The merger brings together Prost Beverage Co., which successfully collaborated with Tim Smith, reality TV star from Discovery Channel’s “Moonshiners,” to develop major national brands of Climax Spirits and Tim Smith Southern Reserve; Two Trees Distilling Co. which has advanced distilling, branding and innovation experience; and RF Kettle with plans to advance RF Kettle’s proprietary technology for rapid-aging. The new combined company, which will be known as Two Trees Beverage Co., uses a 1,000-gallon system to produce and scale the volume equivalent of approximately 20 barrels of aged product per day.
The company has already raised $6 million in Series A funding which is expected to close in July. Two Trees Beverage Co. will offer rapid-aging on a contract basis for private label, new and established beverage brands that are looking for ways to diversify portfolios, and improve taste experiences.
Some forms of rapid-aging have been met with cynicism within an industry steeped in tradition.however , are confident that complacency doesn’t drive innovation. Slagle said, “It’s disruptive to put innovation in tradition, some people are uncomfortable with that, but innovation isn’t about doing what is comfortable, it requires change to improve the old ways of doing things,” said Chad Slagle, CEO and Chris Sellers, president of the newly formed parent company