David & Jane Perkins
“From Biochemist to Whiskey Pioneer”
David Perkins began his professional journey not surreptitiously, but with reason and clarity, as one would expect of a biochemist with a thriving career in Silicon Valley. Working at renowned companies such as Pfizer, Amgen, and Genentech, Perkins was immersed in drug development, product management, and forecasting. Though fulfilling, his early life hinted at a restless curiosity and a hunger for discovery, traits that would later chart an unexpected course.
In 2002, David, then 33, attended a wedding in Kentucky with his wife, Jane. On a whim, they visited the Maker’s Mark distillery, where the fermentation and aging processes triggered a profound realization. He later recalled the barrel warehouse bathed in vanilla- and caramel-scented air, and it hit him: this was chemistry in its most elemental, sensorial form. In that aromatic moment, he told Jane: “I want to make whiskey.” This moment of serendipity underscored a lifelong belief: “If you don’t know, the thing to do is not to get scared, but to learn”—a quote from Ayn Rand that resonates deeply with David’s ethos.
By 2004, the Perkins family had traded biotechnology for the rugged charm of Park City, Utah. They chose Park City because of David’s love of the Old West and Utah’s little-known whiskey history. His vision: to craft a whiskey experience as engaging as a Napa winery, right at the foot of a ski slope. In 2006, they founded High West Distillery in a historic livery stable and garage (aptly named the “National Garage”), becoming Utah’s first legal distillery since 1870. He quickly amassed a stellar team, including Jim Rutledge of Four Roses, who gave him the guidance and means to kick off his distillery, and they began distilling in 2007. High West began with humble roots, opening a small, 250-gallon still and Saloon in the old livery stable and garage. What was once a small operation in downtown Park City has now grown to be an internationally recognized brand with four unique locations.
xHigh West now offers food pairings and education to wine-savvy customers unfamiliar with artisanal whiskey. High West was more than a production site; it was a ski-in gastro-distillery, blending hospitality, history, and whiskey culture in a way the industry hadn't seen before. In its early years, High West innovated by blending sourced whiskeys while aging its own. Their first product, Rendezvous Rye, combined sourced rye whiskeys from Indiana and Kentucky, blended and bottled locally, a clever bridge between supply constraints and building a brand. They followed up with creative blends like Campfire, merging peated Scotch, bourbon, and rye, and Double Rye!, which juxtaposed younger sourced whiskey with their own distillate. These bold combinations earned them accolades and a growing reputation. In 2015, High West opened its distillery in Wanship, Utah, which acts as a space for educational whiskey tasting, pairings, and tours, and houses a 1,600-gallon copper pot still.
By 2016, High West’s meteoric rise culminated in being named “Distiller of the Year” by Whisky Advocate, celebrating its innovation and transparency in the craft-distilling movement. Also in 2016, and only a decade after opening, High West was sold to Constellation Brands for $160 million. David remained involved as an adviser and coach, continuing to share his insights on distilling, branding, and entrepreneurship. Constantly active, David is an avid learner who claims that he “prefers to listen much more than speak”.
Less than a decade later, David has now emerged from semi-retirement with a new role: Liquid Collaborator & Advisor at O’Shaughnessy Distilling Company. Working alongside Master Distiller Brian Nation, the duo co-created Keeper’s Heart, a creative whiskey project blending Irish and American traditions with boundary-pushing finishes and limited releases.
David’s partnership with his wife, Jane, remains both intimate and entrepreneurial. They co-founded High West together and are truly partners in life as well as in whiskey. David speaks of his joy in starting mornings with breakfast with his family and ending the day reconnecting with his youngest, a 12‑year‑old son, “cuddling… sipping my whiskey”. He also described his love of backcountry skiing with both his son and daughter.
David Perkins’s story is one of transformation: how a scientist can see analogies in unexpected places, how a distillery visit can ignite a new chapter, and how blending whiskeys can mirror blending life: risk with tradition, innovation with place, passion with family. From breaking Utah’s pre-prohibition-era dry spell to redefining what a distillery experience could be, to guiding the next generation of whiskey projects, David’s journey exemplifies how curiosity, courage, and collaboration can craft something lasting.
Sources:
Spirited Conversation, “From Silicon Valley to the Silicon Slopes”, June 25, 2017
Forbes, “Q&A with High West Distillery’s Founder”, Brent Beshore, September 4, 2013
People Magazine, “Utah’s 1st Distillery Since Prohibition”, Alex Heigl, April 26, 2016
High West Distillery homepage, highwest.com
Drinkhacker, “Interview with David Perkins”, Drew Beard, July 1, 2023
Dartmouth Alumni Stories, Adam Sylvan, tuck.dartmouth.edu
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
