Renowned Whiskey Brand, High West, Commits One Million Dollars to Protect the West

The Whiskey of the West doubles down on its commitment to preserve the West and its inhabitants zzubreebym

PARK CITY, UT , Aug. 8, 2022  High West, the Park City-based distillery known for its meticulously sourced and innovatively blended whiskeys, announces today its Protect the West initiative, a $1 million commitment over the next three years to protect the land and its inhabitants. The announcement coincides with the national release of High West’s seasonal bottle Campfire, one of the brand’s most unique and iconic expressions. In honor of Campfire, the first donation will benefit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the brave few who run towards the fire, including the wildfires increasingly plaguing the West.

Since opening its doors in 2007, High West has witnessed firsthand how the West has been impacted by a rapidly changing climate, resulting in higher temperatures, severe droughts, drier forests and reduced snowpack. Immediately taking note, the brand has donated more than $1M to nonprofits to date, with the majority of those funds going toward organizations protecting the West and its inhabitants. Now, High West is reaffirming and strengthening this commitment to its own backyard. As part of the Protect the West initiative, High West will partner with organizations that share High West’s passion for the West and whose conservation efforts fall into three focus areas: the fight against wildfires, protecting winters and wildland preservation.

"Now is not the time for us to sit on the sidelines. Our home in the West and everything we love about it is in more and more danger every year," said Daniel Schear, General Manager of High West. "We’re building on our past work with this $1 million commitment to protect the West, and we are excited to work with those who are also passionate about saving this beautiful part of the world we call home."

The $150,000 inaugural donation will be split between three organizations to support them in their crucial missions. Future donations will be announced over the course of the next three years as High West continues to identify and support organizations striving to Protect the West.

• Wildland Firefighter Foundation, dedicated to helping the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assisting injured firefighters and their families.
• Protect Our Winters, a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies to protect our outdoor playgrounds from climate change.
• American Prairie, creating the largest nature reserve in the contiguous United States by purchasing critical habitat that connects a vast network of existing public lands for wildlife conservation and public access.

In recognition of the Campfire release and to continue supporting the brave protectors who defend us from fires each and every day, High West is donating $50,000 to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and matching consumer donations up to an additional $50,000. The American West is burning more quickly than it has in a decade, and over three million acres of U.S. land – almost the size of  Connecticut – have burned so far this year.¹ The donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation will directly benefit the families of fallen and injured firefighters, honoring those who tirelessly work to protect our lands.

Available nationally, Campfire ($79.99) is a unique blend of scotch, bourbon and whiskey with a complex flavor profile including s’mores, burnt almond toffee, mocha and tobacco, balsam fir needles, and woodsmoke from a long-forgotten campfire.

For more information, or to donate to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, visit highwest.com/pages/protect-the-west.

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About High West

Utah’s first legal distillery since 1870, High West’s passion is crafting delicious and distinctive whiskeys and helping people appreciate whiskey all in the context of our home, the American West. High West offers an outstanding collection of highly rated whiskeys in finer liquor stores, bars, and restaurants in all 50 U.S. states and internationally.

High West was honored to receive Whisky Advocate’s prestigious Distiller of the Year award in 2016. The ultimate authority on whisky said, "High West delivers innovative and delicious whiskeys, expands the definition of what it is to be a distiller, and pioneered a successful new paradigm for craft distilling."

High West’s must-visit locations include our High West Distillery in Wanship, Utah, a 30,000 square foot world-class distillery and visitor center featuring educational tours and High West’s unique country-western cuisine; and our High West Distillery & Saloon in historic Old Town Park City, the world’s only ski-in gastro distillery that was voted "Best Park City Restaurant" by readers of City Weekly. It has received multiple accolades including earning Best Après Ski Bar in Utah by USA TODAY’s 10Best being named a finalist in the 2020 Park City’s Best Awards for Best Après Ski, a nomination for Best Bar by the James Beard Foundation, and a top-10 ranking on The Daily Meal’s list of 150 Best Bars in America.

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¹https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/20/briefing/a-wildfire-year.html