When life gives you lemons, you make lemon vodka.
At least that’s what Chase and Aaron from Chronicles Distilling do.
An idea that started as a joke between two brothers has grown into a successful enterprise adding charm to the city and a place for people to “actually talk to each other” in downtown Cheyenne, Wyoming. At Accountability Services, we’re excited to be part of what’s next for this home-grown business.
Country beginnings plus Marine Corps grit
Chase and Aaron grew up on a Nebraska ranch, where they attended a two-room schoolhouse and got plenty of exposure to hard work. Later in life, both brothers served in the Marine Corps, where they learned discipline, grit, and a willingness to figure things out on the fly.
Both experiences proved invaluable during the two and a half years they spent renovating the historic Asher Building to fit their vision, putting in countless weekend and evening hours on top of their regular jobs.
- Ripping up 1970s paneling and carpet
- Refinishing the old hardwood floors
- Re-grouting the original brick walls
- Building all their own furniture by hand
The hard work paid off, and Chronicles Distilling opened on July 19, 2019, during Cheyenne Frontier Days.
Keeping things honest
At the Chronicles’ bar, simple and classic is the style. No food, no television sets, just high-quality spirits and even better conversations.
“We keep it strictly sociable,” Chase explained. “We’ve had people trying to convince us to get TVs and stuff and we say no. The nice thing is, people aren’t on their phones the whole time. They’re actually having legitimate conversations. So that’s the way.”
As for their most popular product, Tart Lemon Vodka is the most likely to find its way into a customer’s glass.
“We don’t mess around with flavor extracts or anything like that. And it definitely sets itself apart from anything else on the market.”
For now, production is small and local. Their spirits are distributed throughout Wyoming but mostly sold direct to consumer from the distillery – either in take-away bottles or mixed into your cocktail.
Looking ahead: Buy the building, scale carefully
Over the next five years Chase and Aaron hope to purchase the Asher Building and build a manufacturing facility north of town to increase production and expand their market out of state.
All financed out of company profits.
They absolutely plan to grow their veteran-owned family distillery and take their lemon vodka further afield but prefer to scale organically.
Planning your visit
Chronicles is a family-friendly distillery for all ages. Mocktails, soda and water are available in addition to cocktails and spirits to-go for those 21+
- Free tours
- Free samples
Chronicles Distilling
1506 Thomes Avenue
Cheyenne, WY
Follow along on social media for fun events that include food trucks, kids’ rodeo on the mechanical bull, art walk and more!
