Rhine Hall,
Rhine Hall Distillery is a family-owned Chicago craft distillery, founded in 2013, that exclusively produces European-style fruit brandies (eau de vie/schnapps) from ~25 lbs of whole fresh fruit per bottle. It serves craft cocktail bars, fine-dining establishments, and home enthusiasts across 12+ US states via specialty distributors and DTC e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Rhine Hall, does
Rhine Hall Distillery is a family-owned craft distillery founded in 2013 and headquartered at 2010 W. Fulton St. in Chicago, Illinois. The company is owned and operated by the father-daughter team of Charlie Solberg and Jenny Solberg, with origins tracing to Charlie's experience playing professional hockey in Austria in the 1970s at the Rheinhalle ice rink, where he first encountered traditional fruit distillation. The business specializes exclusively in European-style fruit brandies known as eau de vie or schnapps, produced using a German-imported column still and stainless steel alembic stills. Each bottle contains approximately 25 lbs of fresh, hand-sorted, whole fruit with no added flavorings, sweeteners, or neutral spirits. The product portfolio spans core fruit brandies (Apple, Pear, Cherry/Kirschwasser, Plum, Grappa), aged Reserve expressions in new American oak barrels from Kentucky, exotic tropical eau de vies (Mango, Pineapple, Guava) produced in partnership with Mexican distillers, Bierschnaps distilled from surplus beer from local Chicago breweries (Goose Island, Church Street, Hopewell), and specialty co-developed products (Coffee Liqueur with Alinea in 2019, Fernet Lola with Kimpton Gray's Boleo in 2017, La Normande Pommeau).
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: (1) direct-to-consumer e-commerce bottle sales via the rhine-hall.square.site Square storefront; (2) wholesale distribution through a network of state-specific specialty distributors (Acme Wine Company in Illinois, Libation Project in Minnesota, Blueprint/Union Beer in New York, Utah ABC, and Craft Spirits Cooperative across California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Washington, Maryland, and Nevada); and (3) previously, on-premise tasting room sales at the Fulton Street location, which has since closed. The company serves craft cocktail bars, fine-dining restaurants, and home enthusiast consumers across 12+ US states, with high-prestige on-premise partnerships anchoring brand credibility. Headcount is 1-10 employees and the business is bootstrapped/family-controlled with no external funding or parent company involvement.
Rhine Hall, firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rhine Hall,
- Legal name
- Rhine Hall Distillery
- Website
- https://rhinehall.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rhine Hall Distillery is a family-owned Chicago craft distillery, founded in 2013, that exclusively produces European-style fruit brandies (eau de vie/schnapps) from ~25 lbs of whole fresh fruit per bottle. It serves craft cocktail bars, fine-dining establishments, and home enthusiasts across 12+ US states via specialty distributors and DTC e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rhine Hall, industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Spirits
- NAICS
- Distilleries (31214), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Rhine Hall, is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rhine Hall, business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Bottle Sales: Direct-to-consumer sale of bottled spirits through the company's e-commerce storefront (rhine-hall.square.site). Includes standard fruit brandies, reserve expressions, exotic EDV line, and specialty liqueurs.
- Wholesale and Distribution: Wholesale distribution through multiple state-specific distributors across Illinois, Minnesota, New York, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Washington, Maryland, Nevada, and Utah. Craft Spirits Cooperative handles majority of exotic/tropical line distribution.
- Tasting Room Sales: Historically sold bottles directly at the tasting room on Fulton Street. Company notes tasting room is now closed ('We no longer have a brick & mortar to visit'). Some reserve expressions are tasting-room-exclusive.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels4 records
Rhine Hall, product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rhine Hall Distillery manufactures and sells European-style fruit brandies (eau de vie/schnapps) made from 100% whole fruit with no additives, sweeteners, or neutral spirits. The portfolio includes core fruit brandies (Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum), aged Reserve expressions, an exotic tropical line (Mango, Pineapple, Guava EDV) produced via Mexican partners, and specialty spirits (Grappa, Bierschnaps, La Normande Pommeau, Fernet Lola, Coffee Liqueur). Products are sold direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and through a multi-state wholesale distributor network.
Product overview
Rhine Hall Distillery is a family-owned and operated fruit brandy distillery in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in European-style fruit brandies known as eau de vie or schnapps. The company produces a diverse portfolio of spirits organized into several categories: core fruit brandies (Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum, Apricot, Banana), aged Reserve versions of these brandies, exotic tropical fruit eau de vies (Mango, Pineapple, Guava) produced with international partners in Mexico, specialty spirits (Grappa, Bierschnaps, Coffee Liqueur, Fernet Lola, La Normande Pommeau), and Bierschnaps varieties made from surplus beer from Chicagoland breweries. Each bottle contains approximately 25lbs of fresh fruit with no additives, sweeteners, or neutral spirits. The company sources fruit primarily from the Great Lakes region and operates using a German-imported column still and stainless steel alembic stills.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mango Eau de Vie (EDV) Exotic tropical fruit brandy made from Central Mexican mangoes and distilled nearby; ripe mango flesh aroma with long-lasting mango skin flavor. Part of Rhine Hall's exotic tropical eau de vie line produced via international partners.
