Business Spotlight with Brian Sammons from Twisted Path Distillery

DON’T WORRY ABOUT CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, FOLLOW YOUR OWN PATH

In this episode, Coach Jackie Zach interviews Brian Sammons, the owner of Twisted Path Distillery. He shares his unconventional journey from a career in intelligence and law to becoming a distillery owner in Milwaukee. Brian’s path began with his work in Washington, D.C., where he was detailed to the CIA as an analyst and later became a counterintelligence operations officer. After taking leave from the agency to attend law school at the University of Wisconsin, Brian eventually transitioned to a career in law before deciding to pursue his passion for distilling. He and his wife, Laura, started Twisted Path Distillery, where they embraced a philosophy of following their own path and doing things differently, which is reflected in their unique products like Bloody Vodka and Chai Liqueur.

Brian discusses the challenges and successes of running Twisted Path Distillery, emphasizing the importance of following an unconventional path and staying true to personal values. He credits his wife for inspiring him to take the leap into entrepreneurship and highlights the support of his community and business collaborators. One of the key lessons he shares is the importance of surrounding yourself with trustworthy and supportive people, a lesson learned the hard way through a challenging partnership. Looking ahead, Brian is focused on expanding the distillery’s reach, particularly with their innovative Bloody Vodka, and is seeking the right partners and connections to help them grow on a national scale.

Podcast Transcript

Jackie Zach: Hello, everyone! This is Coach Jackie Zach, and I’m excited to have Brian Sammons, the owner of Twisted Path Distillery, with us today. Brian’s career path is quite unique. He started in intelligence work in Washington, D.C., as a Department of Defense employee detailed to the CIA, working as an analyst on the Osama bin Laden team both before and after 9/11—kind of like a real-life Jack Ryan! Later, he transitioned to the CIA’s Clandestine Service, where he worked as a counterintelligence operations officer—what most people would call a spy.

After a few years, Brian took leave from the CIA to attend law school at the University of Wisconsin, which happens to be my alma mater. There, he met his wife, Laura, and they decided to raise a family, leading Brian to resign from the agency. They moved to Milwaukee, where Brian worked as a criminal prosecutor in the Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office for a few years, and then briefly at a big law firm. However, they eventually decided to chase a dream—turning Brian’s hobby of distilling into a career. Brian built the distillery in an old warehouse near their home in Bay View, even designing and building his first still, for which he holds a patent on the novel heating system it uses. Now, 11 years later, the dream is still alive and thriving.

In his free time, Brian loves doing anything with his wife and their four kids, who range in age from three to eleven. Their activities can include anything from Legos and mountain biking to visiting the zoo. When it comes to his work, Brian is particularly proud of Twisted Path Distillery’s Bloody Vodka and Chai Liqueur. Both are completely novel, and there’s nothing else like them—they’re amazing! I can’t wait to try them myself since your distillery is right near my house. The Bloody Vodka, in particular, is a great example of the Twisted Path approach—it’s entirely different from how everyone else makes a Bloody Mary. It’s my pleasure to welcome Brian Sammons to the show. Hey, Brian!

Brian Sammons: Hello.

Jackie: It’s great to have you. I feel like I’m talking to a real-life Jack Ryan over here! And as I mentioned, I don’t live very far from Bay View, so I’m really excited to stop by and try some of your products, especially the Chai Liqueur. But that’s not why we’re here today—we’re here to talk about you. So, tell us a little bit more about your personal story.

Brian: Well, you already gave a good overview of my career path. I’m originally from Milwaukee and started on the counterterrorism path after college because the targeting of civilians by terrorists really bothered me. I went to UWM for undergrad and then moved to D.C. to pursue counterterrorism. But a big part of the concept behind Twisted Path is the idea of following your own path—ignoring conventional wisdom and doing what feels right for you, even if it’s unconventional. That’s been my approach all along, even though some of the twists and turns in my life may seem a bit odd.

