Backwards Distilling Company sits in downtown Casper, Wyoming, in a converted historic building at 214 S Wolcott Street that once housed a local auto repair shop. Founded in 2014 by husband-and-wife team Jason and Jill Hecker, the distillery emerged from Jason’s background as a petroleum engineer and Jill’s experience in hospitality management. After years of home distilling as a hobby, they took the leap into commercial production, becoming one of Wyoming’s first legal distilleries since Prohibition. The name “Backwards” reflects their unconventional approach to the business—Jason left his stable engineering career to chase a dream, which friends and family thought was going backwards in life. The 3,000-square-foot space houses a custom 500-gallon copper pot still imported from Germany, along with aging barrels and a small tasting room that maintains the industrial feel of the original building with exposed brick walls and concrete floors. They produce a range of spirits including bourbon, rye whiskey, vodka, and gin, with most ingredients sourced from Wyoming and neighboring states. The operation remains intentionally small-batch, with Jason handling most of the distilling himself while Jill manages the business side and customer experience. Their approach focuses on using local grains when possible and aging spirits in Wyoming’s dry, high-altitude climate, which they believe accelerates the aging process compared to more humid regions.