Undammed’s devotion to community — and the distilling craft – stands out
Northwest craft distillers come to their trade via many different paths. Scientists, people from other parts of the beverage industry, pals who’ve always loved sharing drinks, farmers and so many more. But Undammed Distilling Company’s Allen Hodges might be the only one who took it up after 40 years in church ministry. That background, plus his devotion to distilling as community stewardship, stands out. As do Undammed’s award-winning spirits.
One thing Hodges does share with other craft distillers is a love of a particular spirit. In his case, it’s single-malt whiskey. A few years before retiring from one career and taking up another, he’d started a single-malt tasting group and, as he told us, “developed an appreciation for the distilled arts.” After retiring from the ministry and chatting it over with his wife and adult kids, they all decided that, in Hodges’ words, “a distillery would be a fun way to express creativity for the next stage of my life.”
Sounds like lots of work, as well. Setting up a distillery is hard, yet Hodges persevered, driven by that single-malt love, but even more by two sources that provided inspiration; the stars the distillery travels under. First, the writer Wendell Berry’s ethos, “Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.” It’s a line printed on every bottle of Undammed spirits. The second inspiration is the Yellowstone River, which runs through Billings, Montana, where Undammed is located.
While he enjoys fly fishing and tubes the “Stone” every summer, the connection Hodges feels with the river isn’t about outdoor recreation. That connection is, as he says, “literally all about clean, accessible water. We drink it every day. We need to protect it. I hope it’s not overly dramatic to say our lives depend on the Yellowstone River.”
Hodges doesn’t just talk about the river. He uses that water in Undammed spirits, and proceeds from each bottle sold support Yellowstone River conservation partners. When sipping an Undammed spirit, you can both drink the river and benefit the river.
It doesn’t stop there. Hodges and the distillery bring together staff and customers to support the Yellowstone River cleanup every year, and it hosts fundraisers for the Yellowstone Research Center.
Hodges also supports the local community and region in other ways. Undammed uses primarily grain from Montana’s Gallatin Valley, and he’s president of the Montana Distillers Guild, working for craft distillers across the state. Plus, when expanding Undammed, he built in the East Billings Urban Renewal District, aiding in the revitalization and energizing of the area.
Amazing work, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that Undammed also makes mighty fine spirits.
As you might expect after reading the above, their lineup is whiskey-centric, with a lengthy selection of intriguing options — single malt, malted, bourbon and others. But it doesn’t stop there, as they also have gin and vodka. A handful of limited releases are also in the works, including a brandy, rye and agave spirit. Hodges says he seeks “to create a well-rounded product line so that whichever way a customer’s taste lies, they would be able to enjoy something that we create.”
As Undammed expands, the connection to the Yellowstone River never diminishes. For example, every product is named after streams in the Yellowstone watershed. This keeps the river top of mind while making for some memorable names, including sippables like Thief Creek Straight Bourbon, Ghost Creek Vodka and the upcoming Froze to Death Creek Agave Spirit.
In his poem The River Now, legendary Pacific Northwest poet Richard Hugo wrote, “This river points / the way north to the blood.” When reading that, it echoes how the Yellowstone River and the idea of community stewardship are in the blood of Hodges and in the bottles of Undammed spirits. Creating positive change for the environment and the local community in which they’re based — while also crafting delicious drinks? It’s no wonder Hodges was named a Sipfluencer (check out the 2026 Best of the Northwest issue for more). Long may he, the river and Undammed spirits flow.
Trying Undammed Distilling Company Spirits
While the optimum way to introduce yourself to Undammed delights is while sitting next to the Yellowstone River, their spirits taste dandy at home, too. The four below are a good way to dip your toe into the whole family. Give each a sip solo first —the whiskies especially. But they make tasty cocktails as well, so we’ve included drink ideas below for each.
