Molly Troupe
“Setting the Example”
Molly Troupe was born on September 25, 1989, and grew up in Troutdale, Oregon, with her parents and a brother. The Columbia River Gorge and the Pacific Northwest’s endless greenery formed the backdrop of her childhood, long before those landscapes would inspire the whiskeys she later became known for.
As a student, Troupe gravitated toward science from an early age. After high school, she left Troutdale for Southern Oregon University, where she studied chemistry with an emphasis in forensics, graduating in 2012. Around the same time, spirits began to capture her imagination. She vividly recalls the moment she realized that the drink in her hand was something she could actually make—that distilling could channel both the precise, technical side of chemistry and the sensory, artistic side. Rather than go further into forensics, she decided to tailor her education specifically for brewing and distilling. So Troupe moved to Edinburgh, Scotland and enrolled in the renowned Brewing and Distilling Master’s program at Heriot-Watt University. Immersed in one of the world’s great whiskey cultures, Molly spent her postgraduate years studying fermentation science, distillation technology, and sensory analysis. She later recalled that it was in Edinburgh, surrounded by working distilleries and whiskey history, that she truly fell in love with whiskey. A trip to the region of Islay made such an impression that she eventually named her daughter after the island.
With both a chemistry degree and an MSc in Brewing and Distilling in hand, Troupe returned to Oregon and stepped directly into the state’s emerging craft spirits scene. She first worked for Hood River Distillers and Oregon Spirit Distillers in Bend, gaining practical experience as a distiller and consultant. Those early roles let her apply technical training to real-world stills, mash tuns, and barrel programs, building a résumé that was unusual for someone still in her twenties. In 2017, Freeland Spirits founder Jill Kuehler was searching for a distiller for a new, women-owned distillery in Portland. She had heard about Troupe, and after a series of conversations, Molly joined as Freeland’s original employee and Master Distiller, becoming a partner in the venture. Freeland opened that year as one of the very few wholly women-owned and women-operated distilleries in the United States, with Kuehler and Troupe at the center of its story.
Troupe quickly designed and produced Freeland Bourbon, which blends traditional Southern inspiration with Oregon terroir by finishing the whiskey in Pinot Noir barrels from Oregon’s Elk Cove Vineyards. She also led the development of limited rye projects in partnership with Eastern Oregon rancher Cory Carman, as well as a growing line of canned cocktails. Under Troupe’s guidance, Freeland’s portfolio grew to at least six core products.
Her work did not go unnoticed. In 2018, at age 29, Troupe was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list in the Food & Drink category, recognized as one of the youngest female Master Distillers in the United States. Beyond the stills, Troupe became increasingly visible as an educator and advocate. She served on the board of directors of the American Craft Spirits Association, co-hosted the Spirits & Distilling podcast, and wrote technical and feature pieces on distilling and blending for Spirits & Distilling. She also worked as Master Blender for Find Familiar Spirits, contributing to story-driven whiskey projects, and launched her own consultancy, Troupe Spirits Consulting, focusing on recipe development and sensory work.
On the personal side, in July 2023, Molly married Landon Hepfner back home in Bend. Newly married, and with a three-year-old in tow, after seven years at Freeland, Troupe stepped away from her day-to-day role in 2024. In social media posts, she explained that she was leaning heavily into her consulting work, and specializing in recipe development and blending for multiple brands. However, in April 2025, Clear Water Distilling Co. in Pleasant Grove, Utah, announced that she had joined them as Master Distiller.
From Troutdale to Edinburgh and back to Oregon as a young mother, Molly Troupe’s story traces a clear arc: a scientist who found her medium in spirits, became one of the youngest Master Distillers in the country, helped build Freeland Spirits into a nationally recognized, women-led distillery, and above all kept her family front-and-center. Her work at Freeland combined chemistry, local ingredients, and innovative techniques; her subsequent roles suggest that the influence of that foundation now extends well beyond one Portland stillhouse.
Sources:
The Source (Bend, Oregon), “Molly Troupe: Lead Distiller at Oregon Spirits”, Jared Rasic, May 4, 2016, bendsource.com
Southern Oregon University: Alumni news, “Molly Troupe - ’12”, news.sou.edu
Heriot-Watt University, “Alumni profile: Molly Troupe”, hw.ac.uk
Forbes Magazine, “30 Under 30”, Kristin Stoller, November 13, 2018, forbes.com
Bourbon Women, “Meet the Makers: Molly Troupe”, bourbonwomen.org, Apr 25, 2022,
Crystal Imagery, “Seven Women to Know”, March 26, 2023, crystalimagery.com
BevNet,“Freeland Spirits Expands Distribution”, September 21, 2018, bevnet.com
Freeland Spirits Official Website, freelandspirits.com
Contributed by Tracy McLemore, Fairview, Tennessee
