Today we’d like to introduce you to Markus Kypreos.
Markus, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Fort Worth. I attended the University of Texas for undergrad, then Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. I practiced as an attorney in Texas from 2004-2018. I attended the Culinary School of Fort Worth at night and graduated from there with a culinary arts degree in 2010. I then passed my introductory sommelier exam through the Master Court of Sommeliers, began attending numerous spirit schools, put a business plan together and signed a lease for our distillery in late 2017. I left my practice in January 2018 to focus full-time on the distillery, began the build-out of our distillery in March 2018 and opened Blackland Distillery to the public on March 20, 2019.
We are a grain to glass distillery with a focus on premium spirits, Blackland is the infusion of history and future, incorporating time-honored techniques blended with a modern, tech-focused approach to traditional distilling and aging processes to produce clean, vibrant new tastes in its four small-batch spirits. Vodka. Bourbon. Rye. Gin. Spirits that are refined, and reawaken the senses.
And then, of course, this week, it was announced we signed with Ben E. Keith to handle our distribution and that was not only a great partnership for us, we’re their first Bourbon, Rye Whiskey and Gin. The response to both our tasting room and our spirits in just five months has been phenomenal and overwhelming.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course not. We hired a designer from LA to design our custom bottle and label. The process of building a custom bottle from scratch was painful, tedious and difficult, but the results are well worth it and our bottle has been a shining part of our early success.
Also, we strive for excellence, from the grains we use to the spirits we make to the cocktails we serve in the tasting room. We’re not for everyone. We are sophisticated and premium (but at a competitive price). We’re trying to offer something special and unique to the public and sometimes when you don’t appeal to the masses, there is some push back. That’s o.k. because all we can do and all we really care about is creating the best spirits possible.
Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I oversee the company, but we certainly approach our spirits and our tasting room from a culinary background. Distilling is cooking and we treat it as such. That said, I have a master distiller named Ezra Cox who has an incredible beer background and he is an expert in fermentation and has helped us tremendously here. My bar manager has created what I consider to be the best bar program in DFW. That’s a statement, but we use fresh juices and syrups daily and throw away the leftovers every night. We make our own bitters. We want the customer to appreciate the work we put into the spirits and everything else that makes it the best cockatiel you’ve ever tried. My team is a huge part of our success.
We’re known right now for our sophisticated bottles, are smooth spirits and our intimate tasting room. Those three combined to make a perfect night out. We use state-of-the-art technology to distill our spirits. We filter our vodka. We use reverse osmosis water to blend. Everything we do is about purity, cleanliness and quality.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My parents took me to Domain Chandon as a child in Napa and the chef at the time was Phillipe Jeanty. He later opened his own restaurant Bistro Jeanty (a must visit for everyone). I had the Puff Pastry Tomato Soup and I remember thinking at the time, this is what food was supposed to taste like. It’s still on his menu. That dish inspired me to eventually attend culinary school. It was a life-changing meal.
Pricing:
- Vodka: $25, Gin $30, Bourbon $35, Rye Whiskey $35
Contact Info:
- Address: 2616 Weisenberger Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107 - Website: www.blacklandfw.com
- Phone: (682) 268-5333
- Email: markus@blacklanddistilling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blacklanddistilleryfw/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blacklanddistillery/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/blackland-distillery-fort-worth-2
Image Credit:
Photos by Heather Essian
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