Our Story

Eric and Maria Montemagni began the journey of creating Loup River Distilling in 2016. Eric has always been interested in distillation as he dabbled in it with his college roommates. He was looking for an opportunity to add value to his corn crop and decided what better way to promote Nebraska corn farmers than turning that corn into whiskey!

The name Loup River Distilling was selected to represent the area we call home. We strive to produce quality corn-based spirits from our farm, emphasizing the “grain to glass” motto.

The Montemagni Family has a row crop operation in Howard and Greeley counties. Eric has been farming all his life and is a third-generation farmer. He has a B.S. degree in agronomy from Cal Poly and has spent considerable time researching the craft distilling industry. He attends conferences and workshops throughout the country and is a member of the American Distilling Institute and American Craft Spirits Association. He is a Master Level II certified distiller.

Eric and Maria have been married more than 20 years. Maria has her master’s degree in Nutrition and has spent her career in the education field. Customer service is her area of expertise from her time overseeing a student-run restaurant. She has worked with the Disney Institute of Business Excellence and Quality Service. She is a nationally certified Servsafe (food safety) Manager. Eric and Maria have two children, Elena and Ryan.

Our goal is to utilize local products in making high quality spirits. We hope our customers will enjoy fine crafted cocktails in the relaxing atmosphere of our tasting room, and share our products at home with your family and friends.
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Owners
Eric & Maria Montemagni