Heritage Distilling Company, Inc., a craft distiller of premium brands, today announced a partnership with the Tonto Apache Tribe to develop a spirits distillery and tasting room adjacent to Mazatzal Hotel & Casino in Payson, Arizona.
The distillery will produce and serve Heritage’s portfolio of spirits, as well as exclusive Tonto Apache created brands, crafted to reflect tribal flavors and the local region.
Co-founded by Justin and Jennifer Stiefel in 2011, Heritage is a maker of premium whiskies, gins, vodkas, rums, and ready-to-drink cocktails. Its co-founders recognized both the injustices done to Native American indigenous communities and a mutually beneficial economic opportunity. Together, they created the Tribal Beverage Network, a first-of-its kind partnership with Native American Tribes to develop Heritage-branded distilleries, brands, and tasting rooms to serve patrons of tribal casinos and entertainment venues.
“We have spent considerable time with the team from Heritage and we have toured their facilities in the Pacific Northwest. After seeing them help to change the federal law to make this a legal activity for Tribes across the U.S., we are excited to open a tribally-owned distillery in partnership with them harnessing their experience, expertise and top-level reputation in the craft spirits space,” said Tribal Chairman Caivin Johnson, in a statement. “We will be the first Heritage Distilling location in the southwest and we are excited to offer this new amenity to our current patrons and the next generation of patrons we know are coming to the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino and to our new Apache Corners development.”
Heritage operates two distilleries and five tasting rooms across Washington and Oregon, along with its brand location in partnership with the Chehalis Indian Tribe in Rochester, Washington, at its Talking Cedar facility.
As a TBN partner, the Tonto Apache-owned and operated destination will offer several amenities for patrons including a Tasting Room that features Heritage spirits.
In addition to on-site tastings, the Tonto Apache distillery will extend HDC’s membership programs available to TBN partners: The Cask Club, an annual membership-based program that allows members to create and customize spirits of their choice; and The Spirits Club, a program that provides members quarterly shipments of Heritage’s spirits delivered to their door at a reduced rate, as well as priority access to new, limited, and seasonal releases.
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