277: The New Chapter in the History of Templeton Distillery

Our guest today is Shane Fitzharris for Templeton Distillery in Iowa.  Shane is the Senior VP for Commercial for Infinium Spirits, owner of the Templeton Distillery and brands.  We discuss the next chapter in Templeton’s history as they recently released their first spirit distilled in-house;  Fortitude Straight Iowa Bourbon.  We discuss the history of the brand, their revival of the brand, and how they sourced a very popular Rye Whiskey to grow their brand to be in a position to distill and release their own distilled spirits.

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About Templeton:

Templeton Rye Whiskey tracks back to the early 1920s when residents of the small town of Templeton, Iowa distilled a much sought-after rye whiskey. That bootlegging enterprise, forced underground during the Prohibition era, nonetheless flourished during that period and the famous “Templeton Rye” becoming legendary. When prohibition ended, Templeton was a legend lost to history until it was re-introduced in 2006 as an independent bottler brand. The Templeton Rye whiskey portfolio which contains a 4 year old, 6 year old, 10 Year Single Barrel, and limited Cask Finish releases remains inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit of the original bootleggers.

On August 7, 2018, Templeton Rye Spirits, LLC marked the beginning of a new chapter, highlighting a rich history with the community they call home with the opening of a 34,500 square-foot distillery, visitor center and museum in Templeton, Iowa. A $35 million project and a significant investment in the community of Templeton. A milestone date that would allow the Templeton brand to control its own destiny in relation to distillation, fermentation, and maturation.

About Templeton Fortitude Straight Bourbon

• Style: Iowa Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
• Mash Bill: 55% Corn, 40% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
• Locally Sourced Iowa Corn: Within 15 Miles of Templeton Distillery
• Age: Non-Aged Stated (4+ Years Old)
• Aged in American Oak Virgin Barrels / Char Level 4
• Natural Color and Non-Chill Filtered
• Distilled at Templeton Distillery, Templeton, Iowa
• Column and Copper Stills from Forsyths
• Fermentation time : 3-4 Days
• Yeast Strain: Fermentis Safspirit
• Availability: Launching in the USA market and select international markets in May 2024.

Templeton FORTITUDE Bourbon introduced in 2024 marked the first distillate release out of the Templeton Distillery as the brand continues to evolve from an independent bottler to a distiller. Over the coming years, Templeton will continue to play in both the independent bottler and the distilling world which will allow the brand to push the boundaries of innovation by releasing exciting additions from both our extensive sourced barrel stocks and owned distillate out of Templeton Distillery.

Templeton whiskey portfolio is now exported to 75 international markets outside of North America.

Distillery Snapshot:

• 2 x 55,000 square-foot barrel aging warehouse that can store up to 54,000 barrels
• Located on 20-acres of land just east of downtown Templeton
• Produces up to 500,000 proof gallons of rye whiskey annually
• Capability to produce all styles of American whiskey under one roof
• Features stills imported from Forsyth’s in Scotland to produce the highest quality spirits
• Includes museum, visitor center and tasting room

About Shane Fitzharris, Senior VP, Commercial  Infinium Spirits :

Shane joined our organization in 2018 as head of International Sales for Templeton Distillery and transitioned into Infinium Spirits in 2020 taking up the role of Sr. VP, Commercial, where he has successfully elevated our product portfolio to over 70 countries. Shane has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry holding senior commercial roles. Prior to joining Infinium, Shane built the Walsh Whiskey business with its founders culminating in opening a $40 million distillery with a global footprint of 90 Countries. He created and launched several new brands including Writers Tears and The Irishman Whiskey portfolio. Shane’s positive attitude, strong leadership, and relentless dedication to Infinium and our team will help drive our success as we continue to build our brand family.