As a third-generation distiller, Missouri Ridge Distillery co-owner Greg Pope said his family has been making liquor for over 100 years. He opened Branson’s only grain-to-bottle distillery and its first brewery nearly a decade ago, and this led to the creation of its single-barrel bourbon. The spirit has won several national and international gold medals since 2017, Pope said, noting its mash bill – a mix of grains used to make bourbon – is 60% super-sweet white corn and 40% tworow barley. The bourbon whiskey, sold in 750-milliliter bottles, is available in select liquor stores and restaurants around Missouri as well as the United Kingdom. SBJ: How long has your company been making this bourbon? Greg Pope: Since we opened our doors. So, officially, I’ve been making this product since April 22, 2016, when I got my federal distiller’s license. Unofficially, 99 years. SBJ: What separates a great bourbon whiskey from an average one? Pope: Well, flavor, and all things equal, lack of burn for product on the same proof. My 94 proof bourbon drinks smoother than someone else’s 80 proof stuff because we make a better quality whiskey. A lot of it has to do with the equipment that we use. I have a proprietary column that comes off of my pot still. I’m the only distillery in the world that uses it because I’m the one who invented it. It gives me a higher proof and a better-flavored distillate in one distillation than any other distillery in the world. In fact, every other distillery has to redistill their product between three to six times to get to the same proof point that I do in one. SBJ: As this product is your top seller, how many bottles do you sell annually? Pope: I sell a lot of them. I don’t know that I have ever sat down to do a quantity on individual bottles. The government doesn’t require that. We do everything based off of proof gallons, not off of bottles. A proof gallon is one volumetric gallon of alcohol at 100 proof. With the government, everything’s based off of tax revenue. So, we’re currently taxed at a rate of $2.70 cents per proof gallon. SBJ: How much does that translate to in sales for the bourbon whiskey? Pope: More than $100,000 a year. SBJ: Where is it currently sold, and do you have plans to expand its availability? Pope: As far as distribution post-COVID, we’ve actually shrunk our distribution network. We’re in all of the Flat Creek diners; they operate both as a liquor store and as an outlet for cocktails. So, when you’re enjoying them, you can have a Missouri Ridge Distillery cocktail, and if you enjoyed it, you can leave with a bottle. They have been with us for those seven years that we’ve been open. SBJ: Where are some other distribution points in? Pope: There’s a couple of little liquor stores like Duckees (Drive Thru) over in Kimberling City and stuff like that. There’s a couple little places around town that we like to refer people to, like J and J Cheese Factory over off of [Highway] 65. Interview by Reporter Mike Cullinan. COOLEST THINGS Owners: Greg and Jolie Pope Employees: 5 Founded: 2015 Web: MissouriRidgeDistillery.com Facebook: @missouriridgedistillery 2023 revenue: Would not disclose Product pricing: $55 Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Greg Pope Materfamilias, Mother’s Brewing Co.’s flagship barrel-aged imperial stout, is a combination of art and science that unfolds over the span of 12 months with each annual release. It is crafted crafted from a blend of seven distinct malts, ranging from a light amber kiln to deeply roasted barley malt, and fermented to achieve 12% alcohol by volume. SBJ: Tell us more about what exactly an imperial stout is. Kyle Jeffries: A stout is a beer that relies on roasted and dark malted barley for the majority of its flavor, aroma, body and mouth. They are dark beers and the complete opposite of the American (India pale ale), which is the beer that most people associate with American craft beer. Imperial stout is the generally stout style brewed to an elevated alcohol by volume, typically over 9% and very frequently up to 12%. They are a big, full-bodied, very rich, high-alcohol stout. SBJ: How is Materfamilias crafted? Jeffries: Unlike our most popular beer, Little Helper, which is produced in volumes of about 3,000 barrels annually, Materfamilias is crafted in an extremely limited batch of just 60 barrels. The aging process takes place within a variety of barrels, which depends on the year and what we have available. Our brewer then evaluates them and sees which ones he thinks are performing best. From there, proportions from different barrels are mixed into one tank, and then into bottles. The final product is a precise blend, highlighting the best characteristics of each barrel in one immaculate imperial stout. Materfamilias is then packaged in kegs, four packs of 12-ounce cans and bottles, and a handful of select, 22-ounce bomber bottles. This process allows the brewers to use their experience, expertise and their sensibilities to craft the best representation of all these different barrels into one really complex product that just delivers layers upon layers of flavor sensation. Every year production is going to be different. SBJ: When did Materfamilias originally go into production? Jeffries: We have been making this type of imperial barrel stout since 2012, and in 2018 launched it as Materfamilias, which means “the female head of a family” in Latin. SBJ: Where do you distribute? Jeffries: We are proud to offer this beautiful stout to the entirety of our distribution footprint, which spans across Missouri, Arkansas and in the metropolitan areas of Kansas City and St. Louis. In addition to Materfamilias, we have a wide variety of barrel imperial stouts that are offered year-round exclusively in our taproom and are much smaller productions that don’t make distribution. SBJ: When does the next batch launch? Jeffries: This process is very much determined by the nature of the barrels and the beer interaction, and you cannot force it, and you cannot put a hard date on it. Traditionally, we’ve always looked for January as the release date, but this year it’s coming out in March. Interview by Contributing Writer Nicole Chilton. FEB. 12-18, 2024 22 · SBJ.NET Owners: Jeff Schrag, Jeff and Lindsay Seifried Employees: 21 Founded: 2011 Web: MothersBrewing.com Instagram: @mothersbrewing 2023 revenue: Would not disclose Product pricing: $21/four pack, 12oz cans Materfamilias BarrelAged Imperial Stout Kyle Jeffries MOTHER’S BREWING CO. LLC MISSOURI RIDGE DISTILLERY LLC
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