In continuation of our new leadership introduction series (and in observance of Women's History Month, which is celebrated every month here at Montanya), we are thrilled to introduce you to Renée Newton, our Chief Experience Officer and Head of the Tasting Room & Retail. No stranger to longtime supporters, Renée is a dynamo who has played a significant role in shaping the trajectory of Montanya since 2013, including a long tenure as the head distiller.

Southern Roots, Mountain Soul…

As stated previously, southern roots run deep among Montanya's new leadership team, and our introduction to Renée Newton is a further testament to that statement.

Born in Brunswick, GA, the daughter of a tugboat captain, Renée spent much of her youth traversing cities and towns across the coastal southern U.S. with her family. At times, settling in New Orleans, back in the Golden Isles, and Wilmington, NC, culminating in Renée graduating with degrees in Biology and Chemistry from UNC-Wilmington. She followed this up with a trip to Crested Butte for a stint as a research assistant at Rocky Mountain Biological Labs in 2013, where she found her home at Montanya. Under the tutelage of founder Karen Hoskin, Renée gained a melange of experience leading events, managing the Tasting Room/Restaurants, cocktail programming, and ultimately becoming the head distiller in the brand’s formative years. More recently, Renée, a.k.a. Crash, appeared on Discovery TV’s long-running Master Distiller competition series, taking home first place for a Peach Liqueur in front of a prime-time audience.

While the versatility of Renée’s expertise across all touchpoints is paramount to Montanya reaching its short and long-term goals, it is her principled leadership rooted in integrity, creativity, and love of the local Crested Butte and American rum communities that shines brightest.

Craftsmanship x Community

Renée envisions Montanya’s future not just as America’s great, award-winning Mountain Rum distillery, recognized for its commitment to producing exceptional spirits through sustainable practices, but also emphasizes the importance of providing an inclusive experience. With our Tasting Room under Renée’s guidance serving as a beacon for Crested Butte’s vibrant local community as well as welcoming visitors from near and far who look forward to exquisite rum cocktails, and most of all, having fun. With this sense of our mountain place, with a focus on patrons and the planet becoming synonymous with the brand wherever it is enjoyed.

Understanding there are no shortcuts, Renée’s approach to realizing this vision is firmly anchored in her commitment to core values including integrity, community, innovation, and transparency. In the last 90 days, she has worked diligently to further reduce waste at the Tasting Room, as well as updating hours, cocktail programming with partners in CB (and elsewhere in Colorado), and making the Tasting Room more accessible to the local community.

A true utility all-star, Renée is also slated to work the still again and expand Montanya’s offerings by producing a line of experiential Rum Liqueurs using locally sourced ingredients. Her commitment to building community and craftsmanship, driven by integrity, will guide Montanya into a new era where every experience reflects these values.