First Beverage Ventures Invests in Laws Whiskey House

First Beverage Ventures, the private equity arm of beverage advisory and investment firm First Beverage Group, today announced its investment in Colorado-based distiller Laws Whiskey House, making it the second spirits brand to join the FBG portfolio. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The distillery, founded by Alan and Marianne Laws in 2011, offers two flagship spirits — a Four Grain Straight Bourbon and a Secale Straight Rye — as well as seasonal releases and whiskey expressions. In a press release, Laws Whiskey House stated that it will use the funds to expand capacity at its production facility, grow sales and marketing, and enhance the brand’s tasting room in Denver.

“Laws Whiskey House exemplifies the rich authenticity we admire in emerging brands, and in this category in particular,” said Bill Anderson, Founder and CEO of First Beverage Ventures, in the press release. “We’re honored to partner with Alan and the entire Laws team and we are very much looking forward to working with them for many years to come.”

Having amassed a portfolio of mostly non-alcoholic beverage brands such as Project Juice, Essentia, Health-Ade Kombucha and Q Drinks, First Beverage Ventures only recently made the jump into spirits with its March 2017 investment in GEM&BOLT, an artisanal mezcal produced in Mexico.

“We’ve known the First Beverage team for a while, having seen their support of entrepreneurs with transformative products across many beverage categories,” said Alan Laws, Founder and CEO of Laws Whiskey House, in the release. “We’re excited about the full sector perspective First Beverage brings and the dream that they share with us of expanding our market presence and bringing our unique Colorado whiskeys to more people.”

Full text of the release is below:

Los Angeles, CA – June 27, 2018 – First Beverage Ventures is pleased to announce its investment in Laws Whiskey House, a Colorado whiskey distiller committed to the production of top quality American whiskies crafted from local grains and aged at high elevation that deliver a regionally distinctive rocky mountain profile.

Founded by Alan and Marianne Laws in 2011, Laws Whiskey House released its first batch in October 2014. The distillery’s two notable flagship offerings, a Four Grain Straight Bourbon and a Secale Straight Rye, are complemented by distinctive Bottled in Bond expressions that have garnered notable national and international accolades. Additionally, Laws Whiskey House has several other innovative, limited-edition, seasonal releases such as Triticum Straight Wheat, Hordeum Straight Malt and Bottled in Bond Corn whiskies. Laws’ control and ownership of the entire distillation process at their facility in Denver allows the team to focus on delivering unique profiles as demonstrated by their four grain bourbon, which requires a labor-intensive process to deliver the balanced flavor of all four American mother grains, and their Secale rye, which utilizes heirloom varietal rye in a raw and malted grain combination.

“Laws Whiskey House exemplifies the rich authenticity we admire in emerging brands, and in this category in particular,” said Bill Anderson, Founder and CEO of First Beverage Ventures. “We’re honored to partner with Alan and the entire Laws team and we are very much looking forward to working with them for many years to come.”

“Bourbon and rye have shown incredible growth, with an evolving consumer base interested in trying unique profiles reflective of regions,” added Kristen Bareuther, Managing Director at First Beverage Ventures. “Laws’ attention to detail in every aspect of their in-house production from start to finish results in something truly special in the space.”

“We’ve known the First Beverage team for a while, having seen their support of entrepreneurs with transformative products across many beverage categories,” said Alan Laws, Founder and CEO of Laws Whiskey House. “We’re excited about the full sector perspective First Beverage brings and the dream that they share with us of expanding our market presence and bringing our unique Colorado whiskeys to more people.”

The company will use the proceeds from this raise to expand capacity at the current facility, enhance their tasting room in Denver’s Platt Park neighborhood and expand sales and marketing efforts.