Matt Blaum

Matt Blaum’s path to spirits came through healthcare, business education, and a lifelong partnership with his brother Mike. Together, the two men transformed a shared fascination with whiskey into one of Illinois’ best-known craftdistilleries. The story of Blaum Bros. Distilling Co., however, begins long before copper stills and aging barrels appeared outside Galena.

Born on February 28, 1978, Matt Blaum grew up alongside his brother Mike, who was three years younger, in the Chicago suburbs. Like many brothers, the two spent their early years competing, wrestling, and testing their parents’ patience, but the rivalry was balanced by an unusually strong bond. Even as adults, the brothers remained close, and their lives often intersected through shared interests and family ties. That lifelong relationship eventually became the foundation for their business partnership.

As an adult, Matt pursued a professional path by earning an MBA and then entering the healthcare industry, working in the specialized field of nuclear pharmacy. In that role he prepared radioactive medications used in medical imaging and diagnostics—highly technical work that required precision and regulatory discipline. The job provided Matt with business experience and managerial responsibility, but it also placed him firmly inside the structured environment of the healthcare sector.

Meanwhile, his brother Mike followed a dramatically different trajectory. Mike worked for the United States government in the national security field and spent part of his career stationed in northern England with the National Security Agency. That overseas posting proved pivotal. While living in the United Kingdom, Mike traveled frequently to Scotland and became deeply interested in whisky culture, forming a whiskey society and immersing himself in the traditions and technical details of Scotch production.

Though their careers diverged, the brothers remained connected by a growing shared interest in fine whiskey. When they met—often over a Glencairn of the “good stuff”—their conversations increasingly revolved around distilling techniques, flavor profiles, and the traditions of different whisky regions. They read books and research papers, visited distilleries, and studied how different production choices influenced flavor. What began as an intellectual hobby slowly evolved into something more ambitious. Eventually curiosity turned into commitment. Both men decided to leave their established careers and pursue a new venture together. The trouble was that neither had a background in commercial distilling, and launching a spirits company required major financial investment and regulatory approvals. Nevertheless, their enthusiasm for the craft—and their confidence in each other—proved stronger than hesitation.

Choosing the right location was critical. The Blaum brothers considered several possibilities before settling on Galena, Illinois, a historic town in the state’s northwest corner. Galena offered several advantages: proximity to Midwestern grain sources, an active tourism economy, and the character of a small community where the brothers could raise their families and build roots. Coincidentally, around the same time, Matt’s personal life was also taking shape. In the early 2000s, he married his wife and the couple soon welcomed three children into the family, Samantha, Zöe, and Jack. Despite the long hours required to launch and run a distillery, Matt has consistently remained deeply involved in family life, making time for school events, recitals, and youth sports whenever possible.

Matt took the lead in establishing the physical foundation of the company. He moved to Galena with his family while Mike was still tying up loose ends in England, and began searching for a suitable building for the future distillery. It quickly became clear that the operation they envisioned would require far more space than the town’s historic downtown district could provide. Matt eventually located a 10,000-square-foot facility along U.S. Highway 20 on the eastern edge of town and purchased the property, creating the site that would become Blaum Bros. Distilling Co. The brothers formally launched their company in December 2013.

From the beginning, Matt and Mike divided responsibilities according to their respective strengths. Mike’s experience abroad and his deep immersion in whisky culture made him the natural choice to lead production. He became the company’s chief distiller, overseeing the technical side of the operation and guiding the distilling team. Matt, drawing on his MBA and business background, focused on the company’s commercial structure: sales, marketing, and overall business strategy. This division of labor proved crucial during the distillery’s early years. While Mike refined recipes, supervised fermentation and distillation, and directed the maturation program, Matt built the brand’s presence in the marketplace and managed the broader business infrastructure required for a modern craft distillery. Although their roles differed, both brothers remained involved in nearly every aspect of the operation as a cohesive