As jobs, there are worse options. Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski are cofounders of Lost Lantern Whiskey, an independent bottler based in Vermont. The married couple are essentially whiskey prospectors: They roam the country’s burgeoning craft distillery scene in search of unique and exceptional offerings. Then they buy barrels—sometimes blending them, sometimes bottling them as is—and release them under the Lost Lantern label, with the distilleries given full billing. Their slogan: “Shining a light on the independent spirit.”
Independent bottling isn’t new. It’s how a lot of Scotch and cognac reached drinkers over the past couple of centuries—distillers made the spirit, and bottlers handled branding and distribution. In the United States, however, that division of labor has been far less common, with most American distillers creating and selling their own brands. That’s starting to change. Bottlers such as Single Cask Nation and Two Soul Spirits now scour the craft spirits world for worthy whiskeys and other libations.
Lost Lantern launched in 2020 with a vatted single malt blended from six craft American whiskeys and a handful of single-cask bottlings, and has since expanded its portfolio. So why would a distillery sell barrels to Lost Lantern instead of bottling and selling them directly? One reason is that many start-ups, often operating on shoestring budgets, aren’t able to distribute and market beyond their home state or region. Lost Lantern, by contrast, works with two e-commerce partners that can ship to roughly forty states. “We’re giving people national access that many of these distilleries can’t achieve on their own,” Ganley-Roper says. In addition, getting selected by an independent bottler can help an emerging brand gain credibility and stand out from the crowd.
Lost Lantern partners with distilleries across the country, including about a dozen in the South, Rock Town (Arkansas), High Wire (South Carolina), and Still Austin (Texas) among them. “We think the South is emerging as a whiskey region beyond traditional states like like Kentucky and Tennessee,” Polonski says. And the pair seek out whiskeys that reflect regional character.
Many of their selections are big, full-bodied, and high-proof, ideal for sipping over a large ice cube that slowly softens the punch. But these whiskeys also shine in cocktails, where lighter, more delicate expressions often disappear. Take the whiskey sour. A timid whiskey results in a middling citrus punch. But a brawnier spirit makes you understand why the cocktail endures as a classic. In this fall-inspired variation, unsweetened cranberry juice replaces lemon, a touch of orange rounds out the profile, and both serve nicely as a supporting chorus for the whiskey’s boisterous baritone.
Ganley-Roper and Polonski say customers remark that their whiskeys taste lower in proof than they actually are—even when bottled at barrel strength. “We hear that our whiskeys are dangerous,” Ganley-Roper says, “and we take that as a compliment.”
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