The story of Nevada H & C Distilling Co. begins in 2004 when the screenwriter Jonathan Hensleigh met co-founder Aaron Chepenik in a bar in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles. They quickly realized they had the same vision of opening a bar, opening The Griffin together. After a couple years of sampling their inventory, they began discussing what they liked and didn't like about the bourbons and vodkas they were selling.
One night, the idea of creating their own spirits popped up, which eventually led to them opening the first distillery in the city of Las Vegas. The City Council had to create a license especially for them since none existed beforehand. It took them 6 years of gathering equipment and setting it up, with several hurdles along the way. The bright side was that by the time they opened their doors they had several high-rye bourbons ready, which meant they could begin operating immediately.
They have two brands under their belt now, both with several medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition: Silver Dollar American Vodka and Smoke Wagon. The latter comprises several bourbons, including the Smoke Wagon Uncut Unfiltered Bourbon. The goal with this expression was to bring the blending philosophy from their Small Batch into a high-proof bourbon meant to be drunk neat. Based on a blend of old and young high-rye whiskeys, it's rich, sweet, and creamy. It has won the coveted Double Gold medal at the 2017 and 2020 editions of the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.