Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Montana
Hi Chris, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2013, my wife and I started Du Nord with a surplus of energy and an extreme deficit in funds. We both kept our day jobs and fit in Du Nord where we could. Eventually it became clear that one of us needed to be “all in” on the distillery, so I left my job as an attorney and worked on Du Nord full time. We did not hire any employees until we opened our cocktail room in Early 2015, the deal I made with Shanelle (my wife) was “give me 5 hard years” to get things running well; five years came and went and we were still grinding.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nothing about our journey has been smooth. When we started, we had no idea how difficult it would be to sell a bottle of spirits. Nothing in this industry is designed for small producers to be successful–a fact that drove me to join the American Craft Spirits Association to advocate for better laws. Things have improved significantly in the last eleven years, but there is still a long way to go before small spirits producers will have a fair shake. A less unique issue was the lack of funds; simply put: we were always broke. Without a cushion to rely on, we were always one mistake or one twist of fate from closing. When Covid closed our cocktail room we figured we were done.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Du Nord Social Spirits?
We are, and always have been, committed to making the highest quality spirits and elevating people as we grow. Our commitment to quality is not unique within craft, but our insistence on diversifying the industry and finding ways to empower people we touch sets us apart. Either through our foundation or directly with our distillery, we are constantly searching for ways to show up for our community. We sell six products and they all have a story. Most people learn about us through our vodka, but we also produce award winning gin, whiskey and liqueurs.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Surviving as a craft distillery has never been easy, but it seems more difficult today. The fallout from lost revenue during Covid continues to drive many distilleries out of business. Every year that we have been in business, there have been more distillery openings than closings; for the first time, distillery closings are out-pacing new openings. I expect the trend of a shrinking craft space to continue, though I am hopeful that increasingly savvy consumers will continue to migrate towards the quality of craft distilleries.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dunordsocialspirits.com
- Instagram: dunordspirits
- Facebook: dunordspirits
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dunordspirits
- Other: https://shopdunord.com
