Nuclear Engineer
Master Distiller
Hall of Famer
James Beard nominee
Lance Winters is the Master Distiller and creative force behind St. George Spirits, a member of the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame, and a five-time James Beard Foundation nominee for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer.
An artist through and through, in his role as St. George's master distiller Lance is known for his “penchant for gleefully shunning the spirits world’s conventions” (Esquire) and respected for having “a passion for his craft only equaled by his explosive imagination” (The Bold Italic).
Lance came to St. George Spirits in 1996 after time spent as a U.S. Navy nuclear engineer and subsequently working as a brewer. Motivated by the desire to make whiskey out of his favorite ales, Lance became interested in distillation. He approached St. George founder Jörg Rupf with a bottle of homemade whiskey as his resume and has been with the distillery ever since.
Malt Maniacs
Lance is driven by a need to create beautiful spirits that beguile the palate and capture the imagination, and his “technical knowledge and finely honed sense of taste have helped earn St. George many accolades and a devoted following over the years” (Portfolio).
In the years since joining St. George, Lance has been instrumental in expanding St. George’s portfolio and catalyzing its growth from a dedicated eau de vie distillery into one of the most prolific and innovative craft distilleries in the nation. Under Lance’s watch, St. George has launched many of the iconic spirits that the distillery is best known for today: St. George Single Malt Whiskey, St. George Absinthe Verte, the St. George gins (Botanivore Gin, Terroir Gin, Dry Rye Gin, and Valley Gin), the St. George vodkas (All Purpose Vodka, California Citrus Vodka, and Green Chile Vodka), Baller American Single Malt Whiskey, and Bruto Americano.
He is proud that St. George has remained distiller-owned and -operated since its inception.