Reviving One of Montana’s Oldest Distilleries | Justin Meccia & Jeff “Fuzzy” Wenzel on Invst Guru.
In this episode of Invst Guru, host Jeff “Fuzzy” Wenzel sits down with Justin Meccia, owner of Hidden Lake Grill & Distillery, to discuss how he acquired one of Montana’s oldest distilleries and is now working to revive, rebrand, and scale the business beyond state borders.
Justin shares how he purchased the assets of Whitefish Handcrafted Spirits, inherited award-winning recipes like the orange clove infused rum, and is transforming the brand into a house-of-brands model designed for national distribution. He explains the challenges of operating in a control state like Montana, navigating Department of Revenue regulations, and expanding into states like Tennessee while maintaining production quality.
In this episode, we cover:
• What it takes to acquire and rebuild a craft distillery?
• Why Montana’s liquor laws create unique challenges?
• The shift from a “branded house” to a “house of brands” strategy.
• Rebranding award-winning spirits for national markets.
• Scaling production without sacrificing quality.
• Managing seasonality in a tourist-driven market.
• Why zero-proof and alcohol-free alternatives matter now?
• The role of crowdfunding in small business growth.
• Expanding through satellite kitchens and food truck concepts.
• What retail investors should understand before investing in craft spirits?
Justin also explains his long-term vision to relocate operations closer to Flathead Lake and turn the brand into a multi-location hospitality experience.
🔗 Learn More & Explore the Investment
📈 View the Honeycomb campaign:
👉 https://invest.honeycombcredit.com/campaigns/Hidden-Lake-Grill-and-Distillery
🌐 Visit the brand:
👉 https://enjoyhiddenlake.com
🎙️ About Invst Guru
Invst Guru, hosted by Jeff “Fuzzy” Wenzel, features candid conversations with founders building real businesses across consumer brands, hospitality, energy, film, and emerging industries.
“Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice or a solicitation to invest. Invst Guru and its affiliates are not broker-dealers or investment advisers and do not make recommendations regarding any securities.
If any company mentioned is conducting a Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) raise, all investments must occur through an SEC-registered intermediary platform such as DealMaker Securities, StartEngine, Republic, or Wefunder. No investment terms or returns are discussed here.
Investing in private and early-stage companies involves significant risk, including loss of capital and illiquidity. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Always conduct your own due diligence and consult a licensed financial advisor before investing.
All opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not represent endorsements or partnerships by Invst Guru.”