Meet Wesley Panther | Owner of Ancestors Distilling Ltd.

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

Hi Wesley, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had previously looked at opening my own bar as I had recently opened one with one other party in Denver, but I found myself a little burnt out in the bar business and had a growing interest in distilled spirits. I thought to myself, what if I learned the art of distilling and opened a bar with my own spirits? I thought about how this would allow me to expand my market, knowledge and overall potential for revenue.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I set out to make high-quality spirits with attention to detail while keeping a fun atmosphere that would involve a community of other artists. I am most proud of being able to use my business and creativity to reach people from all-over and have fun while adventuring into entrepreneurial pursuits.

This has been a difficult journey from day one. I left a comfortable job running a bar to enter the world of distilled spirits with little to no knowledge or experience. This led me to traveling the country, living out of my car, working paycheck to paycheck whilst searching for a source of experience and knowledge.

Currently I still operate and fund Ancestors independently and while I believe this has taught me important lessons about business and life skills, it is still very stressful. While I see my small company slowly growing, I realize that not giving up, and trying not to lose the burning flame that got me to where I am, is the most important aspect of independent growth. I have found that utilizing available resources is vital to any small business, and I am gracious to have a community of talented people around me that are always so willing to support.

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.
In anticipation of a close friend visiting, the itinerary is clear to me. First of all, we would spend the first day in downtown Fort Collins, checking out the local hotspots like Elliots, Trailhead, Music City and more…The next day we would enjoy a relaxing dayon the water at Horsetooth Reservoir before heading up the Poudre Canyon for a show at the best music venue in the world, The Mishawaka. On the last day (I can’t imagine taking more than 3 days off), I would drive us up Big Thompson canyon, and into Estes Park, where we would then jump-off to a day of climbing and or hiking in/or around RMNP.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to my family and friends first and foremost for believing in me when I dropped everything and moved into my car to pursue a new career path. Shoutout to Adam Bachman at Chemist Spirits for taking me under his wing as an apprentice and showing me the ropes.

Website: www.ancestorsdistilling.com

Instagram: @ancestorsdistilling

Facebook: facebook.com/ancestorsdistilling

Image Credits
Ascend Creative CB Video Marketing Aurora Norton Photography