- Pineapple Eau de Vie (EDV) Exotic fruit brandy distilled from pineapple with a shortened fermentation cycle due to high natural sugar content; highlights deeper fruit characteristics including husk. Produced with international partners in Mexico using stainless steel alembic stills.
- Guava Eau de Vie (EDV) Tropical fruit brandy made from pureed yellow guava (no pit), mashed and distilled in stainless steel alembic stills in Mexico used for Mezcal production.
- Apple Brandy Flagship unaged fruit brandy made with up to 8 apple varieties sourced from Southwest Michigan, hand-sorted and chopped, fermented in stainless steel for three weeks, then rested for a minimum of nine weeks. Silver Medal winner at 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
- Reserve Apple Brandy Aged flagship spirit made with up to 8 apple varieties from Southwest Michigan and rested up to 12 months in 25-gallon new American oak barrels from Kentucky; toasted and charred barrel blend preserves apple aroma while adding roundness.
- Pear Brandy Single varietal Bartlett pear brandy, with up to 40,000 lbs of pears sourced annually from small Michigan farms. Fermented in stainless steel for three weeks, distilled in a German column still, and rested in stainless steel for a minimum of 9 weeks.
- Reserve Pear Brandy Tasting-room-exclusive aged single varietal Bartlett pear brandy rested 18 months in new American oak barrels from Kentucky, with a toast and char blend, then filtered and bottled.
- Cherry Brandy (Kirschwasser) Clear, colorless fruit brandy (Kirschwasser) made from tart Morello-style cherries from Michigan and Wisconsin; pits are extracted and added back during fermentation for depth.
- Reserve Cherry Brandy Limited release tasting-room-exclusive aged cherry brandy with pits added back during fermentation for dimension, distilled and rested exactly one year in new American charred oak barrel.
- Plum Brandy Unaged fruit brandy made from Castleton and Stanley plums from Michigan farms; hand-sorted fruit with pits separated, some pits left in fermentation tanks for depth. Rested in stainless steel a minimum of 9 weeks before bottling.
- Reserve Plum Brandy Aged in new American oak barrels from Kentucky (25-gallon, average one year or longer); barrel char preserves plum aroma while adding roundness. Blended and chill filtered before bottling. Rooted in Eastern European Slivovitz tradition.
- Grappa Pomace brandy made from 100% grape pomace (skins, meat, stems, and seeds) sourced predominantly from west coast USA wineries; water rehydrates pomace before distilling with no added sugar. Smooth, floral grappa with clean finish.
- Reserve Grappa Full-bodied aged grappa rested a minimum of 9 months in heavy-char 25-gallon new American oak barrels from Kentucky, with notes of prunes, raisins, honey, vanilla, and espresso beans.
- Apricot Brandy Trial product made 100% from Michigan apricots, with stones separated during processing and used in fermentation for added flavor. Matured in stainless steel for almost two years before bottling; bottled only once.
- Banana Brandy Experimental fruit brandy made from bananas; fermented three weeks after balancing brix, distilled, and matured in stainless steel for 9 months. Currently out of stock with no additional fruit available.
- La Normande American-style Pommeau native to Normandy, France; mixes Rhine Hall Apple Brandy with fresh pressed apple cider, aged 9 months in bourbon barrels. Low-proof aperitif-style spirit named 'The Woman from Normandy' after Heloise, who introduced Jenny to the process.
- Fernet Lola Fruit brandy-based fernet infused with 14 different herbs, botanicals, and spices with regional ties to South America; produced using the Landy method from Italy with regional brandy as base. Released in collaboration with Kimpton Gray Hotel's Boleo team.
- Coffee Liqueur Barrel-strength fruit brandy base rested in new American oak barrels from Kentucky with heavy char, combined with cold brew from rotating local roasters and demerara sugar infused with vanilla beans. Co-developed with Michelin 3-star Alinea.
- Bierschnaps (Beer Distillate) Distilled spirit made from completed beer produced by local Chicagoland breweries, distilled in a German-imported continuous column still. Varieties include Church Street Saison, Hopewell Doppelbock, Strong & Pale, and Goose Island Bourbon County Stout (aged 1, 2, or 3 years).
