How The Frey Family Is Revolutionizing The Whiskey Game

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Nevada is famed for its high-stakes poker games and nonstop revelry, but up north in the little town of Fallon, it's a quieter scene at Frey Ranch. Instead of bright lights and late nights, there are tractors, barns, and many rows of wheat, corn, and barley destined for the distillery's celebrated whiskey.

The ranch truly comes alive in the spring when Colby Frey, the CEO and co-founder of Frey Ranch, and his team begin the new cycle of planting those homegrown crops that will eventually end up in the bottle. This is embodied in Frey Ranch's Farm-to-Glass initiative — the April celebration that recognizes the distillery's commitment to local, high quality ingredients. Whether you're savoring its award-winning spirits straight or enjoying them in one of its signature cocktails, one sip and it's obvious why Frey Ranch has set itself apart from the rest of the vast whiskey field.

The Farm-to-Glass mentality has deep roots for Colby Frey, whose family started farming in Nevada in 1854 on one of the first eight deeded properties in the state. Colby's grandfather later purchased the Frey Ranch in 1944 for $60,000, which at the time was a staggering amount of money. "Everybody said he was going to go broke," says Frey. But, thankfully, the gamble paid off.

Several generations later, Colby Frey was destined to continue his family's tradition. "Ever since I was a little boy, I wanted to be a farmer," Frey says, but his vision extended beyond simply farming crops. "As I got older, I really started to love and enjoy whiskey and had this 'ah-ha' moment ... let's make whiskey out of the crops that we grow." Bringing distilling into the fold made perfect sense as his family had been growing wheat, rye, barley, and corn, the core grains used to make whiskey, for 170 years.

From the beginning, Colby Frey sought to ensure the quality of the ingredients that go into each bottle of Frey Ranch whiskey would be unsurpassed. Reflecting on his distillery's Farm-to-Glass focus, he explains, "We didn't care if it took a little longer, [or] if it cost a little bit more money." Frey wants to have a hand in every aspect of his whiskey's creation. "That is one of the things that my wife tells everybody," he continues. "When you take a bottle home from the distillery ... none of those ingredients have ever left our possession." 

Beyond growing the crops that are used in its whiskey, Frey Ranch malts its own barley, as well. "We want it to be our grain," says Frey, who even built his own malting system because the ones available weren't up to the high standards he follows for every step in the whiskey-making process.

Most distilleries only have one type of still: a continuous still or a pot still. Frey has both. Colby Frey says he opted for this unusual method because of two things: more volume and a better product. While 80% of Frey Ranch's production is devoted to bourbon and 15% to bottle-in-bond rye, 5% is reserved for special whiskeys that can only be experienced in the distillery's tasting room. 

Frey recalls when Kentucky distillers told him it didn't matter what ended up in the mash bill — as long as he had at least 51% corn, some wheat, and malted barley in his mix, he'd be okay. Frey didn't agree. "If you come and taste my 100% wheat, 100% rye, 100% barley, and 100% corn [whiskeys, you'll] see how completely different each one of those whiskeys is," he says. "So, I tell everybody ... it's only 5% of our production, but it's 95% of the fun." 

These limited batches highlight Frey Ranch's homegrown crops and Farm-to-Glass mantra. "Our goal is to showcase the flavors of the grain," Frey says. There's even a smoked version for those who prefer scotch and a quad-malt where all four of the grains used to make Frey Ranch bourbon are malted. It's all the more reason to plan a trip to Fallon to see (and taste) for yourself what makes Frey Ranch so special. 

Frey Ranch opens its doors every Saturday from noon to 4pm for complimentary tours and tastings. You can also get your hands on a bottle at retailers across the U.S. or visit the distillery's online whiskey shop. Wherever you are, it's never been easier to embrace an authentic Farm-to-Glass whiskey experience.