Matt Hammer

Background

About Matt Hammer

Growing up in Arrowbear Lake, CA, a small town located in the mountains of Southern California, life was filled with action, BMX racing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. At 15, I set off on a wild, illustrious 18-year career as a professional snowboarder. Throughout my career, I directly impacted the worldwide snowboard market through video parts, contests, and brand development. Deeply involved in designing clothing, boots, outerwear, and snowboards, creating multiple signature product lines, and co-founding Signal Snowboards in 2004. In 2008, my wife and I established and built from the ground up a thriving coffee shop, roastery, and wine bar in Mammoth Lakes, California. Black Velvet Coffee's focus is on excellence and consistency through products and guest relations. Serving specialty coffee, boutique wines, and craft beers, Black Velvet has risen to be the top-ranking coffee shop in Mammoth Lakes via Yelp and has been hailed by Vogue Magazine as one of the Top Après Ski spots in the world. We sold Black Velvet Coffee In December 2020 to a long-time local family in Mammoth Lakes, CA, to focus on Shelter Distilling. Co-founder of Shelter Distilling in 2016, a craft distillery, brewery, and kitchen located in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Working alongside Jason Senior and Karl Anderson, we designed, built, and launched Shelter Distilling, which opened in December 2017 in the heart of The Village At Mammoth in Mammoth Lakes, CA. A first-of-its-kind brick-and-mortar location, Shelter was the first business in California to have a Distilling license, Brewing license, and Wine Makers license in one location. Shelter Distilling operates daily as a full production facility, bar, restaurant, retail sales, and tasting room.In 2024, we expanded Shelter Distilling beyond Mammoth Lakes, opening two new locations in Montrose, Colorado. Bringing our passion for craft spirits, beer, and exceptional hospitality to the Rocky Mountains has been an incredible journey. These new locations continue our mission of creating high-quality, adventure-inspired beverages while fostering a welcoming space for the local community and visitors alike. From concept to launch, we’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that Shelter Montrose delivers the same dedication to craftsmanship and experience that defines our brand. I work daily to ensure clarity and consistency across touchpoints, with day-to-day tasks including strategic growth, brand development, marketing campaigns, product design, networking, and investor relations.