To give you a bit more background, I went on leave from the agency to go to law school, intending to return, but then I met my wife, Laura, and we decided to raise a family. The agency’s demands weren’t really compatible with the family life we wanted, so I left. I became a lawyer in Milwaukee, working as a DA for a while before joining a big law firm, but it wasn’t a good fit for me. The work didn’t suit me, and the long hours were going to mess up our family life, just like the agency would have. At that point, I realized I didn’t like my job and it was affecting my family life, so I asked myself, “Why am I doing this?”

It was actually Laura who suggested we become our own bosses. We wanted four kids and only had one at the time, but we knew starting our own business would allow us the flexibility to manage our family life. We weren’t under any illusions—we knew it would be a lot of work, but at least it would be on our own terms. So we started thinking about what kind of business we could start that we would enjoy. We had a few ideas, but ultimately, we chose to start a distillery because it aligned with my strengths. The hands-on, problem-solving aspects of distilling appealed to me, even though I’m not an engineer by training.

Jackie: I think it’s really interesting that your career path took a “twisted path.” It’s a perfect name for your business! I also love how you took a step-by-step approach to figuring out which business to start. It’s unique and very insightful. So, if you’re willing, could you share a funny story that your family tells about you?

Brian: Sure! Here’s something close to that. A funny thing that happens in our house quite often is a game we call “Poop or Rock.” With four little kids, two cats, and a dog, someone will spot a little brown thing on the rug, and it’s someone’s turn to figure out if it’s poop or just a rock—or maybe a fuzzball. We take turns playing it, and sometimes you win, but sometimes… you lose!

Jackie: That’s hilarious! So, tell us a little more about Twisted Path Distillery.

Brian: Well, you already know about the origins. The name “Twisted Path” isn’t just about my career path—it’s a bigger concept. It’s about life being a path, and we advocate following your own twisted path. Don’t worry about conventional wisdom—do your own thing, whether it’s a major life decision or just figuring out the best way to make a Bloody Mary.

For example, instead of following the traditional method of adding vodka to tomato juice, I asked myself, “Why is that the best way?” I realized that putting the herbs, spices, and stuff like that directly into the vodka makes more sense—it preserves the flavors better and eliminates the need for preservatives. It’s completely backwards from how everyone else does it, but it’s solidly better. That’s a good example of the Twisted Path approach—thinking outside the box and innovating.

Jackie: That’s genius! I’m so excited that you’re close to my house. Wow! So, can you share a story about someone who pushed or inspired you to believe you could do it, and the impact that had on you?

Brian: The number one person would be my wife. She’s the one who gave me the courage to take the leap. I had people in my life who suggested I should work at a distillery first, but Laura was like, “You can figure this out yourself.” She believed in me, and that gave me the confidence to just take it one step at a time. It reminds me of something I learned at Outward Bound—when climbing a mountain, don’t focus on the peak, just look five feet ahead and take a few more steps. That’s how we approached starting the distillery.

Jackie: Taking the leap from a steady paycheck to business ownership does take a lot of courage. It’s a big leap into the unknown, so congratulations on having such a great partner!

Brian: Thanks! And, by the way, it’s not the only leap—you keep leaping as the business grows.

Jackie: Most of the people watching this are business owners, so what’s your biggest lesson as a business owner?

Brian: One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, which impacts everything I do now, is the “No A-hole Rule.” There’s even a book about it. Basically, don’t work with jerks, no matter how good everything else looks on paper. We learned that the hard way when we partnered with a company that had a lot of credibility in our industry. Despite some red flags about their personalities, we went ahead with it, and it backfired—they cheated us, stole from us, and spread lies about us. It just wasn’t worth it.

Jackie: That’s definitely a tough lesson to learn the hard way.

Brian: Yeah, you don’t want to get too involved with people you don’t like or trust.

