Brad & Kate Mead

Brad and Kate Mead of Wyoming Whiskey are a remarkable duo whose story begins with deep roots in Wyoming ranching and grows into a national craft whiskey success. Brad Mead, born in July 1957, is a fourth-generation cattle rancher and lawyer—his mother, Mary Mead, once managed the family ranch, and his sister Muffy and brother Matt (a former governor of Wyoming), round out a family steeped in public service and land stewardship.

Kate Mead, also a lawyer, met Brad while attending law school and soon became part of the ranching life at Spring Gulch Ranch on the outskirts of Jackson Hole. Together, in 2006, they co-founded Wyoming Whiskey with their friend and fellow attorney David DeFazio. Their ranch in Kirby, Wyoming—pop. 92—became home to the first legal distillery in the state, a bold and unexpected pivot that began when Brad came home saying, “Honey, I bought a still,” one too tall for their garage at 38 feet.

From that point, they learned distilling from experts like Lincoln Henderson (former Woodford Reserve) and Kentucky barrel‑master Steve Nally, then waited through long Wyoming winters for their spirit to mature. Their first release came in 2012, and they quickly sold 2,400 cases, though early missteps taught them valuable lessons.

Wyoming Whiskey captures the harsh, limestone-filtered water and extreme seasonal temperature swings of Wyoming, all bottled with the branding of their family “TT” ranch mark, a nod to “Double-T” spring-gulch heritage. They’ve grown the brand into ultra-premium territory, even attracting a majority investment from Edrington in 2018.

One of Kate’s proudest gifts to the company has been breaking gender barriers in whiskey. With a passion for equity, she’s championed female blenders like Nichole Martens and brought in blending expertise from leaders such as Nancy Fraley and Macallan’s Kirsteen Campbell. She reflects on her early law‑school and ranch‑learning days, recalling cattle drives across Grand Teton land as she taught her children to ride beside her, even through rain and snow.

Outside the distillery, Brad and Kate are passionate conservationists. Kate is a founding board member of the Grand Teton National Park Foundation. Their National Parks Series of whiskeys supports Yellowstone and Grand Teton with a portion of proceeds, reinforcing their love for the land.

Together, Brad and Kate balance ranch life, law careers, and whiskey leadership. As if those were not enough, they also have two boys who were born during their time living in Phoenix, before returning home to Jackson for school.

Their story is one of family legacy turned visionary craft: steering the first legal whiskey distillery in Wyoming, honoring the land and honoring women in an industry long dominated by men, all while carrying forward the “TT” brand of their ranch and retaining their deep connection to cattle, conservation, and community.

Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee