Cole Hauser and Britt West on Gifts Worth Giving

Routing questions through a public relations team about the history of a multi-million dollar company, a famous founder’s origin story, or an “of the moment” celebrity’s latest project is a typical practice in my line of work. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I’ll get them on the line. Other times, I have to wade through four layers of gatekeepers before I’m finally told they will pass; usually, from the assistant to the assistant of the assistant manager.

It’s a tough world out there.

So, when Cole Hauser (actor) and Britt West (un-Googlable so don’t even try), the co-founders of Lazy K Bar Whiskey agreed to share their thoughts on holiday gifting to our Palomino County audience, I nearly fell off my chair. 

Does the object of my affection ever see the questions? Or, with the invention of ChatGPT and Claude, do said questions just get thrown into an AI platform, the answers returned instantaneously based on pre-packaged, approved messaging? It’s sometimes hard to tell the difference, but I’m going to take a leap of faith here and say these answers are human-generated, authentic, and produced by the interviewees. I’m also going to imagine that during the question answering process both Cole and Britt were grateful to move beyond the banal, basic questions of how they met, and why they chose Big Timber, Montana as their headquarters (I feel this should be obvious).

Please enjoy their heartfelt insights; then and run, don't walk, to buy a bottle of Lazy K Bar Straight Bourbon Whiskey for that fella or filly in your life who enjoys a good story behind each sip—and also bragging rights about discovering it first.

Lastly, for all my Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch fans out there…I hope this solidifies the fantasy.

Rebekah Iliff: What’s your philosophy on giving a great gift? Do you think it’s more important that something be useful, beautiful, personal, or unexpected?

Cole Hauser: A great gift can be all of those things, but it should feel personal. I like something you’ll use and enjoy, with enough character that it feels like it was chosen for you. The best ones have a little surprise in them, too.

Rebekah Iliff: When you think about the best gifts you’ve ever received, what comes to mind…and what made those gifts memorable?

Britt West: The best gifts are the ones that make you feel known. They don’t have to be grand; they might reflect a place, a hobby, a shared memory or something you’ve talked about in passing. That thoughtfulness is what makes a gift stay with you.

RI: If you were putting together a holiday gift for someone who appreciates good whiskey, good food, and the outdoors, what would you pair with a bottle of Lazy K Bar?

BW: I’d put together a simple gathering kit: a bottle of Lazy K Bar, a few good glasses, a large-cube ice mold, and something local to eat—maybe a great cut of Montana beef and a cast-iron pan for cooking outside. A large cube chills the whiskey with less dilution than smaller refrigerator ice, adding a little ritual to the pour. Then leave the evening open. Good food, a fire, and time together are hard to beat.

RI: What is the best gift you’ve ever received that had nothing to do with its monetary value?

CH: The best gifts are the time and attention people give you. An experience shared with the people you care about can mean more than anything you could buy. That’s what I remember.

RI: What is one decision you made with Lazy K that looked small at the time but ended up shaping the brand?

BW: We’re not just selling bourbon, we’re selling the Western lifestyle. We’re encouraging our consumers to sit back with a glass at the end of a hard day of work and think back on what they learned, what they could have done differently, and what they’re proud of accomplishing.  

RI: If you could give one bottle of Lazy K to anyone, living or dead, who would you give it to. And, what would you want to ask them over a drink?

CH: I would drink it with my late grandfather Milton Sperling. I’d be honored to be able to sit with him and pick his brain, not only about his life, but the different things that he accomplished. And, I’d like to glean some continued wisdom beyond what he always gave me as a young man.

RI: The Lazy K bottle is obviously designed to be something you want to keep on the shelf even after the bottle is empty. What details in your own home or personal life tend to catch your eye in the same way?

BW: Vintage furniture is something I have collected for years, and it fills my house. I like mixing it with new fabrics to add a different personality. I am also drawn to vintage guns. I have a rifle that was made in 1921 in England by William Evans. I often think about all the rifle’s owners and the stories it could tell.

RI: Was there a particular object, material, piece of furniture, piece of Western gear, or family heirloom that influenced the way you think about design?

BW: This flask (pictured below) was given to me by a dear college friend some 20 years ago for my birthday. It was from a vintage store in London. I knew the second I opened it that I would one day create a package based on the look and feel: the real leather and its imperfections, the metal, the glass. It all worked for me. When I began working with the designers, I had to send it to them and I let them know “you lose it, it’s irreplaceable in my life.”

RI: What makes a bottle of whiskey feel like a gift rather than simply a bottle of whiskey?

CH: It’s the thought behind it. If you choose a bottle because it connects to someone’s interests, a place they love or a memory you share, it becomes more than something to drink. It gives you a reason to sit down together and open it.

What’s a detail about Lazy K that you are particularly proud of that most customers probably never notice?

BW: The decision to wrap each bottle in real leather and use the real Lazy K Bar ranch brand helped make the bottle feel connected to the ranch behind the name. Those details give it a sense of place and history, and they make the bottle feel worth keeping after the whiskey is gone.