Wyoming Whiskey Returns to Wyoming Ownership As Co-Founder Buys Macallan Owner’s 80% Stake

(Photo: Wyoming Whiskey)

Wyoming Whiskey is returning to its roots.

The craft distillery announced on Thursday that a Wyoming-based investment group led by co-founder David DeFazio has acquired Edrington’s 80% ownership stake in the brand, returning it to full Wyoming ownership for the first time since 2018.

The deal marks a significant turning point for one of the most recognizable names in American craft whiskey. Edrington, the Scotland-based spirits company best known as the owner of The Macallan, purchased a majority stake in Wyoming Whiskey eight years ago.

Founded in 2006 and recognized as Wyoming’s first legal distillery, Wyoming Whiskey has built a strong reputation for producing bourbon, rye and other American whiskeys using locally grown grains from Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin.

According to the company, all of its whiskeys continue to be made in Wyoming using non-GMO corn, wheat, rye and barley sourced from the region.

“Moving forward, Wyoming Whiskey will re-commit to its roots and return to the culture and constitution that made it the whiskey of the West and a staple of the Rocky Mountain whiskey category,” DeFazio said in a news release.

While the ownership change signals a new chapter, DeFazio credited Edrington’s stewardship with helping improve the distillery’s production processes and whiskey quality.

During Edrington’s ownership, Wyoming Whiskey expanded distribution and earned critical acclaim for several releases. The company noted that its Buffalo Bill Cody bourbon was named Best Non-Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon at the 2026 World Whiskies Awards.

The distillery recently released State of the Union, a 6-year-old bourbon commemorating America’s 250th anniversary and Wyoming’s role in U.S. history.

Industry Legend Nancy Fraley Returns

The ownership transition also brings back one of the most influential figures in American whiskey.

Master Blender Nancy Fraley will rejoin Wyoming Whiskey after a nearly three-year hiatus. Fraley, who recently retired from Joseph A. Magnus, previously helped create several of the brand’s most acclaimed releases, including Outryder and the 10th Anniversary Edition.

“I am enormously excited about resuming my work with Wyoming Whiskey as their Master Blender,” Fraley said. “I am particularly pleased to see the company come back home under the leadership of co-founder David DeFazio.”

Fraley said the return to local ownership played a key role in her decision to reunite with the distillery. She has also worked with numerous other brands, including Still Austin, Virginia Distillery Company, Ironroot Republic and Smooth Ambler.

The move comes as American whiskey producers continue to navigate a challenging market environment marked by slowing growth, increased competition and shifting consumer preferences. Against that backdrop, Wyoming Whiskey’s leadership believes a renewed focus on its regional identity can help differentiate the brand.

“Our successes are a tribute to all of our past and present partners,” DeFazio said. “We look forward to forging new relationships at home and across our great country, and beyond.”

Based in Kirby, Wyoming, the distillery remains one of the few American whiskey producers whose identity is closely tied to a single state, sourcing ingredients and producing its whiskey entirely within Wyoming.