Meet Lucas Perks | Whiskey Distiller, Entrepreneur, Father, Husband

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lucas Perks and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lucas, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
For me, I baked the lesson into my brand. Ghostwood Distilling is about “Going beyond the Firelight”. Meaning that there are times in your life when your confronted with something you are nervous about or scared of, and I think the biggest rewards are found when you explore and push through those feelings. Life can be very challenging, but if we are brave enough to “explore the darkness”, we’ll grow and better ourselves. This is a fundamental take away from my experience in creating my first whiskey. I wasn’t sure it would be a success, and there were a lot of people second guessing or doubting me along the way. But I held firm to my vision and got rewarded for it. I hope that when people see that white tree and black bottle, they are inspired to do the same.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The beginning of my professional growth starts with Art. I loved to draw and paint when I was a kid. It was one of the things that connected me to my Grammy when I was growing up, she was a great artist. But “creating” has always been a big part of my life. Whether it be art, or writing or even cooking. I love getting in there and exploring. I love pushing the limits and finding something new and exciting.

I graduated from college with a degree in Art History and I think that informs a lot of what I’ve accomplished. History and Art, when put together, gives you an amazingly honest and beautiful picture of our past and allows you to build on what has come before.

I applied that appreciation to the history and art of whiskey making and came up with something that is unique and a personal statement for me, while also creating a love letter to the makers of the past. I’m ADDING to their story, hopefully. Not just challenging it or disregarding it. That’s my goal.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live and work in Bozeman, Montana. But most of my family lives in or around the DFW area. Primarily in Weatherford, Texas. My Dad is kind of a big deal in the NCHA/cutting horse world and I have a ton of great memories of growing up on a ranch. I spend a lot of time in Weatherford in particular, and if I brought someone down to check it out, I would likely take them to the Fire Oak Grill downtown for a cocktail and dinner or Flames has an amazing menu as well. Zeno’s on the Square would be a great spot as well (I am a sucker for great Italian food). After that, we would head out to the ranch to ride some horses and get a little dirty, then enjoy a Ghostwood Whiskey watching the sunset on my Dad’s ranch there. Nothing too fancy. I like things simple and quiet.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Probably the most credit goes to my Dad. Like everyone in my life, he thought I was just playing around at first. But as I started to read and make trips to other distilleries to learn and when I finally made my first whiskey in the back of a barn in Illinois on a hot plate, he was the first to go, “Whoa”. Since then, he’s done nothing but push me forward. He’s the first believer in the “Go Beyond the Firelight” message I wanted to convey. My wife is also a big supporter, and without her, I doubt this journey would have worked out as well as it has so far.

When I was starting out, the craft whiskey business was brand new. I had the Idea to create a whiskey but I wasn’t even sure it was legal! But I read a lot of books and did my research. I took great inspiration from other businesses I admired who had early success, like Dan Garrison at Garrison Brothers down in Hye, Texas. Bill Samuels at Maker’s Mark is a big inspiration as well. I must have read or listened to a bunch of interviews of him.

Website: www.ghostwooddistilling.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostwooddistillingco/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ghostwoodwhiskey

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyu8c0z2cGZpKRpu4XvrMEw

Image Credits
Photos provided by: S. Sylvester Photography, LLC. https://ssylvesterphotography.shootproof.com/