Spirit Hound taps brewery exec for its CEO

LYONS — Lyons distillery Spirit Hound Distillers, a trade name for Spirit Hounds LLC, has tapped a brewing executive as its next CEO.

Brad Stevenson, chief operations officer at Founders Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, has assumed the CEO role at Spirit Hounds. He spent the past decade at Founders, which is one of the largest breweries in the country, with distribution in all 50 states and 29 international markets.

“I will always be thankful for the experiences and relationships I shared with the team at Founders. I’m drawn to Spirit Hound as I see the same commitment to quality, passion and authenticity at Spirit Hound. The opportunity for growth is exciting. Every spirit is distilled on two hand-built-from-scratch stills, designed and constructed by co-founder and head distiller Craig Engelhorn. I look forward to helping Spirit Hound scale up while ensuring its hand crafted approach, and dedication to quality remain,” Stevenson said in a written statement.

“Colorado has been part of my life since I was a child. My parents started taking me out here to ski when I was quite small, and my wife and I have continued that tradition with our four kids.  We love the natural beauty and water of Michigan. Colorado to us is a fascinating and completely different experience. From the mountains to the scenery. I think the common element between the two are the fantastic opportunities to enjoy the outdoors,” he said.

Spirit Hound begins 2022 after a record-setting year for the 9-year-old distillery. In 2021, Spirit Hound doubled whiskey production, grew Colorado distribution 23% and began plans for a new building to triple production of its award-winning spirits and expand tasting room capacity, the company wrote in a press statement.

“Since the beginning, we have done everything ourselves. From thousands of hammer strikes shaping the still, to brewing, fermenting, distilling, aging, and bottling, we carefully crafted every step,” said Engelhorn. “We’re excited to welcome Brad’s passion and experience to help guide the next chapter of our growth.”

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