E121: Crafting Award-Winning Bourbon in a Control State with Doug McLaughlin and Mike Orozco of M&O Spirits
Description
In this episode, we chat with Doug McLaughlin and Mike Orozco (the “M” and “O” behind M&O Spirits), a small but mighty distillery just outside Columbus, Ohio. What started as a bourbon experiment in a basement quickly turned into an award-winning craft distillery!
Doug and Mike share how years in the film industry led to distilling, how a curious neighbor sparked their decision to “go legal,” and why they’ve stayed fiercely independent.
Highlights include:
- How distribution hurdles keep small producers stuck…even when demand is there (and what to do about)
- Grassroots approaches to grow traffic without a marketing budget
- Weighing the choice between staying small and handcrafted vs. chasing volume and big equipment
In the episode, Doug sums up their operation as: “Everything is in-house, by hand.” And this episode truly highlights what it takes to be in craft in 2025. Don’t miss this one!
Learn more about Wanderback Beer Works at https://www.mospirits.com
Follow them on Instagram: @mospirits
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