Montanya Rum, the Crested Butte, Colorado craft distillery producing American rum at 8,888 feet elevation, has appointed a six-member advisory board stacked with spirits distribution, brand-scaling, and commercialization expertise — a structural move that signals the women-owned, B Corp-certified producer is positioning for meaningful route-to-market expansion beyond its current footprint.
Megan Campbell, CEO and Head Distiller of Montanya Rum, framed the appointments as a deliberate step toward disciplined growth. "As we enter our next stage of growth, this advisory board brings together experienced founders, operators, and brand builders who will challenge our thinking, expand our network, and help us scale with discipline — while staying true to the fun, adventurous lifestyle and strong sense of place that make Montanya Rum unique."
The Advisory Roster
The six appointees collectively bring more than 50 years of beverage industry experience across finance, marketing, venture capital, operations, and supply chain. Jeff Sarfino, Chairman and CEO of Lanterna Distributors, Inc., brings three-tier system depth that could prove critical as Montanya evaluates wholesaler network expansion. Jimmy Bruton, most recently CMO for Via Carota Craft Cocktails, contributes more than 30 years of alcoholic beverage leadership across on-premise and off-premise channels. Michelle Ivey, CEO of Lake Hour Cocktails and Co-Founder of Como No Energy, brings a proven premium brand-building track record — most notably helping scale Illegal Mezcal from early growth through its acquisition by Bacardi, a trajectory that illustrates exactly the kind of supplier-to-acquirer arc small craft producers aspire to replicate. Taylor Foxman, Founder and CEO of The Industry Collective, joins alongside Sivan Cotel, a strategic board leader with 20 years of experience across startup launches and nonprofit and for-profit governance, and William Kehler, a 12-year industry veteran who has launched three product lines spanning whiskey, flavored shots, and hemp beverages, with specific expertise in supply chain and new product formulation.
Growth Context
Founded in 2008, Montanya competes in the fast-consolidating American craft rum segment, a category that has remained structurally niche compared to craft whiskey but has benefited from growing bartender and consumer interest in aged and terroir-forward expressions. Montanya's production process — using Louisiana-grown sugarcane and Rocky Mountain snowmelt, with altitude-slowed fermentation driving extended barrel maturation — differentiates the distillery on a product level. The current portfolio spans five core SKUs: Platino (unaged), Oro (two years in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels), Exclusiva (three years with wine barrel finishing), Valentia (double-matured with a rye finish), and the newer Pineapple Habanero Rum flavored expression.
Flavored and specialty rum SKUs have been a growth driver across the broader spirits manufacturing segment, and Montanya's addition of the Pineapple Habanero expression suggests the distillery is deliberately broadening its appeal in the off-premise channel, where flavored spirits outperform in cold-chain retail planogram placement. For a craft supplier eyeing distributor network growth, the Sarfino appointment in particular sends a clear signal to the wholesale tier that the brand intends to compete seriously for shelf and back-bar position.
The advisory structure also reflects a broader trend in the craft spirits distribution space, where sub-scale producers are increasingly formalizing governance and external expertise before pursuing fundraising rounds, co-pack arrangements, or regional wholesaler agreements — moves that require the kind of credibility and network access this board is designed to provide. Montanya's B Corp certification and women-owned status may also sharpen its positioning with retailers and on-premise accounts that have made supplier diversity commitments a formal procurement criterion.
Montanya's destination distillery remains open daily at 204 Elk Avenue in Crested Butte, functioning as both a production facility and DTC tasting experience — a high-margin direct channel that larger distribution ambitions would complement rather than replace.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
