After working with renowned blending expert Nancy Fraley as its master blender since 2014, Wyoming Whiskey has promoted Brendan Cook to that role. Cook, who joined Wyoming late last year, previously was with Driftwood Distillery in Victoria, Canada, as head of spirits creation. Prior to that, he was with Brown-Forman, where he served as assistant blender for scotch whiskies Glendronach, BenRiach, and Glenglassaugh. He started as a brewer, working at Driftwood Brewery, a sister operation to Driftwood Spirits.
Thus far at Wyoming Whiskey, Cook has released two whiskeys—Independence Rock bourbon, an annual Wyoming release that celebrates the West’s pioneers and National Parks No. 4, released on September 9th. With Cook at the helm, Wyoming is doubling down on its commitment to the state’s terroir. The corn, winter wheat, winter rye, and barley used to make Wyoming’s expressions are grown in the Bighorn Basin, and distilled and matured on-site at the Kirby premises. The limestone water used for all Wyoming whiskeys is from the Madison Formation, a limestone aquifer roughly 40 miles from Kirby.
While at Wyoming, Nancy Fraley oversaw whiskeys including the 1872 limited edition blended bourbon that commemorates the year the Yellowstone Park Protection Act was signed into law by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant, and The Grand, honoring the West’s pioneers. Both are part of Wyoming’s National Parks collection. Fraley is currently working with Texas-based Still Austin, among numerous distillers.
Wyoming Whiskey was founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife Brad and Kate Mead and attorney David DeFazio, and the distillery is located on the Mead family ranch in Kirby. In 2017, Scotland-based Edrington, owner of The Macallan and Highland Park scotch whiskies, took a 35% share in Wyoming and increased that stake last year to 80%. The Mead family’s roots in Wyoming’s land date back to the late 19th century, when the family settled there.
