology to whiskey
David Perkins spent more than a decade in biotechnology, including a role at Genentech, before turning to whiskey. A Dartmouth Tuck alumni profile identifies him as a member of its MBA class of 1990. [8]
Story box: A Kentucky visit, a Utah business
Claim: David Perkins traces the business to a 2001 Maker’s Mark tour during a Kentucky wedding trip.
Verdict: Documented.
What the record shows: The Dartmouth Tuck profile records Perkins’s account of the visit. [8]
Evidence against or gap: The account is retrospective.
Earliest known source: Not reliably established in the supplied records.
Source: Dartmouth Tuck, David Perkins T’90, https://tuck.dartmouth.edu/mba/alumni-stories/david-perkins.
Last checked: Exact day not reliably established; the sheet records November 2026.
| Field | Documented account |
|---|---|
| Founding story | During a 2001 Kentucky wedding trip, David and Jane Perkins toured Maker’s Mark Distillery. Perkins later called it an “AHA moment”. The business was founded in 2006. Dartmouth Tuck’s alumni profile supports the visit and founding year; High West’s account identifies both founders. [1][8] |
| Turning point | Production began at Wanship in December 2014, giving High West a production base beyond Park City. High West’s opening release, published by Ski Utah, records the start. [7] |
| Documented record | High West distinguishes its founding from the start of distillation in 2007. The producer’s history records both dates. [1] |
| Last checked | Exact day not reliably established in the supplied records. |
The Perkins family moved to Park City in 2004, according to High West’s history. The move came first, followed by the founding of the business and then its first distillation: separate steps in the distillery’s beginnings. [1]
The recorded inspiration was a distillery visit rather than a laboratory discovery. The Kentucky producer has its own story, explored in the Maker’s Mark profile. [8]
Two places with different roles
The Park City Saloon
The Saloon opened in 2009 at 703 Park Avenue, in a restored livery stable and garage. High West’s visitor information says the original copper pot still remains there. [1][2][6]
Salt Lake City Weekly identifies the building as the former National Garage and records its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The publication also describes the stable’s work serving horses that pulled ore carts to Park City’s mines. [11]
Claim: The livery stable serviced horses that pulled ore carts to the Park City mines.
Verdict: Documented.
What the record shows: Salt Lake City Weekly describes the stable’s earlier work. [11]
Evidence against or gap: The supplied sheet does not identify the underlying historical record.
Earliest known source: Not reliably established in the supplied records.
Source: Salt Lake City Weekly, High West Distillery and Saloon, https://www.cityweekly.net/utah/high-west-distillery-and-saloon/Content?oid=2145130.
Last checked: Exact day not reliably established; the sheet records November 2026.
The Wanship distillery
High West’s main production base stands on Blue Sky Ranch, outside Park City, at 27649 Old Lincoln Highway, Wanship. The producer’s opening release describes the setting as a historic cattle ranch and records production beginning before the later opening celebrations. [3][7]
The facilities listed by High West include a sensory laboratory, barrel warehouse, tasting room and The Refectory restaurant. Its visitor information describes tours covering blending, ageing and bottling. These facility and tour descriptions come from the producer and were checked in November 2026. [2][3]
Production timeline
The key dates separate the business’s founding, first distillation, openings and acquisition. [1][5][7]
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2006 | David and Jane Perkins founded High West, according to the producer; Dartmouth Tuck confirms the year. [1][8] |
| 2007 | Distilling began, according to High West. [1] |
| 2009 | The Park City Saloon opened. [1] |
| December 2014 | Production began at Wanship. [7] |
| 24 July 2015 | Wanship held an opening event. [7] |
| 7 September 2015 | Wanship opened to the public. [7] |
| October 2016 | Constellation announced its acquisition agreement on 5 October and confirmed completion by 17 October. [4][5] |
How High West’s rye blends developed
Earlier High West rye blends included whiskey from MGP in Indiana and Barton 1792 in Kentucky. By the 2020 account in Paste, High West had stopped sourcing Kentucky rye and was blending its own rye with MGP’s 95% rye whiskey. Those details describe the programme at that point, rather than every later bottle. [9]
