Karen Hoskin is known as a vanguard of the rebirth of American Rum. When she started Colorado’s craft distillery Montanya Distillers in 2008, few people knew there was a strong American rum tradition or mountain rum tradition. Craft cocktails were not yet a major US trend and rum was considered the wild west of spirits. Karen helped change those perceptions while steering the distillery to growth every year. She has just completed a major expansion of her rum distillery in Crested Butte. Karen continues to have a strong hand in inspiring the US market to respect and love American Rum, embrace craft cocktails, put rum into the best cocktails, and understand the mountain rum tradition. She is a frequent speaker and industry leader on distilling science, distilling business, mixology, bar business and sustainability.