Adventurous Stills get a rebrand after purchase by Utah's Outlaw Distillery
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Adventurous Stills in Tempe is now part of Utah-based Outlaw Distillery. Photo: Courtesy of Outlaw Distillery
Utah-based Outlaw Distillery now owns Adventurous Stills, one of Arizona's only grain-to-bottle distilleries.
Why it matters: Outlaw Distillery will continue selling Adventurous Stills' longstanding products but under the Outlaw brand.
The big picture: Outlaw Distillery, based in the Salt Lake City area, recently finalized its purchase of Tempe's Adventurous Stills in what Outlaw's owner described as a six-figure deal.
- Both distilleries have the same grain-to-glass ethos with an emphasis on local ingredients, and expanding made sense due to the potential synergy between the two operations, Outlaw owner Tyler Halstead told Axios.
- Former Adventurous Stills owner Kelly Lattig said his company had been on the market for about a year and that he'd turned down a couple of offers but sold to Outlaw because of its similar philosophy.
State of play: With Arizona's more favorable liquor laws, the Tempe side of the company will be more consumer-facing and distribution-oriented, while the company's Utah operations will become a "production powerhouse," Halstead said.
- The Utah distillery has already tripled production capacity in anticipation of the increased demand in Arizona, where it started selling its products this year.
- Tempe will also continue to be an "innovation hub" and maintain Adventurous Stills' ethos of small-batch creativity.
Flashback: Halstead toured Adventurous Stills three years ago, and in 2024 he decided it was time to expand.
- He entered into an initial agreement with Lattig in October and helped oversee construction last year after a fire temporarily shut down Adventurous Stills.
Zoom in: Adventurous Stills products like Peralta Bourbon and Lost Dutchman rye will continue under the Outlaw name.
- Halstead said Peralta is his favorite Adventurous offering and is what originally made him think "there's something special about this place."
- Outlaw will continue Adventurous Stills' limited special releases and will experiment more after moving some of its equipment from Utah to Arizona.
- Adventurous products will also be available in Utah, though only at Outlaw's distillery, not in Utah's state-run liquor stores.
Between the lines: Some products will have differences depending on the state. Halstead said Outlaw's best-selling product, Honey Bourbon Whiskey, uses an Arizona desert blossom wildflower honey "to get that Arizona character." It will continue to use local honey for the Utah version.
What's next: A ribbon-cutting event for the rebranded Outlaw Distillery tasting room in Tempe will be Wednesday at 4pm.