This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
In 2014, Anvil Distillery began the process of applying to the City of Longmont to become, what was then, one of the few distilleries in town. By 2015, Peter Grundy, owner, had opened the doors to what is now a beloved waterhole among several Longmont patrons.
On May 4, 2019, the much-loved distillery will be opening its doors one last time. The distillery will be open on May 3 as well. Grundy remarked that he hopes to sell what is remaining and hopes that they have enough to have a final drink with all their loyal patrons.
Grundy states that he had big dreams to make it as a mom and pop shop to make enough money to live comfortably. After nearly five years he will leave the business having just broken even.
The dream of the distillery began when Grundy visited a similar distillery in Nova Scotia. He came across this couple who were infusing vodka with varying local produce. He became intrigued by the idea of creating his own liquor and started a two-year journey of research.
When Grundy decided he was ready to open a store, the zoning in Longmont was different in downtown Longmont and distilleries were forced to look on the outskirts of town.
Grundy first made a vodka and then a gin. Gin and tonic being Grundy's favorite drink, made the process extra special for him. He crafted a product after many months of "laboratory" like experiments, he says. Now it's his favorite gin of all time.
In fact, the gin is what brought the most familiar face to Anvil Distillery, Matt Maenpaa. Maenpaa walked by the distillery on his way home and stopped in for a quick drink. He was so sold on the taste of the gin that he "bugged" Grundy for several weeks to let Maenpaa run the bar.
For the last several years, Maenpaa has been the face welcoming all Anvil's customers and creating a variety of drinks from the distilled spirits. He quickly went from tending the bar to learning how to distill and run all aspects of a distillery.
Much like the process of making Anvil's gin, the distillery itself has been run from the love these two men poured into the business.
Grundy regrets the business model he chose. He wishes he had thought to gain a large sum of capital in the beginning so that he could have gained the support of a major distributing company. This is what he sees as one of the downfalls of his business.
Additionally, Grundy found that publicity and marketing were difficult to do as a small business on a very limited budget. He sought out liquor stores and restaurants to distribute his product, however, the employee turnover rates in these industries made it difficult to maintain good business relationships.
"It's sad for me because this was my baby for five years. I'm a little disappointed and it's a little frustrating that [the bigger market] is all about money and not all about product," says Grundy.
Some of both Maenpaa and Grundy's favorite memories are the many adventures with the water gushing out of hoses and flooding throughout the distilling room. The two reminisced about several water mishaps over the years.
Although, there are things that Grundy might do over or change about his business model he has enjoyed the journey. For both men, the next step includes some rest and time with family. Neither would reveal any grand plans on the horizon but they stated that you just never know.
Grundy's favorite part of owning the distillery has always been getting to know the customers.
As Grundy says goodbye, he states to his customers, "It was a great ride! Thank you to all those people who were loyal to us. Thank you. If it weren't for them we would have closed a lot earlier."
