A new spirits brand and four inaugural offerings have entered the market under the name of Highline Spirits. At its helm is CEO and founder Christi Lower, a former pediatric surgery PA, mother of four, and whiskey enthusiast.

Lower believes that the convergence of different cultures and crafts creates something greater than the sum of its parts. With that pillar as her foundation, she envisioned a transformative spirits company untethered by tradition, history, orientation, gender or beliefs. Tired of the sea of sameness in the category, Lower created Highline Spirits: focused on sourcing, blending, batching, and special-finishing premium small-batch spirits completely unique unto themselves.

“As I started learning about the industry over 10 years ago, I was fascinated with the evolution of a spirit based on weather, terroir, wood, grain, and yeast. Yet I was also struck by how myopic the final distillate landing in the bottle could be,” Lower said in a news release. “Most whiskey on the shelf is controlled by a very small group of people, marketing to an American consumer who no longer looks as it did when the industry started. Our culture is evolving. Our spirits should also be evolving with different personalities, perspectives and practices to reflect that growth and dimension.”

To that end, Lower has hired Kate Keister, Highline Spirits warehouse and production manager with eight years of warehouse and supply chain management experience. Kate Arbour also joined the team as the company’s director of operations, who brings more than 20 years of global hospitality and project management experience.

Highline Spirits enters the market with four limited-edition flagship products:

• Bourbon Whiskey – A blend of 5-, 6-, and 8-year straight bourbons. 51% ABV/102 proof. $64.99
• Triple Rye Whiskey – A blend of 5-, 5 ½-, and 10-year old whiskies. 48.5% ABV/97 proof. $79.99
• Straight Kentucky Whiskey – Aged 8 years. 50% ABV/100 proof. $49.99
• American Whiskey – A blend of two high-rye Indiana bourbons, a Kentucky heritage bourbon and a straight wheat whiskey all finished in new American, French and Hungarian toasted oak barrels. Bottled at cask strength, a blend of 5-, 6-, 7–, and 8-year whiskies. 56% ABV/112 proof. $139.99

Now available for distribution and sale in Michigan and online at highlinespirits.com, each of Highline’s flagship products features a mythical chimera created to represent the unique blend of region and culture that lives within each bottle.

As for production, Highline is well stocked with over 4,000 barrels aged 10 years to new fill, and has secured production schedules of over 3,500 barrels per year going forward. Lower plans on launching a full line of spirits including gin, rum, tequila, and vodka in the coming months and is aspiring to achieve global scale within the next 10 years.

In addition to retail distribution, Lower will be opening the Highline Spirits Tasting Room in Dexter, Mich. early September of this year. The space will include a 2,400 square-foot gathering space for locals and visitors to relax and enjoy a craft cocktail, take a whiskey tasting class or pick up a few bottles for purchase. A second tasting room in Plymouth, Mich. is scheduled to open in late fall.