our story
West River Whiskey Co. is like the annoying (yet adorable) little brother to sister-store Madame Peacock's Beer & Bling. Originally from Mitchell, Tom and Julie Koth opened Madame Peacock's in 2012 after falling in love with Deadwood and the Black Hills. Almost a decade later, they partnered with Julie's daughter, Alex, and her husband, Joel, from Nashville, Tennessee to bring Main Street in Deadwood a so-far untapped (ha) concept.
This group brought decades of retail and entrepreneurial experience to the table, ranging anywhere from music business to motorcycle industry to compliance to apparel to tech to podcasting, and so many in-betweens. Their aim was for West River Whiskey Co. to quickly evolve into more than just a gift shop; instead, they worked to create a welcoming atmosphere with stellar customer service, an emanant sense of comradery, and a top-notch staff.
In early 2022, West River Whiskey Co. partnered with an elite 6th-generation family farm, BlackFork Farms, located in eastern South Dakota, to bring bourbon and other local varieties to the Black Hills. This allowed West River Whiskey Co.'s retail space to transition into a South Dakota bourbon tasting room offering bottle sales and bourbon tastings. The flagship product, West River Whiskey, is an 80-proof straight bourbon whiskey which is double pot distilled in apple and cherry wood from the Missouri Ozarks.
Learn more about spirit offerings here.
In 2023, Alex and Joel fully assumed operations and ownership which allowed Julie and Tom the opportunity to shift their complete focus back to Schlitz sales at Madame Peacock's (and their dogs).
They may not have old-time swinging wood doors or quickdraws in the parking lot, but they invite you to immerse yourself in the culture of the Wild West by stopping in and enjoying a bourbon tasting or shopping their selection of whiskey-themed gifts: BBQ sauces, glassware, apparel, food items, and more.
See y'all there.