Gamechangers Series | Meet Ashley Frey
While Ashley Frey may not have grown up on a farm, today it’s where she feels most at home. As the co-founder of Frey Ranch Distillery in Fallon, Nevada, Ashley has played an integral role in growing the family business since she and her husband Colby conceived of merging their farming acumen with a passion for whiskey. One of only a few true “estate distilleries” in the U.S., the Freys put Nevada on the map as a serious producer of American Whiskey with their unique grain-to-glass approach, which means growing 100 percent of the grains they use to create their award-winning portfolio of bourbons and ryes.
As a female co-founder, Ashley takes pride in educating women on the accessibility and versatility of whiskey. Her entrepreneurial spirit is matched only by her philanthropic sensibilities, as both Colby and Ashley are active supporters of local Fallon charities – particularly other agricultural & farming endeavors.
Share the moment or experience that ignited your passion and set you on your current path.
"As Colby and I were building our whiskey business, it was less about one monumental moment, but a series of small moments and successes that came together as a result of hard work, perseverance, and adaptability. When we finally launched Frey Ranch Bourbon in December 2019, I was able to see everything crystallize around this one goal that we had – which was to create a bourbon made from the grains we grow ourselves. Looking back – in those moments of hardship and uncertainty – you really don’t know how successful or good something is going to be, but this journey has exceeded our expectations. It gave us the confidence we needed to launch in markets outside of Nevada – and continue to share our farm-to-glass whiskeys with pride."
We'd love to hear about a significant challenge you've overcome, and the lessons learned along the way.
"The most important lesson I’ve learned is to be authentic and to trust your instincts. Being the founder and the face of the brand, it’s imperative to stay true to my personal and professional beliefs. As our business grows, we’ve realized that we can’t chase trends or worry about what the competition is doing. We’ve found that our authenticity is what fans of our whiskey gravitate to, so it serves us well."
Discuss the impact you aim to have through your work and the legacy you wish to leave
"The Frey family has a long legacy of farming in this region dating back to 1854 – and at the heart of this legacy is a genuine appreciation for agriculture. My husband Colby is a fifth-generation farmer, who inherited the farm from his parents. His father taught him the ins and outs of farming that had been passed down from previous generations, but most importantly, he instilled in Colby that a farmer’s obligation is to be a steward of the land.
By combining his farming acumen with our passion for whiskey, we’re continuing his family’s legacy as “whiskey farmers.” On our farm, we grow, malt, distill and age 100% of our whiskey grains – which in turn become the bourbons, ryes, and specialty whiskeys we sell. We also strongly adhere to the Frey family motto - “Be good to the land and the land will be good to you,” which is engraved on the bottom of each bottle of Frey Ranch whiskey.
Colby and I live and work on the land we cultivate. We’ve created a business that can outlive us, and which we hope to pass down to our children one day. Our goal is to pass on the farm to our kids in as good or better condition than we inherited it."
What motivates you to challenge the status quo and push boundaries in your industry?
"As a female co-founder in a male-dominated industry, I am frequently the only woman at the table. As the face of Frey Ranch, there are times when I’ve had to challenge preconceived notions of what a whiskey founder looks like. But I love being a part of the changing face of whiskey. The women in the whiskey industry all seem to have incredible resilience, confidence, and a sense of self, as we understand that they’ve earned a spot at the table – it wasn’t handed to us.
When I think about our business more specifically, again it goes back to authenticity. We’ve seen the American Whiskey industry explode in the last few years with brand and craft distilleries popping up everywhere. It’s an incredibly saturated market – where establishing yourself as a unique brand becomes increasingly challenging. However, at Frey Ranch we are 100% committed to showcasing our slow grown grains from our farm – while educating the consumer along the way. We know people care deeply about where their food comes from, and we feel the same way about whiskey."
What's one piece of advice you'd give to young women aiming to make their mark?
"My personal advice is that I like to hire people who are smarter than me. When you are running a business, having experts in specific areas allows you to focus on the big picture while also learning from others in the process. This strategy has really assisted in my own professional growth, as my team has imparted on me so much of their knowledge. Realizing you can’t do it all allows you to entrust others as experts and acknowledge their important contributions to the business. By lifting others up, you lift yourself up."
How do you define success for yourself, and do you feel you've achieved it?
"As a founder, you are always looking for that next big win, but I’ve learned how important it is to ground myself and remind myself that we’ve already won. I’m incredibly proud of our achievements. We’ve built a business based on our unwavering principles of owning 100 % of the production process, which is incredibly rare in whiskey distilling.
Today, Frey Ranch is one of the top-selling ultra-premium bourbons in Nevada and California, and one of the largest whiskey producers on the West Coast. I think a lot of that has to do with our staying true to who we are. It reminds us how far we’ve come and excites us for what’s next for Frey Ranch Distillery."