Spirit Hound Distillers

What Spirit Hound Distillers does

Spirit Hound Distillers is a craft distillery founded in 2011 in Lyons, Colorado, by Craig Engelhorn — formerly head brewer at Oskar Blues — and a group of friends who converted an old motorcycle repair shop into a production facility. The company produces 27 varieties of handcrafted spirits across six categories: American single malt whisky (with multiple finishes including KBS, honey, and sherry cask), bourbon and rye, gin, vodka, rum, and liqueurs. Production is anchored by a custom all-copper pot still that took over 500 hours to hand-craft, Rocky Mountain snowmelt water, hand-picked wild juniper berries from the St. Vrain valley, raw honey from a neighboring apiary, and locally harvested/malted barleys sourced through the Colorado Grain Chain. Distillation and aging follow small-batch craft methods.

The company operates a multi-channel go-to-market. Primary revenue comes from two owned tasting rooms — the original in Lyons on the route to Rocky Mountain National Park and a second in Denver's Highlands neighborhood — which together generate on-premise sales of craft cocktails ($8–$16), flights ($14–$18), single pours, food, and bottle sales. A DTC e-commerce store ships to select states (with 12 excluded markets, including Colorado itself), offering 15% off case purchases and free shipping on four-plus bottles. Wholesale distribution extends through retail liquor stores and on-premise restaurants/bars across Colorado. Recurring and experiential revenue is generated via the Whisky Guild membership ($150 individual / $250 couple annually), a barrel ownership program with private connoisseur perks, $60 cocktail classes, $45 distillery tours led by Engelhorn, private events, and merchandise. The customer base is fragmented across craft spirits enthusiasts, women spirits consumers (via the Whisky Wenches society), tourists, private-event hosts, and on-premise accounts.

The brand has earned 80+ awards, including two Best in Show wins and two Whisky of the Year wins at the London International Spirits Competition, a 95-point Gold at the New York International Spirits Competition, and eight consecutive Distillery of the Year honors from Best of Boulder. The company raised a first disclosed funding round of $697,487 in September 2023 after operating as a bootstrapped, founder-led business for over a decade. Spirit Hound remains privately held with no parent company, no institutional investors beyond the 2023 round, and 11–50 employees.

Name

Spirit Hound Distillers

Legal name

Spirit Hound Distillers

Website

https://spirithounds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spirit Hound Distillers is a Colorado craft distillery founded in 2011, producing 27 varieties of handcrafted whisky, bourbon, gin, vodka, rum, and liqueurs from locally sourced ingredients, sold through two tasting rooms, DTC e-commerce, and wholesale channels to craft spirits enthusiasts and tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC), Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Craft distillery
• Single malt whisky
• Handcrafted spirits
• Small batch spirits
• Spirits production

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Spirits Sales (Direct to Consumer): Direct bottle sales at tasting rooms and online store. Most recent releases available in Tasting Rooms only. Online ordering ships to select states with free shipping on 4+ bottles and 15% off case (6 bottles) orders.
2. Tasting Room Food & Beverage: On-site sales of hand-crafted cocktails, straight pours, flights, snacks, light fare, and zero-proof beverages at two tasting room locations (Lyons and Denver).
3. Membership Programs: Whisky Guild membership at $150/individual or $250/couple for one year, offering Deep Discount Days (20% off bottles/merchandise, $2 off cocktails), Guild Discount Days (10% off, $1 off cocktails), birthday special (50% off core bottles), and buy-one-get-one-free cocktail class.
4. Barrel Membership: Own a 53-gallon barrel of Spirit Hound Colorado Whisky with exclusive whisky connoisseur membership perks including private distillery tours, classes, tastings, and twelve customized bottles from the barrel.
5. Cocktail Classes & Distillery Tours: Ticketed cocktail classes ($60) and distillery tours with Head Distiller Craig Engelhorn ($45). Available at both Lyons and Denver tasting rooms.
6. Private Events & Parties: Revenue from hosting private events, cocktail hours, corporate events, cocktail classes, and receptions at both tasting rooms, with catering support from rotating food trucks.
7. Merchandise Sales: Sale of Spirit Hound branded merchandise at tasting rooms and online, including apparel and branded items. Whisky Guild members receive merchandise discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Spirit Hound Distillers produces 27 varieties of handcrafted small-batch spirits including American Single Malt Whisky, bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, rum, and liqueurs, distilled in a custom all-copper pot still using Rocky Mountain snowmelt water and locally malted barleys. The company sells its spirits through two owned tasting rooms in Lyons and Denver, an online DTC store shipping to select states, and wholesale distribution to restaurants and retailers.

