The Journey
A story of firelight, family, grain and place, and a journey that is still being written.
“Before you, a warm, snapping fire blazes. Beyond that light, there is darkness… and it's holding its breath.”
Our founder
The question
In early 2014, I was asked a question that terrified me: “If you could do anything in the world, for the rest of your life, what would you do?”
For most, it's an interesting concept to ponder and dream about; for me—for whatever reason—the question struck a chord, and not a very pleasant one. I rolled it over and over in my mind, as if my very existence depended on the answer. Nothing I came up with seemed to assuage the restless feeling the simple query instilled. And then, I thought about making whiskey. Suddenly, a sense of calm washed over me and, although I'd always loved drinking whiskey, I had never before considered that producing it could be a reality.
What followed was a long journey involving a 5-gallon copper still, a hot pad, a few dozen mason jars and some long nights of trial and retrial in the back of my family's Illinois barn, attempting to craft and refine a whiskey. A whiskey I could proudly point to and say was my very own; a whiskey with a background, a whiskey with a story.
The result was a distinguished 4-grain bourbon, but something was missing. The wheat I was using wasn't giving me the earthy tone I was looking for. It was too sweet. Thus began my search for the perfect ingredients for the perfect whiskey mash bill.
The grain
My sojourn carried me from the farmlands of northern Illinois to the many mountain ranges of the northern Rockies and the rugged, rolling plains that lie between those snow-covered ridgelines. In south-central Montana, near the farming community of Manhattan, just northwest of Bozeman, I discovered Droge Farms, a family farm which produces a fantastic hard red variety of wheat that provided the exact flavor that my 4-grain bourbon was missing. Pairing this dry and earthy wheat with the sweetness of midwestern corn gave it the finishing touch I was longing for.
Blending my fondest memories—and crafted trials—of the midwest with this superlative red wheat creates a perfectly accentuated experience that is rich and complex.
Ghostwood is indebted as much to the greatness of midwest grains as it is to the hardiness of Montana's changing seasons and the combination that those two factors produce are what make this blended bourbon such an exceptional offering.
Ghostwood Blended Bourbon is not only a tasteful pairing of ingredients from two celebrated regions, it is a pairing of two great families from those locales—Perks and Droge—and a partnership that we hope will last a lifetime.
Go beyond the firelight
Camping alone in the woods while growing up, your imagination could have a tendency to run away from you. Before you, a warm, snapping fire blazes. Beyond that light, there is darkness… and it's holding its breath.
The feeling of being alone against the mysteries of the world is what led to the creation of Ghostwood. This recipe was inspired by—and for—that world, when the remnants of summer have given way to the bracing turn of winter and darkness lurks just over your firelit shoulders, causing you to smile with a hidden warmth.
Ghostwood is more than whiskey. It is memory, place, grain, family, firelight, and the unknown just beyond it. It began with a question, moved through long nights of trial and retrial, and became a bourbon with a story that is still being written.
Lucas Perks, Founder
The whiskey
What began as an idea in the woods became a family of whiskeys, each shaped by memory, grain, patience and the unknown just beyond the edge of the fire.
The OriginalGhostwood Original
Our four-grain blended bourbon: three-grain, high-rye bourbon married with Montana wheat whiskey.
Double Gold · San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023 & 2024
$61.95
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Bold pourBarrel Proof Black
A richer, stronger expression at 114 proof, built for bold sipping and serious cocktails.
Silver · SFWSC 2023 & 2024
$74.95
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Cask finishedChardonnay Cask
Finished in Chardonnay casks from a family-owned Napa Valley vineyard, for a softer, wine-cask profile.
Silver · SFWSC 2024
$67.95
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Where it began3 Brothers Bourbon
The three-grain recipe that came before them all. Aged 6 years, 80 proof, with the rye pushed a little higher.
$49.00
ShopFree shipping on 3+ bottles. An adult (21+) signs at delivery.
On the shelf & behind the bar
Real bottles, real bars, real stores. If your local doesn't carry it yet, ask for Ghostwood by name.
The Journey, the book
Before there was a website, there was a book. Our founder wrote the whole road down, from a history degree and a trip to Scotland to long nights of trial and retrial, a garage full of mason jars, Montana wheat and the first ten cases by the door.
“Each bottle becomes a nod to the land and time from which it came.”
Chapter 2 · Scotland
“This wheat was the missing ingredient that embodied everything that Ghostwood represents.”
Chapter 11 · Montana
“The story ends with how you go through the darkness, and I want your story to be one told with Ghostwood in hand.”
Chapter 14 · Ghostwood
Hear it from the founder
Why whiskey, why the firelight, and why Ghostwood was never only about what is in the bottle.
Why Whiskey
The question that started Ghostwood, and the beginning of the journey.
Not Just About the Whiskey
The meaning, memory and experience behind the Ghostwood brand.
Go Beyond the Firelight
The mystery, warmth and unknown at the heart of Ghostwood.
I Love the Tree
The tree at the heart of Ghostwood, and on every bottle.
Get Inspirited by Ghostwood
The continuing spirit of Ghostwood, and the story still being written.
