“It was a no brainer, the second I heard about this opportunity, it was like, ‘yeah, how do we do this?’”

“If you live in Vail or have been in Vail for more than five minutes, you know who Henry is,” Thompson said. They have a tasting room on Bridge Street in Vail and a small-batch craft distillery in Gypsum. Once the soldiers returned, many of them developed ski areas like Vail and created the outdoor industry as we know it today. Founded in 2014, the company pays homage to the 10th Mountain Division, the winter warfare unit that trained south of Vail at Camp Hale and fought pivotal battles during World War II.

Ryan Thompson is the owner of 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirits Company. “We put a lot of effort in to come full circle and find something right in our backyard with Ryan and 10th Mountain Whiskey and it seems like the perfect partnership,” Mongo said. “Bourbon is the most explosive growth segment in the spirits space and two years ago when I was setting up meetings and doing all the research and legwork, the distillers all said, ‘yup, come down to Kentucky and meet us,’ but it just wasn’t the time or the place for us,” Kang said. Henry was the first dog to become a part of Vail Ski Patrol and the Avalanche Rescue Dog Program on Vail Mountain in 2008. To honor Henry’s legacy, Mongo and friend, Mike “Kanger” Kang, decided to team up with local brand 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirits Company. Henry, a golden retriever that Mongo and his family brought home to the Vail Valley from Port Huron, MI, is now 14 years old, soon to be 15 in July. He was just a young pup then, but he and his handler, Chris “Mongo” Reeder, helped lead the way for what would soon be a pack of helpful hounds who act as safety ambassadors that connect with the public on and off the slopes. Henry became the first K9 member of Vail Ski Patrol in 2008.

In a world full of collaborations on social media between fashion labels, rock stars and athletes, it only makes sense that Henry, the “Dogfather” of the Avalanche Rescue Dog Program on Vail Mountain, should have his own collaboration.

Mike Kang, left, Chris “Mongo” Reeder and Henry, center, and Ryan Thompson pose for a photo after Henry picked the bourbon barrel at 10th Mountain Whiskey and Spirits Company’s distillery in Gypsum.

Bourbon valley farms golden retrivers