Seven Stacks of the Neversweat

Boat horns echo along the shore line as they pull up to dock. It’s Ellis Island, New York 1910.

Waves of immigrants step off the boat and onto the docks, met by officers who send them on their way. Some have a family name and some have nothing. Others arrive with a photo or a note pinned to their shirt.

“Send me to the Seven Stacks of the Neversweat.”

The infamous, visually striking image of the Neversweat Mine breaks language barriers. For many, it represents hope. A beacon for people around the world that a better future is out there.

They found that future here – in Butte, America.

“Those folks who finally made it here don’t know exactly where they’re going, but they’re hoping for the best,” says Headframe Co-Owner Courtney McKee.

Photos provided by the World Museum of Mining

What began as one of the cooler mines in Butte eventually soared to high temperatures and lower depths as its popularity grew. The richness of its caverns and the heat from below can be experienced in every sip of our Neversweat Straight Bourbon Whiskey where we unlock deeper characters from the mine in each glass.

“You could never understand how hot, how humid it would be in these [mines],” recounted Dinny Murphy in a 1986 interview. Murphy detailed moments where they would wring out shirts and pour sweat from out of their helmets.

While hot, miners like Murphy noted that this was not enough to change their love for working in the mines. The love for unlocking something deeper than themselves.