Kevin Barrett could be a great spokesperson for the one-page business plan. The CEO 
and Founder of Swallowtail Spirits graduated from the RAIN Eugene accelerator program in January with a very different vision for his company than when he entered in the fall.
“Before RAIN, my goal was to raise $50,000 and get into my own facility. Afterward, I started to see more potential for growth than I originally thought, so I set a goal of $400,000 to purchase a big still and barrels. Now I’ve scaled back to something in between,” Barrett explained.
Barrett has raised $63,000 for Swallowtail Spirits since completing the accelerator, which he has used to hire two full-time employees. They are currently looking to export out-of-state, as well as into east Asia. But their most exciting development is much closer to 
home: a licensing agreement with Ninkasi Brewing to produce whiskey. While the deal could be finalized as early as June, it will take another year or two to produce the whiskey.
In the more immediate future, Swallowtail Spirits is currently completing a buildout of a new distillery in Springfield (you can see photos and follow his success on the Swallowtail Spirits Facebook page). Barrett anticipates that the facility will open in August. In addition to spirit tastings, he also hopes they will receive permission from the City of Springfield to mix cocktails.
“We’re really hoping to be able to serve cocktails because It’s so important to experience how our spirits interact with other ingredients,” Barrett said.
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