Shields River Single Malt Whiskey
$92 | 750ml
The lushness of this single malt is evident when you open it and take that first sniff — layers of vanilla, caramel, embering smoke and more. The taste continues the fun with a welcoming complexity that adds hints of tobacco, oak (it’s aged 24 months in charred white oak barrels), lightly tanned leather and a bit of pastry to the mix. It won a well-deserved gold at the American Craft Spirits Competition in 2025. You’ll want to savor this whiskey alone, maybe with a drop or two of water (its 116 proof opens up agreeably), but it also makes a swell Rob Roy.
Ingredients
2½ ounces Shields River Single Malt Whiskey
½ ounce Brovo Jammy sweet vermouth
2 dashes Scrappy’s Aromatic Bitters
Luxardo maraschino cherry, for garnish
Cracked ice
Directions
Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker halfway with cracked ice. Add everything but the cherry. Stir well. Add the cherry to a cocktail glass. Strain the mix into the glass over the cherry.
Pryor Creek Bourbon
$55 | 750ml
Named for a stream east of Billings beloved by locals, this recently released bourbon was created as a thank you for those supportive folks. It’s only available in Billings but makes a first-rate excuse for visiting the city and distillery, thanks to its beautifully sippable flavor. Aged at least 18 months in charred white oak, you get a hint of that wood alongside caramel, pure grain notes, a whisper of sweetness and stone fruits, and a trailing bit of baking spice. Try it in the Negroni cousin, the Boulevardier.
Ingredients
1½ ounces Pryor Creek Bourbon
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce Brovo Jammy sweet vermouth
Cracked ice
Ice cubes
Orange twist, for garnish
Directions
Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker halfway with cracked ice. Add the bourbon, Campari and vermouth. Stir well. Add one large ice cube or several regular ice cubes to an Old Fashioned or comparable glass. Strain the mix into the glass. Garnish with the twist.
Bear Skull Creek Montana Whiskey
$64 | 750ml
Of all the great Undammed waterway names, Bear Skull Creek may be the most evocative. I can picture sitting next to the creek itself, sun out, brisk breeze, a glass of this well-balanced, small-batch, easy-drinking whiskey in hand. Sounds like paradise. As is the taste: gentle oakiness, caramel, a vision of untrampled wilderness, a dash of black pepper, trailing vanilla cookies made over a campfire. If you’re not actually at a remote creek while drinking, you’ll soon start dreaming of one. Have this in a Whizz Bang on the Fourth of July (or anytime — but no fireworks while drinking).
Ingredients
1½ ounces Bear Skull Creek Montana Whiskey
¾ ounce dry vermouth
¼ ounce Pernod
¼ ounce homemade grenadine (recipe below)
2 dashes Scrappy’s Orange Bitters
Ice cubes
Directions
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add the whiskey, vermouth, Pernod, grenadine and orange bitters. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Drink while gazing at a river, creek or stream.
Homemade Grenadine
Many store-bought grenadines are icky, sickly messes. Fortunately, it’s easy to make your own with the recipe below.
Ingredients
4 cups unsweetened pomegranate juice
1 pint fresh raspberries
4 cups sugar
1 ounce orange flower water
Directions
Add the pomegranate juice and raspberries to a large saucepan and place over high heat. Cook for 15 minutes. Let the mixture remain at a steady low boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes longer, reducing heat if needed to prevent burning. Slowly stir in the sugar, stirring continuously. When the sugar is completely dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the orange flower water. Let cool, then strain into bottles. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one month.
Hole-in-the-Rock Gin
$40 | 750ml
While Undammed skews whiskey, don’t miss this gin. The waterway description alone is poetry: “Hole-in-the-Rock Creek flows south from the Crazy Mountains into Duck Creek before entering the Yellowstone.” The gin is poetic, too — completely individual while recognizably gin. It has orange citrusy accents balancing juniper without overwhelming, and a caressing sweetness that’ll make you want to take it home and cuddle up on the couch while watching Casablanca. It’s so unique that finding an ideal cocktail is tough — but the Blue Train is an excellent choice.
Ingredients
1 ounce Hole-in-the-Rock Gin
½ ounce Cointreau
½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ ounce crème de violette
Ice cubes
Directions
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add the gin, Cointreau, lemon juice and crème de violette. Shake briefly. Strain through a fine strainer into a cocktail glass.