High West’s own rye had a distinctive grain recipe. The account described it as pot distilled from a mash bill of 80% unmalted rye and 20% malted rye: a 100% rye recipe, compared with MGP’s 95% rye component. [9]
For “Double Rye!”, the same report recorded a blend of MGP and High West straight rye whiskeys aged 2 to 7 years, bottled at 46% ABV (92 US proof). High West’s own distillate made up less than half of the bottle in that account. [9]
The mash bills describe the grain composition of each component whiskey, not the proportions of those whiskeys in the finished blend. Those are separate recipes. [9]
The names on the bottles
Rye is only part of the range. The producer’s website describes High West Bourbon as a blend of straight bourbons at least two years old. Bourye takes another route, combining bourbon and rye whiskeys under one name. [3][11]
Rendezvous Rye appeared in the 2020 account as a blend aged 4 to 7 years, bottled at 46% ABV (92 US proof). An earlier Salt Lake City Weekly account recorded the 16-year-old Rocky Mountain Rye. Together, these descriptions show different moments in the brand’s history, rather than a list of bottlings confirmed as currently available. [9][11]
For any particular bottle, start with that release’s own description. An age range or sourcing account attached to an earlier bottling does not automatically carry over to another release with the same name. The wider High West story provides context; the bottle’s details identify the whiskey. [9][11]
Ownership and the people behind it
Constellation Brands announced its agreement to acquire High West on 5 October 2016 and confirmed completion by 17 October. The completed acquisition included all High West’s operations. The two announcements mark separate stages: agreement first, completion afterwards. [4][5]
David and Jane Perkins remain central to the founding story, but High West should not be described as still family owned. Its website carries Constellation Brands’ 2026 copyright. Dartmouth Tuck, meanwhile, describes David Perkins’s later work as advising, consulting and coaching drinks startups. [3][8]
Brendan Coyle was another important figure in the distillery’s development. He joined High West in 2008; the Park Record reported his departure as Master Distiller in June 2025. That personnel change came well after, and was separate from, the 2016 acquisition. [12]
Where to go next
- Maker’s Mark: follow the Kentucky connection in Perkins’s account.
- WhistlePig: explore another American whiskey name.
- Westland: continue with another American distillery profile.
Sources
- High West. About Us. Producer’s account, undated, checked November 2026. https://highwest.com/pages/about-us
- High West. Experience. Producer’s account, undated, checked November 2026. https://highwest.com/pages/experience
- High West. High West Whiskey. Producer’s website, 2026 copyright, checked November 2026. https://highwest.com/
- Constellation Brands. Press release, 5 October 2016. Owner’s statement filed as an SEC exhibit, 2016. https://ir.cbrands.com/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0000016918-16-000098/stzex_99-1.htm
- Constellation Brands. Constellation Brands further evolves its wine and spirits portfolio. Owner’s statement, 17 October 2016. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/constellation-brands-further-evolves-its-wine-and-spirits-portfolio-to-focus-on-high-margin-high-growth-brands-597290711.html
- Park Record. Whiskey to flow from High West’s new distillery. 12 December 2014. https://www.parkrecord.com/2014/12/12/whiskey-to-flow-from-high-wests-new-distillery/
- High West, published by Ski Utah. High West’s new world class western whiskey distillery. Producer’s opening release, 2015. https://www.skiutah.com/news/high-west-s-new-world-class-western/
- Dartmouth Tuck School of Business. David Perkins T’90. Alumni profile, undated, checked November 2026. https://tuck.dartmouth.edu/mba/alumni-stories/david-perkins
- Paste Magazine. Tasting: 2 Classic Rye Whiskeys From High West Distillery. 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/drink/whiskey/high-west-distillery-rye-whiskey-reviews-rendezvous
- Salt Lake City Weekly. High West Distillery and Saloon. Undated in the supplied record, checked November 2026. https://www.cityweekly.net/utah/high-west-distillery-and-saloon/Content?oid=2145130
- Park Record. Brendan Coyle steps down from High West Distillery. 11 June 2025. https://www.parkrecord.com/2025/06/11/brendan-coyle-steps-down-from-high-west-distillery-to-focus-on-new-cidery-venture/
This desk-researched article uses the site’s verified High West fact sheet, distinguishing producer accounts, corporate statements and independent reporting.
Last checked: November 2026