AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery

What AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery does

ÆppelTreow Winery & Distillery is a privately held, family-owned craft cidery and distillery founded in 2001 and based at a single site in Burlington, Wisconsin. The company produces small-batch hard ciders, perry (pear cider), meads, still wines, fortified/dessert wines, and distilled spirits, organized into five lines: Sparkling (champagne-method ciders and perry), Draft (English and French-style traditional ciders in bottles and sixth-barrel kegs), Still (apple and pear wines, crabapple mead), Fortified/Dessert (Pommeaux, Poirissimo, Cerise), and Spirits (Brown Dog Sorghum Whiskey, Wisconsin Apple Brandy, Honesty Pear Brandy, and varietal grape brandies). Production techniques include traditional European champagne-method refermentation with riddling and disgorgement, new charred Wisconsin White Oak barrel aging for brandies, and specialty grain distillation from sweet sorghum grown in Elkhart Lake, WI.

The business is operated by three generations of the McGonegal family, with Charles McGonegal serving as Cidermaker and owner/founder and Melissa McGonegal as Distillatrix and owner/founder. The core cider apple and perry pear supply is sourced from Brightonwoods Orchard (Bill Stone), which provides heirloom and traditional English cultivars not commonly grown commercially in the US; select flagship SKUs are made exclusively from Brightonwoods fruit. Spirit aging uses new charred Wisconsin White Oak and incorporates local wild cherry, American chestnut, and apple wood elements, with sorghum chosen specifically to maintain a fully gluten-free production site.

Revenue is generated primarily through a seasonal on-site tasting room (weekends May through December, by appointment in winter), compliant interstate direct-to-consumer cider shipping to 39 states, off-premise retail accounts (e.g., L'eft Bank Wine Co.), on-premise draft keg sales to bars and home kegerators, and event-driven promotion through venues such as Cider Summit Chicago. The product mix is positioned at the dry-leaning end of the craft cider spectrum, with pricing structured around a $10 tasting flight and 375mL/750mL bottle formats, and the customer base consists of craft beverage enthusiasts, on-premise accounts, and gluten-free consumers. There is no external funding, no institutional ownership, and no active M&A activity.

Name

AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery

Legal name

AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery

Website

https://aeppeltreow.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ÆppelTreow Winery & Distillery is a family-owned craft cidery and distillery in Burlington, Wisconsin, producing small-batch traditional-method ciders, perry, meads, fortified wines, and estate-sourced fruit brandies and sorghum whiskey for direct-to-consumer, tasting room, and select retail customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Cider & Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Wineries (31213), Distilleries (312140), Beverage Manufacturing (3121)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cider & Perry Production (AFAFAAAD), Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC), Mead Producers & Brands (CRADAIAG), Cideries & Meadery Tasting Rooms (THAFALAI), Mead Production (AFAFAAAF), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft hard cider
• Small batch distillery
• Perry pear cider
• Fruit brandies
• Sorghum whiskey

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cider and Perry Sales: Primary revenue from small-batch hard ciders and perry (pear cider) sold by the bottle and on draft. Products range from sparkling champagne-method ciders to draft-style and still/table ciders. Fortified/dessert ciders (Pommeaux, Poirissimo) also available.
2. Spirits Sales: Distilled spirits including Wisconsin Apple Brandy, Honesty Pear Brandy, Brown Dog Sorghum Whiskey, grape brandies, and specialty fruit brandies sold in 375mL and 750mL bottles.
3. Tasting Room and Direct-to-Consumer: Tasting room flights and by-the-glass pours; direct sales of bottles and kegs to visitors. Seasonal operation with weekend hours May–December and appointment-based winter access.
4. Direct Shipping: Compliant interstate shipping to 39 states including Wisconsin and California for ciders; spirits shipping more limited due to regulations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery produces small-batch craft hard cider, perry (pear cider), mead, table wines, fortified dessert wines, and distilled spirits including whiskey and fruit brandies. Production relies on traditional European methods such as champagne-method sparkling cider, new charred oak barrel aging, and estate-grown heirloom apple and pear varieties from Brightonwoods Orchard, with Wisconsin-sourced agricultural inputs.

