Craft Distillery | Founded: 2011 | Montpelier, Vermont
Land-Crafted Spirits
Caledonia Spirits creates “land-crafted” spirits that reflect and respect Vermont’s agricultural history. Made with raw honey from local farmers their flagship product Barr Hill Gin is the most awarded and number one selling Gin in the super premium category in the US. Gin is experiencing a renaissance and is projected to be the fastest growing spirit category from 2020-2025.
Meet the Co-Founders
Ryan Christianen
President and Head Distiller, Ryan’s entrepreneurial path was born in his family-owned hardware business in Vermont. Ryan spent 8 years as an avid brewer and owner of a home-brewing store, which eventually led him down a path of distilling. In 2011, Ryan met a beekeeper named Todd Hardie. Todd had been keeping bees for 30 years and was on a pursuit to bring the agricultural aspect of beekeeping into distillation. Ryan, captivated by Todd’s agricultural mission, sold his home brewing business to step into the distilling arena. With a 15 gallon still, and a Mercury station wagon, the beekeeper and the distiller built the Caledonia Spirits distillery and set out to share their beloved Bar Hill Gin with the world. Ryan attended Champlain College.
Aminta Conant
Aminta is the former CFO of Caledonia Spirits and a member of the Board of Directors. Minty enjoyed a successful career running large manufacturing facilities across the U.S. for a number of firms. She established her own consulting firm and worked with companies across the United States, and Europe, before joining Ryan in 2015 as CFO and part owner of the Vermont distillery. Previously, she served as the director of Lean Six Sigma programs for Lydall, Inc., an international manufacturing company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Minty is a CPA, and a graduate of Hampshire College, Lyndon State College and from the School of Business at Plymouth State University.
The Bee’s Knees
