Heritage Distilling strengthens leadership team with industry veterans

The recently publicly listed U.S. spirits manufacturer Heritage Distilling Company has appointed two experienced leaders to its board. By enlisting Troy Alstead, the former COO of Starbucks, and Andrew Varga, the current Chief Revenue Officer of Heritage Distilling, the company is banking on proven expertise. Alstead, who has over 20 years of experience in senior positions at Starbucks, including COO, CFO, and Chief Administrative Officer, brings additional strategic foresight. His previous roles on the boards of companies like Levi Strauss & Co., Harley-Davidson, and Array Technologies underpin his extensive expertise. Andrew Varga will continue to drive business growth for Heritage Distilling as a strategic advisor and Chief Revenue Officer. Varga previously held leadership positions at Brown-Forman Corporation and Papa John's International, gaining deep insights in marketing and sales. The appointments of these industry stalwarts are part of Heritage Distilling's strategy to accelerate the next stage of growth and innovation. CEO and co-founder Justin Stiefel emphasized that the appointments reflect the company's aspiration to build a top-tier team to succeed as a publicly listed company and a leading provider in the craft distillation sector. Since its founding in 2011 by Justin and Jennifer Stiefel, Heritage Distilling has successfully established a broad product range of whiskey, vodka, gin, and rum. Known brands include Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey, Florescence Vodka, and Stiefel's Select Whiskey. Last month's public offering of Heritage Distilling was a financial success, with the issuance of over 1.6 million shares at a price of $4.00, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $6.8 million. Earlier this year, the company also announced the acquisition of Oregon-based industry peer Thinking Tree Spirits to further strengthen its market position.