Product overview

ÆppelTreow Winery & Distillery is a craft cider and spirits producer in southeastern Wisconsin offering a diverse portfolio of small-batch beverages organized into several product lines. The Sparkling line includes champagne-method ciders (Appely Brut, Appely Doux) and sparkling Perry. The Draft line features traditional English and French-style ciders (Barn Swallow, Kinglet Bitter, Orchard Oriole Perry, Sparrow Spiced, Bunting Berry, Red Poll) available in bottles and kegs. The Still line includes table-style wines (Summers End Apple Wine, Pear Wine) and meads (Cyser Rose). The Fortified/Dessert line features apple and pear dessert wines (Pommeaux, Poirissimo) and cherry port (Cerise). The Spirits line includes Brown Dog Sorghum Whiskey, Wisconsin Apple Brandy, Honesty Pear Brandy, and grape brandies. The Single Barrel Series offers limited small-batch philosophical ciders and perries. The company emphasizes local Wisconsin ingredients, traditional methods, and heirloom apple and pear varieties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Songbird Ciders: Product line of ciders including Barn Swallow, Kinglet, Orchard Oriole, Red Poll, Bunting, and Sparrow varieties.

Products and services

• Appely Brut Champagne-method dry, crisp sparkling hard cider made from Gold Delicious, Jonathan, and Russet apples at 7% alcohol. Aimed at consumers seeking traditional European-style bone-dry cider.
• Appely Doux Semi-dry champagne-method sparkling hard cider with green fruit and floral notes, made from Red Delicious, Cortland, and old baking apples at 7% alcohol.
• Perry (Sparkling) Semi-sweet champagne-method pear hard cider made with Comice and Bosc pears plus Bartlett brandy, offering a creamy, fruity, floral profile.
• Barn Swallow Cider

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brightonwoods Orchard (Bill Stone)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrightonwoods Orchard is the estate-grown orchard partner for ÆppelTreow, supplying rare traditional English perry pears and cider apple varieties. Located within sight of the winery. Orchard Oriole Perry and Kinglet Bitter Cider are made exclusively from Brightonwoods-grown fruit. The partnership includes a shared Wassail tradition and collaborative orchard management. Bill Stone appeared on Wisconsin Foodie alongside Charles McGonegal.
• BittercubeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBittercube, a craft cocktail ingredient company, collaborated with ÆppelTreow during Wisconsin Foodie filming to create cocktails featuring ÆppelTreow spirits and ciders.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ciderboys Hard Cider: Wisconsin-based craft hard cider producer with a portfolio spanning multiple fruit-forward and traditional styles. Direct geographic and product category peer to AEppelTreow's cider business, with similar event-driven and on-premise emphasis.
• FEW Spirits: Evanston IL craft distillery producing small-batch whiskey, gin, and brandy with emphasis on local grains and Midwest identity. Comparable as a craft distillery peer in the same regional Midwest craft beverage ecosystem.
• Koval Distillery: Chicago-based craft distillery known for unique grain usage (millet, sorghum, spelt, rye) and single-barrel small-batch production. Directly comparable to AEppelTreow's sorghum whiskey approach, artisanal distillation philosophy, and Midwestern craft positioning.
• Copper Fox Distillery: Virginia craft distillery notable for unusual grain handling and barrel programs including apple wood and cherry wood smoking. Directly comparable to AEppelTreow in artisanal spirits production, distinctive wood-aging techniques, and single-cask identity.
• Tandem Ciders: Michigan craft cidery producing traditional European-style dry ciders and perry from estate-grown fruit. Directly comparable to AEppelTreow in dry-style positioning, craft philosophy, and perry specialization, with similar small-batch heritage approach.
• West County Cider: Massachusetts cidery specializing in traditional English and French-style cider and perry made from estate-grown bittersweet and bittersharp apples. One of the closest US analogues to AEppelTreow in cidermaking philosophy, heirloom fruit focus, and perry specialization.

Regional players

• Aspall: Suffolk UK-based traditional English cider and perry producer with centuries of heritage using bittersweet and bittersharp apple varieties. Comparable as a benchmark European-style cider and perry producer, though geographically separate and serving a different market.

Emerging players

• Short's Brewing Company: Michigan craft beverage maker with an eclectic portfolio spanning beer, hard cider, and spirits. Comparable in craft beverage philosophy and regional Midwestern positioning, with partial product overlap through cider and spirits.

Broad incumbents

• Angry Orchard (Boston Beer Company): Largest US hard cider brand under Boston Beer Company, with an innovation program covering traditional dry to sweet styles. Comparable as a cider category competitor but at national scale with mass-market distribution and significant marketing budget.
• Woodchuck Cider (Vermont Cider Company): One of the largest US craft cider brands with a wide portfolio across sweetness levels and flavors. Comparable as a cider category competitor but operates at significantly larger scale and broader national distribution than AEppelTreow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Aeppeltreow.Ciders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 AEppelTreow Winery & Distillery