Press + Media Kit

Rob Dietrich grew up in Olathe, Colorado at the base of the San Juan mountains, tinkering on motorcycles and old trucks and absorbing the kind of self-reliance that comes from being raised in the open country. After high school, he moved to Denver and was immersed in the punk scene there, diving deep into his love for music and vibrant chaos. Realizing he needed direction and perhaps even a little discipline, Rob decided to join the Army. After serving three combat tours with the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division — with deployments to Somalia and Haiti — Rob was honorably discharged from the Army in 1995 and hit the road in a self-built 1967 Chevy school bus (“Skoolie”), making his way to the Oregon coast where he learned to surf (sort of) and worked as a carpenter. He eventually made his way down to San Francisco, and through a happen-chance meeting, began working at Bill Graham Presents as a stagehand, rigger, roadie, and eventually tour manager.

Rob eventually made his way back to Denver, and it was in that world — hauling gear, building stages, managing chaos — that Rob's path quietly turned toward whiskey. A diesel motorcycle project he had been working on with a friend brought him an introduction to the first head distiller of Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, Colorado's first legal distillery since Prohibition. He was immediately fascinated with the process and  joined in 2006,  never looking back. By 2011, Rob was Stranahan's master distiller, and artistically responsible for the beloved Snowflake annual release — a limited-edition blend so sought after that fans would camp outside in winter for days to purchase a bottle.

In 2019, following the passing of Blackened co-founder and whiskey legend Dave Pickerell, Rob was named master distiller for Blackened American Whiskey. Under Rob’s stewardship and creativity, the brand has earned some of the industry's top honors, including Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, multiple Gold and Double Gold wins at the SIP Awards, NY World Spirits Competition, and John Barleycorn Awards, and Double Platinum + Best in Show at the Ascot Awards.

Rob is also a co-creator of Blackened Cigars with Metallica's James Hetfield and Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate — two blends, the M81 Maduro to the Core and S84 Shade to Black, that have earned international recognition.