146 distiller
most of it is desert. But not all of it. Frey Ranch is located
in the heart of Nevada's small agricultural belt, about an
hour east of Reno. "Fallon is the oasis of Nevada," Colby
says. "We get very little rain, but we have a lot of water
here. All of the water comes from the Sierra Nevada water-
shed, from both sides of Lake Tahoe." at reliable and
sustainable water source turns what would otherwise be
a cold desert into a small pocket of great agricultural pro-
ductivity.
at doesn't mean farming in the area is necessarily easy,
but that's where experience comes in. "rough 165 years
of trial and error, my forefathers have passed on what
works, and even more importantly, what doesn't work, to
grow these crops in this specific area," Colby says. e
Freys know how to take advantage of the hot days and cool
nights, the strong seasonal temperature swings, and the
elevation (around 4,000 feet above sea level). ose con-
ditions all contribute to bountiful crop growth, and they
also happen to be great conditions for maturing whiskey.
Selling the Farm
Colby and Ashley Frey, with distiller Russell Wedlake,
knew from the moment they broke ground on the dis-
tillery that they were in it for the long haul. ey never
planned to release their whiskey before it was ready and
at least four years old. Four years turned into five. e
extra year gave the whiskey a little more time to mature,
but it also gave the Freys time to truly hone in on their
marketing. A whiskey farm in the middle of Nevada is an
unusual proposition, and while the quality of the whiskey
would always come first, the Freys knew they had to invest
in the branding and messaging to get the word out there.
Frey Ranch worked with a design firm to develop its
overall look and messaging, and the results speak for
themselves. Frey Ranch's bourbon comes in a custom bot-
tle engraved on the bottom with the words "Be good to
the land and the land will be good to you," which encap-
sulates the Frey family's philosophy. "at's the founda-
tion of the bottle and also our foundation as farmers,"
Frey Ranch malt mash, Photo © Jeff Dow
