Gary Crowell

Gary Crowell didn’t just find his way into spirits—he inherited it. His great-grandmother Dora Ainsworth was distilling bathtub gin during Prohibition, and that rebellious ingenuity still runs through everything he builds. Over the past decade-plus, Gary has helped bring eight spirits brands to market while co-owning three distilleries, earning a reputation as one of the leading consultants in the U.S. spirits industry.

He’s the force behind some of the category’s most recognizable ideas, including helping assemble the original team behind beloved Austin brand, Deep Eddy Vodka. Today, he serves as Managing Director of LEGAL DRINKING AGENCY leading and advising brands that reflect both his instinct for what sells and his respect for craft.

Gary’s path to spirits wasn’t linear. Before distilling, he worked in network infrastructure design and sales, and earlier still, built custom homes—experiences that sharpened his ability to engineer ideas from the ground up. Whether he’s guiding a founder or negotiating with a distributor, he brings the same hands-on precision and care. Off the clock, he’s usually mapping out his next adventure—you can check out his last trip to Marfa, Texas here.

“It has been my absolute pleasure and privilege to work with Gary on numerous projects in the alcoholic beverage space. Gary is completely knowledgeable, result-focused, practical and, yet, creative. He is a major value add as a consulting CEO or COO to any brand lucky to work with him.”

— Larry Waks

“…And if a brand is really smart, it will also engage with Leigh, Gary’s wife and partner. Leigh is a consummate beverage professional and, in my opinion, the top branding, social media, creative and cultural consultant I have ever worked with. She is totally dedicated, brilliant, a witty problem-solver, and simply a lot of fun to work with. Together Gary and Leigh are my go-to professionals in the business.”

— Larry Waks

Leigh Villers

Leigh Villers has never followed a straight-line career—and that’s exactly her edge. Before co-founding LEGAL DRINKING AGENCY in 2018, she moved fluidly across industries as an ethical fashion marketing director, a Big Pharma loyalty program associate director, and the owner of a lifestyle boutique inspired by Factory Records. That range isn’t randomness—it’s range with taste.

A lifelong obsession with pop culture, art, travel, and music shapes everything Leigh builds. She has a sharp instinct for translating an entrepreneur’s vision into a brand experience people actually connect with. Ask her favorite part of any project and she’ll point to the through line—bridging a founder’s story all the way to a customer standing in a liquor store, making a choice.

If there’s chaos behind the scenes, Leigh’s already ahead of it. Brand launches are where she thrives, bringing precision, structure, and just the right amount of control (she’s never met a calendar, PM tool, or label maker she didn’t love). Off the clock, you’ll likely find her with a dark rum daiquiri or mezcal sour in hand, mapping out her next adventure.