Although Chris Montana didn't initially set out to open a distillery, he knew that he wanted to be in the beverage industry. A longtime homebrewer, he acknowledged that launching yet another brewery in an already saturated market made little sense. On the recommendation of a friend, he began exploring microdistilleries, an idea that quickly gained traction for him and his wife, Shanelle, as Minneapolis began introducing laws that made such an endeavor more feasible.
In 2013, Chris and Shanelle co-founded Du Nord Social Spirits in Minneapolis, making history as the first Black-owned distillery in the United States to distill its own products. Using the grain grown on Shanelle’s family farm to distill spirits, Du Nord set out not just to make high-quality spirits but to change the makeup of the industry by changing the rooms, opening the doors and helping people who have not traditionally held power see how they can make it.
In spite of challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, Du Nord’s rise has been marked by various accomplishments. Less than a year after its launch, it won the Triple Gold Award at the Microliquor Spirit Awards. In 2015, Montana opened the first cocktail room in Minnesota, and in October 2022, they achieved yet another milestone when Delta began serving Du Nord’s Foundation Vodka on all domestic flights. In 2025, Du Nord’s Foundation Vodka and Apple Liquor were awarded Gold Medals at the Annual American Craft Spirits Competition.
But for Chris Montana, success is measured in more than just accolades. Through Du Nord, he is committed to giving back, uplifting underserved entrepreneurs and exploring paths to creating a lasting impact on his community. He recognizes the importance of removing barriers that hinder success and championing systemic changes that make it easier for people of color to start and sustain businesses.
In 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the public unrest that swept through Minneapolis, Du Nord Spirits was one of the businesses affected when their warehouse was burned. And while Chris tried to do his part by raising money for businesses that were affected, he quickly realized that to make a difference, he would need to do something more permanent. This led to a rebranding of Du Nord Craft Spirits to Du Nord Social Spirits, reflecting their commitment to social impact and economic justice. “It's about us putting it out front, saying this is who we are, and this is the work that we're doing,” he told Reserve Bar.
The launch of Du Nord Foundation, which grew from community-driven fundraising efforts, further solidified this commitment to impact. The Foundation is built on three pillars, all centered around economic justice - providing stability through disaster, supporting business ownership and economic prosperity and investing in rebuilding community through business development. Through this Foundation, Montana has supported minority business owners that were adversely affected by the unrest in May 2020 and provided essentials through the Barrier-free Food Shelf, which operated out of the burned warehouse, to those impacted by the civil unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Du Nord Foundation was born out of supplying relief to people who needed it in that moment and then came the long term goal of supporting Black-and-brown-owned businesses so that in the future we can actually build generational wealth and our community will see ourselves in these commercial corridors.” - Chris Montana
Du Nord Social Spirits continues to lead with heart, proving that it is more than just a brand. Through innovative partnerships, community-focused initiatives, and a commitment to social justice, Du Nord continues to lead by example, offering a blueprint for how business success and social impact can go hand in hand.
