Team Headframe
JOHN McKEE
Owner, Founder, Chief Technology Officer
John has spent the last 10 years becoming a force of good in the craft distilling industry. Since co-founding both Headframe Spirits and Headframe Spirits Manufacturing in 2012, he has led the development of Headframe’s Spirit brands and the designs of Headframe Manufacturing’s proprietary continuous flow distillation systems.
He is also a founding member of the Good Guy Distillers, an industry-recognized volunteer group, specializing in making the distilled spirits industry safer, more inclusive and all-around better at what it does.
When John is having a cocktail at the Headframe Tasting Room, you’ll typically find him drinking a Kelley and Pink Grapefruit over ice. When he’s not in the Tasting Room you’ll probably find him floating on a river somewhere in the Western United States.
Kari corbitt
Director of Operations
Kari serves as the Director of Operations at Headframe Spirits, where she oversees the strategic integration of the company’s administrative, financial, and operational divisions. A fifth-generation Butte resident, Kari’s deep local roots are matched by a versatile professional background that bridges the gap between the classroom and the distillery.
Kari earned her B.S. in Secondary Education from the University of Montana Western, with majors in Mathematics and English. She spent the first five years of her career as a high school math teacher—a foundation of analytical precision and communication that eventually led her to a second career in bookkeeping.
Since joining the Headframe team in 2013, Kari has been an indispensable pillar of the company’s growth. Originally hired as a bookkeeper, she quickly expanded her impact to provide vital support across human resources, compliance, and management. After a successful tenure as Operations Manager beginning in 2021, Kari was named Director of Operations in 2023. Today, she leverages her unique background and hometown pride to drive Headframe’s long-term excellence, ensuring the brand continues to thrive in the community her family has called home for generations.
Kari enjoys drinking the Dirty Snowman in the Tasting Room, but loves the Kelley Single Malt, unaged at high proof, straight from the still!
Heidi Rosenleaf
Brand Development Manager
Born in Butte and raised in Anaconda, Heidi’s career has always been defined by Montana grit and a natural knack for hospitality. After a whirlwind decade as a daycare owner—managing 15 kids at a time—she found her true calling at the Tasting Room.
Heidi’s history with Headframe Spirits goes back to the beginning, starting with the “dirty work” of the original building remodel. As the company’s very first official employee, she spent 14 years as Tasting Room Manager, building the Headframe culture from the ground up. Now, as Brand Development Manager, Heidi oversees the evolution of the brand experience. She blends her deep knowledge of spirits and botanicals with a strategic eye for growth, ensuring the Tasting Room remains an energetic, welcoming space that honors the history of Butte.
Whether she is challenging the staff to experiment with seasonal flavors or refining the brand’s reach, Heidi’s focus remains on creativity and community.
Outside of the distillery, family is everything. You’ll find her floating Montana rivers in the summer or playing the ultimate hostess at the cabin year-round—likely organizing a round of silly games.
Her go-to drink? A House Sour with a squeeze of orange.
Larry Griffin
Distilleries Manager
Larry’s background in the spirits industry comes from a long-held passion for the science behind the craft. He holds a B.S. in Food Science & Technology from Virginia Tech, which helps to bring technical precision into the art of distillation.
His professional career started in the heart of Virginia with an internship at Copper Fox Distillery, followed by an impactful tenure at Dogfish Head Distilling Co. in Delaware. Over several years, Larry rose through the ranks from Assistant Distiller to Distillery Supervisor, honing his expertise in both batch and continuous distillation for small- and large-scale production alike.
In 2022, Larry traded the beaches of the Mid Atlantic for the big skies of the Rockies, joining Headframe Stills Manufacturing as a Manufacturing Sales & Support Specialist. His versatility and leadership propelled him into a pivotal management role in 2024, when Larry transitioned to Production Manager for Headframe’s Contract Distillery. Then, in 2025, he was promoted to Distilleries Manager, where he now oversees all of Headframe’s Production Departments—from craft distillation and packaging to contract production and everything in between.
When he isn’t streamlining production or improving recipes, Larry enjoys the outdoors and working with his hands. Whether he is out in the mountains hunting and fishing, in his garage building something for the house, or out of town exploring some place new, Larry maintains a thoughtful work-life balance and makes sure to disconnect.
You might find Larry, his wife, and their golden retriever backpacking to a mountain lake, soaking in local hot springs, or shredding the gnar on a ski slope. If you do, he’ll likely invite you to join them around a fire and sip on some of his favorite spirits, usually whiskey on the rocks.