Fly fishing friends for years, Don Poffenroth and Kent Fleischmann spent many days on the river discussing their dreams for the future. Both men worked corporate jobs in the food industry and had years of marketing experience.

“I came up with this idea,” said Poffenroth, “since I used to be involved with a brewery in Montana. I initially looked at that business, and when I started to look into brewing I was led to check out distilling by some of the vendors I had worked with. That’s how the idea for distilling started.”

After drawing up a business plan, he asked Kent to invest in his new venture. Kent offered to partner with him and the rest is history.

With Guidant Financial’s help, they used their retirement funds for the bulk of their startup capital, and then began learning the business of craft distilling.

Now, they’re one of the top brands in the industry, world-renowned for their vodka and award-winning gin and whiskey.

Learn more about Dry Fly at their official website. Read about them in Yahoo Small Business and USA Today.