Jackie: Exactly. I completely agree with you. So, was that your biggest challenge, or was there something else? And who was a fellow business owner or colleague who helped you through it?

Brian: There were many challenges, but COVID was undoubtedly one of the biggest. At the time, we were just a small distillery in Wisconsin, and we had to close our tasting room, which meant a significant loss of revenue, even though the rent was still due. We tried to keep our staff as much as we could. While many people drank more alcohol at home during the pandemic, they mostly bought big-name brands in large quantities. Craft spirits like ours didn’t see the same demand. People were more concerned with stocking up on essentials.

So, we pivoted to making hand sanitizer, not for profit, but because the community needed it. We were getting calls from hospitals, the military, police, and fire departments asking if we had any sanitizer. As a small distillery, we were agile enough to produce it quickly, unlike the giant factories that take months to retool. We collaborated with other distilleries, like Dancing Goat and 45th Parallel, who were incredibly supportive. They provided us with the neutral spirits and hydrogen peroxide we needed. It was a cooperative effort, and though we didn’t profit from it, we were able to help the community.

My staff also adapted quickly, pivoting to selling bottled cocktails to go, which helped us survive. Our loyal customers were determined to keep us going, buying more bottled cocktails than they probably would have under normal circumstances.

Jackie: I love that story of pivoting when you had to, and how all the businesses cooperated, even those who might be considered competitors. It’s such a great story to tell.

Brian: Absolutely. In fact, the biggest distillery in town, Great Lakes Distillery, could have seen us as competition, but instead, they were incredibly supportive. There was one time when my boiler died, and Guy Rehorst from Great Lakes offered me a spare boiler they had just uninstalled. It’s amazing how supportive this community is.

Jackie: That’s really cool. Plus, the products all of you make are delicious, so it’s a win-win! If you had to pick three people in your business journey who you are most grateful for, who would they be?

Brian: It might not be in the business world, but I’d say my wife and her mother, Maggie, have been my biggest cheerleaders. Their support has been invaluable, especially during tough times. There were moments when I was ready to give up, but they kept encouraging me, telling me that overcoming these challenges would make it harder for others to follow in my footsteps.

Jackie: How wonderful! We can never underestimate the power of that kind of encouragement. Anyone else?

Brian: Yes, we have what we call “door openers,” people who are always willing to help. For example, my friends at Top Note Tonic, Noah and Mary, have always been there to support and collaborate with us. We’ve done cooperative promotions, and they’ve always been willing to share advice and resources. It’s that kind of attitude that makes a huge difference.

Jackie: That’s great. So, what’s the next big thing for you and your business?

Brian: The next big thing is a potential pivot in our business model. We’re looking at taking our Bloody Vodka, which fills a unique gap in the market, to a national level. To do that, we’ll need to shift from being a small, bootstrapped business to one that’s more growth-driven, with investors and strategic partners. We believe Bloody Vodka has the potential to capture a significant portion of the Bloody Mary market, but we’ll need help to make it happen. Right now, we’re building a bigger team and seeking out the right people and connections to take us to the next level.

Jackie: What do you think will be the biggest challenge in making that transition?

Brian: The biggest challenge will be finding the right people and making the right connections. In this industry, there’s a lot of gatekeeping. It’s tough to get the decision-makers to sit down and taste our products, but once they do, they’re usually sold. The challenge is getting them to that point. So, finding the right people to open those doors will be key.

Jackie: That makes sense. What advice would you give to a business owner trying to do it all on their own?

Brian: Don’t underestimate the aspects of the business that you’re not focused on. Many small business owners start because they love making something, but it’s not enough to just have a great product. You need to figure out the marketing, finance, sales, and all the other aspects that come with running a business. It’s not an “if you build it, they will come” situation.

Jackie: Exactly. It’s a long and expensive road to try to do everything on your own. It sounds like you’ve been blessed with incredible people who have helped you on your journey. What would you like to say to them?

Brian: Thank you.