Holystone Distilling Interview
Luxury Distilled Spirits
Holystonedistilling.com
IG: @HOLYSTONEDISTILLING
Earlier this week, I got the chance to chat with Michael and Barbie Deshazo, the owners of one of the most luxurious distilleries here in Utah. The stunning distillery is located in Murray, just on 207 W 4860 S, where you can schedule tours and tastings of their many delicious drinks. Holystone celebrated their one year anniversary just a couple weeks ago! They currently have four products located across the state in several liquor stores, as well as a plethora of options in about 30 restaurants.
Hours: 3:00PM - 7:00PM (Thursday-Saturday)
Xavier: So what’s the origin story of Holystone?
Michael: After my time as a Navy pilot I knew I wanted to pursue a passion that I’ve always had to start a distillery. I got in contact with Ethan (head distiller) in search of some consulting for ways to get the ball rolling. The word Holystone refers to a piece of sandstone that was used to polish the decks of wooden ships in the US Navy. After a few meetings together Barbie, Ethan and I decided to pursue Holystone together as a team. We’ve been in production for just about a year now, as we had the grand opening for our distillery last year on October 25.
Xavier: What has been the hardest part about doing business during Covid?
Barbie: Well the biggest initial hit for us was that we were forced to close our doors for six weeks, stopping all production. But quite honestly, the hardest part for us was seeing all of our good friends in the bar and restaurant industry have to close down as well, not to mention that it took about 65% of our business. That’s why we started our Tip for a Tip initiative, where bartenders, in Utah, share their Venmo accounts with us and we simply showcase each one to give them the opportunity to receive direct tips from people during these hard times.
Xavier: So what is your guys’ favorite drink to make with your products?
Barbie: Well if we’re talking just one of our standalone products I would definitely have to go with our Perla Vodka. Quite honestly I didn’t like vodka much at all before I tried this one. It is the only vodka in Utah made with wine grapes (double gold winner). I never thought I’d say it, but it really changed my thoughts on vodka. Now if I were to pick a cocktail to mix the Perla with, I would have to go with the Arisi which contains blackberry, raspberry, lime juice, pineapple, and just a hint of carbonation. It has definitely got to be one of my favorite cocktails of all time and honestly, it goes down a little too smooth.
Michael: My favorite standalone drink would definitely have to be absinthe, neat. Our Absinthe is Utah’s very first legal absinthe verte for sale.
Xavier: Okay wait, I have to ask you because I’ve heard so many stipulations on Absinthe…is it true that it can actually cause you to hallucinate?
Michael: So Absinthe originally began gaining popularity in the late 1800’s, especially in Europe. As the drink came to the limelight, it started taking a good amount of market share from the wine industries across the land. So from this, people from the wine industry began to slander the drink in any way they could, primarily saying that wormwood causes people to hallucinate. This created a huge stigma over a drink that quite honestly doesn’t deserve it at all. Wormwood is just a plant that is used as a bittering agent. We source ours locally and use a 120 year old French recipe to stick to our roots.
Now as far as a cocktail goes, there are so many to choose from. If I had to pick my top three, I would probably go with our Absinthe mojito, Vesper martini with our Bosun’s Gin and Perla Vodka, or a good old vodka vermouth.
Xavier: So what is next for Holystone?
Barbie: We are actually extremely excited for our next spirit to hit the liquor stores. As it should be releasing in the next week or so, it will be our fifth product registered at the DABC. Our 92 proof butterfly pea blossom gin will be more than just a luxury spirit. This gin has an indigo hue to it when first in the bottle but, when mixed with tonic, the color changes to a bright pink.
We made this product to support breast cancer awareness across the land. So many people have lost loved ones in the past due to breast cancer, including myself, and we feel that this is a unique way that we can spread the word about this issue.
Xavier: Okay, what is a fun fact that the public doesn’t know about Holystone?
Michael: Well the public may or may not know about this but we actually have a secret weapon here at Holystone. Our lovely bartender named Raya is just the sweetest person you’ll meet and is truly a magician behind the bar. If you’re looking for an innovative, yet delicious cocktail, she is your gal. Another thing we’re not completely sure if the public knows or not is that we actually have a company dog! Zoro (dachshund) is the happiest little guy on the planet. These days, I think he gets more excited to go to the distillery than me or Barbie.
Xavier: Last question, is there anything else you would like people to know about Holystone?
Michael: We are actually in an ongoing trademark dispute with a California company called Stone Brewing. The company is suing over 100 small companies across the country in pursuit of winning a billion dollar lawsuit against Coors (over the Keystone title). They are suing companies over anything from trademark issues to logos and imagery. We personally are not terribly worried about it, as the company is simply just going for a money grab; but it is honestly quite sad because they are taking so many small and local companies out of business with their legal maneuvering. We’ve seen companies have to close shop due to these lawsuits because they have been spending so much money on the legal fees, fighting a battle that they truly shouldn’t have to. It is so sad to see.
Book a tasting at Holystone on their website and follow them on Instagram for updates on what this amazing company has coming next!
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