Product overview

Spirit Hound Distillers is a Colorado craft distillery offering 27 varieties of spirits across whisky, bourbon, gin, vodka, rum, and liqueur categories. The core product portfolio includes American Single Malt Whisky (with multiple expressions: standard, cask strength, KBS-finished, honey-finished, sherry cask-finished, and bottled in bond), Bourbon/Rye (Colorado Bourbon, Barrel Project Bourbon, Straight Rye, Bottled in Bond Rye), Gin (New American Gin, Batch 13 Double Distilled, Barrel Finished, Eleanor, Strawberry Basil), Vodka (Rocky Mountain, Hot Pepper, Peach), Rum (Mountain Bum), and Liqueurs (Café Colorado Coffee Liqueur, Colorado Sambuca, seasonal Peppermint Café Colorado). Supporting offerings include Whisky Guild membership, Whisky Wenches Spirits Society education group, Barrel Membership program, craft cocktail classes, distillery tours, and two tasting room locations in Lyons and Denver. The company emphasizes locally sourced ingredients including Rocky Mountain snowmelt water, hand-picked juniper berries from the St. Vrain valley, and locally harvested barleys.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 80+ international and regional awards including Best in Show x2, Whisky of the Year x2, and 95 points Gold Medal at NY International Spirits Competition
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dry Land DistillerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Spirit Hound Distillers and Dry Land Distillers collaborated to craft the Barrel Fire Whisky Legacy Edition 2.0, a special limited release honoring Andy Clark, a late community member who co-founded the Colorado Grain Chain. This collaboration celebrates local grain chain communities and was released at the Wheat Stock Grain & Music Festival in September 2024.
• Colorado Grain ChaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Colorado Grain Chain is a network of local grain farmers and producers in Colorado. Spirit Hound uses locally harvested and malted barleys from this network. Proceeds from the Barrel Fire Whisky benefit the Colorado Grain Chain.
• Oskar BluesminorOthersOskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado is where founder Craig Engelhorn originally home-brewed Dale's Pale Ale before transitioning to distilling. The brewery provided the original launchpad for Engelhorn's brewing and spirits career, though no formal commercial partnership is described.
• Avery Brewing CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAvery Brewing Company beers are featured in Boilermaker and cocktail pairings at Spirit Hound tasting rooms. Pairings include Avery White Rascal with Honey-Finished American Single Malt Whisky, Avery IPA with American Single Malt Whisky, Avery Stampede with KBS Finished American Single Malt Whisky, and rotating cider with Barrel-Finished Gin.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wilderness Trail Distillery: Kentucky craft bourbon and rye distiller focused on small-batch, grain-forward American whisky. Comparable craft scale, American craft whisky positioning, and premium barrel-finish innovation similar to Spirit Hound's finished single malt program.
• Leopold Bros: Colorado craft distillery producing a wide range of spirits (whisky, gin, liqueurs) with an emphasis on local sourcing and small-batch methods. Comparable product breadth and craft/local sourcing story to Spirit Hound.
• Balcones Distilling: Texas-based craft distiller known for award-winning American whisky, gin, and rum with a small-batch, grain-forward approach. Comparable craft positioning, awards-led brand building, and American single malt/cask-finished focus.
• Smooth Ambler: West Virginia craft distillery best known for wheated bourbon and American whisky with tasting room and DTC sales. Comparable craft scale, American craft whisky focus, and tasting room-led GTM.
• Wood's High Mountain Distillery: Colorado craft distillery offering whisky, gin, vodka, rum, and liqueurs with on-site tasting room. Comparable craft scale, multi-category portfolio, and tourism-adjacent retail model to Spirit Hound.
• FEW Spirits: Evanston, Illinois craft distiller producing bourbon, rye, gin, and specialty spirits with a tasting room. Comparable craft-distillery-plus-tasting-room model and urban-adjacent DTC strategy.
• Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey: Iconic Colorado craft single malt whisky producer with strong brand recognition and distillery/tasting room experience. Highly comparable to Spirit Hound's American Single Malt focus and craft-led positioning.
• Breckenridge Distillery: Colorado-based craft distiller producing bourbon, whisky, gin, vodka, and rum with a tasting room and restaurant. Directly comparable to Spirit Hound in geography, product mix, scale, and DTC tasting-room-led GTM.
• TX Whiskey (Garrison Brothers): Texas craft straight bourbon whisky producer with tasting room and limited geographic distribution. Comparable craft straight American whisky focus, tourism-driven tasting room experience, and constrained national distribution.
• Dry Land Distillers: Colorado craft distillery (Longmont) producing whisky, gin, and specialty spirits from locally grown crops, with a stated partnership collaboration with Spirit Hound. Direct regional peer sharing Colorado Grain Chain sourcing and craft ethos.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/spirithounddist
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpiritHoundDistillers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spirit-hound-distillers
• Instagraminstagram.com/spirithounddistillers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spirit Hound Distillers