Meet Josh Hunt of Centennial

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Hunt

Hi Josh, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After 5 years in the bar service and craft beer industry (with a brief stint as a liquor store buyer), I decided it was time for something new. As luck would have it, an opportunity to join Branch & Barrel Distillery’s sales team appeared, and I jumped at the chance, grateful that they would consider me for the role. After two years of prolific sales growth within the Colorado market and involvement in a number of non-sales-related projects, I was offered a position as company VP, which I readily accepted. With over 15 years of small business experience and 7 of those occupying manager, director, or leadership roles, I felt that I was ready, and I can honestly say this is the most fulfilled I have ever felt in any career. I take immense pride in being part of a growing company with incredible potential, and being able to lend a hand in developing a team of very talented individuals. The Colorado craft spirits industry has an amazing culture, and there is no doubt in my mind that this state will soon be known nationwide as a powerhouse in the whiskey game, which is where Branch & Barrel specializes.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The direction that Colorado’s retail sales culture has evolved/is evolving has been one of the most significant bumps in the road for the craft spirits industry as a whole, particularly for those of us who truly qualify as small locally owned operations. Colorado’s popularity as a vacation and residence destination has brought with it an incredible variety of humans from all over the country, many of whom hail from states where booze is available in every venue – from liquor stores to gas stations to grocery stores. While none can deny that level of convenience is powerful, it flies directly in the face of one of the things that has historically made Colorado so special: that we specifically did not allow beer, wine, or liquor into those places to preserve the small business culture surrounding independently owned shops.

In 2019, voters chose to allow full-strength beer to be sold in grocery and convenience. Independent retail took a blow to profits during the first six months, but many were able to recover thanks to our state’s myriad of fantastic breweries, many of which aren’t carried in Kroger or Safeway. Coloradans are rabid for good craft beer, and so many returned to their favorite ‘Mom n’ Pop’ shops with that business. In 2023, wine became legal in grocery and convenience, delivering a far more significant blow to small businesses across the state. That business, sadly, has not returned to independent stores, and we have lost approximately 30% of our locally owned liquor retailers in Colorado.

Every time a neighborhood wine and spirits shop closes, the craft industry absorbs that damage alongside it. With each closure, a valuable sales channel is lost, and smaller operations who don’t have the monetary resources to market or advertise with the ‘big brands’ fall farther behind in the pursuit of industry relevance. This has affected our distillery just as much as any other, and made for a very difficult sales year on the distribution side. The craft beer and spirits industries are still learning to navigate these turbulent new waters, and there is speculation that spirits will soon become widely available in grocery and convenience, which may be the death knell for a majority of our remaining small retailers.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Over the last 10 years of my career development journey, I have become a specialist in “Small Business Integration,” a role often referred to in the professional world as “Integrator.” One of my superpowers is seeing the bigger picture, and connecting the various threads of a given operation to work towards interdepartmental harmony and collaborative progression and evolution. As a skilled project manager and team leader, my passion is catalyzing personal and professional growth amongst my peers, and removing obstacles that offer resistance to even greater accomplishments. I am a firm believer in transparency and accountability, and those aspects work their way into most of the decisions I make as a director at Branch & Barrel Distilling.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I am not sure if I would call it “luck”, but I have certainly benefitted in more than one occasion by having the right conversation with the right person in the right place at the right time. I have also been blessed with a tremendous amount of support from friends and family along the way, which has made more of a difference than anything else. I believe in my own abilities, but I would not be where I am without that support.

Pricing:

• Colorado Straight Bourbon – $60
• American Whiskey – $35
• Honey Whiskey – $60
• Spiced Maple Bourbon – $60
• Contemporary Gin – $35

Contact Info:

• Website: https://babdistilling.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babdistilling
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/babdistilling