Photo by Brandon AlmsChase Applegate produces bourbon and gin alongside his dad Steve Applegate.
Purchase Photo
The Story Behind Gentry Spirits
In their quality time together, a father-son duo produces a quality product: Gentry Spirits gin and bourbon.
by Tessa Cooper
Jun 2025
Chase Applegate could tell you all about distilling spirits before he could even legally drink them himself. Like most sons do, he took an interest in his father’s hobbies, and one of them was making alcohol. Now, he produces gin and bourbon under the label Gentry Spirits alongside his dad, Steve Applegate, but it wasn’t just their penchant for hobby distilling that led them to this collaboration. They both work in cybersecurity by day, have backgrounds in engineering and chemistry and come from a long line of risk-takers.
Steve and Chase are direct descendants of Gilbert Applegate, a Union soldier who fought in the 16th Missouri Infantry and helped form the Bald Knobbers upon his return to the Ozarks. He was a distiller of fine spirits himself, and Gentry Spirits honors his legacy. “He embodied the rugged American independence,” says Chase. “Creating Gentry Spirits seemed like the perfect fit with our family lore and all of our combined interests.”
The Applegates produce their spirits in what they call “the old-fashioned way,” using a vapor-infused small-batch distillation process that sacrifices efficiency for quality and flavor. They also grow several of the botanicals right on their own family farm. You’ll find Gentry Spirits at Macadoodles, Hy-Vee, Brown Derby Wine Center and 5 O’Clock Liquor Store and in drinks at Miss Boston’s Cocktail Lounge, 4 by 4 Brewing Company’s Fremont Hills location and Wisner Bar at 14 Mill Market.
The Spirits
Non Typical
The newest release from Gentry Spirits, Non Typical is a five-year small batch blended bourbon that offers lingering notes of toffee and oak spice.
Parallax
An American gin with a citrus-forward profile that’s perfect for adding a spin to classic cocktails.
Hieroglyph
This bold gin draws inspiration from the history of the spice trade in Egypt. You’ll pick up notes of green cardamom, all spices and delicate florals.
Lavish
A lavender-forward gin with a citrus zest and light touch of juniper. It’s light, refreshing and perfect for mixing into warm weather cocktails. Check out a recipe using Lavish.
HoneyFire
As a high-proof, full-bodied spirit, this gin offers a warming bite with a soft edge, thanks to its honey distillation process.