Quantifiable outcome
- 25lbs of fresh fruit per bottle with no additives
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Rhine Hall,
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Rhine Hall, technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Rhine Hall, partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.
- Craft Spirits CooperativecoreCraft Spirits Cooperative is the primary multi-state distribution partner for Rhine Hall's exotic/tropical line of spirits (Mango, Pineapple, Guava EDV) and reserve products. They facilitate distribution across California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Washington, Maryland, and Nevada through sub-distributors including Elite, Consortium, Avant Partir, Provisions Oklahoma, Owen Kotler Selections, Free Run Wine Merchants of Maryland, and Vin Sauvage.
- Acme Wine CompanycoreIllinois state distributor for Rhine Hall products. Contact person is Dan Hodge ([email protected]).
- Libation ProjectcoreMinnesota state distributor for Rhine Hall products. Contact person is Jon Olson ([email protected]).
- Blueprint via Union Beer DistributorscoreNew York state distributor for Rhine Hall products. Contact person is Oscar Delgado ([email protected]).
- International Production Partners (Mexico)coreIn 2022, Rhine Hall sought international partners with the same passion for eau de vie to sustainably produce their exotic/tropical line closer to where the fruit is grown. Production partners in Mexico distill Mango, Pineapple, and Guava EDV using stainless steel alembic stills (also used for Mezcal production), leveraging local expertise and resources near fruit-growing regions.
- Local Chicagoland Breweries (Bierschnaps)minorRhine Hall partners with local Chicagoland breweries (including Church Street Brewery and Hopewell Brewing Company) to use surplus beer as the fermented mash for Bierschnaps production. After distillation, some Bierschnaps are returned to the original aging vessel (barrel) before bottling.
- Goose IslandminorGoose Island provides surplus Bourbon County Stout for Bierschnaps production. In a reciprocal arrangement, Goose Island uses the bourbon barrels from Rhine Hall's La Normande production to age their Bourbon County Stout beers.
- Alinea RestaurantstrategicRhine Hall collaborated with Alinea, a Michelin 3-star restaurant in Chicago, to create the Coffee Liqueur first released in 2019. The development process involved meetings, tastings, and test batches to select each component of the final liqueur.
- Boleo / Kimpton Gray HotelstrategicFernet Lola was first released in 2017 in collaboration with Jessica Lambert and Mike Ryan of the Kimpton Gray Hotel's Boleo restaurant. The spirit is based on fruit brandy infused with 14 herbs, botanicals, and spices with regional ties to South America.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rhine Hall, competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Koval Distillery: Chicago-based craft distillery producing a broad portfolio of small-batch spirits. Directly comparable as a same-city, similar-scale, family-owned craft producer competing for the same on-premise Chicago accounts and D2C customers.
- FEW Spirits: Evanston, IL craft distillery founded in 2011 with a similarly small production footprint and a focus on premium, mixology-forward spirits. Comparable on scale, regional distribution model, and craft positioning.
- Clear Creek Distillery: Portland, OR distillery long known as a leading US producer of fruit brandies and eau de vie. Most direct comparable on product category (fruit brandy / eau de vie), making it the closest head-to-head competitor for Rhine Hall's core range.
- St. George Spirits: Alameda, CA craft distillery with an extensive fruit brandy / eau de vie program alongside other categories. Comparable as a multi-category craft producer with deep on-premise and specialty retail penetration.
- Copper & Kings American Brandy: Louisville, KY distillery focused on American brandy and aged spirits. Comparable as a craft brandy specialist pursuing on-premise mixology adoption and premium positioning, though at larger scale.
- Leopold Bros: Denver, CO craft distillery producing small-batch spirits with an emphasis on traditional methods and local sourcing. Comparable on craft scale, distribution footprint, and on-premise cocktail-program orientation.
- Germain-Robin: Mendocino, CA producer of premium California brandy in traditional pot-still fashion. Comparable as a small, premium, traditional-method brandy house targeting fine-dining and connoisseur channels.
- Osocalis: Soquel, CA craft distillery producing California apple brandy and calvados-style spirits from estate-grown fruit. Comparable on premium apple/fruit brandy positioning and small-batch estate sourcing.
Broad incumbents
- Laird & Company: America's oldest distillery (founded 1780) and the largest US apple brandy producer. Comparable as a fruit brandy producer with national distribution, but operating at vastly larger scale across multiple price points.
- Christian Brothers Brandy: Mass-market American brandy brand now part of a major global spirits portfolio. Adjacent comparable as a mainstream US brandy benchmark for pricing, placement, and consumer awareness context.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rhine Hall, social profiles
Digital presenceRhine Hall, financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rhine Hall, leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Rhine Hall, funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rhine Hall, M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rhine Hall,
What does Rhine Hall, do?
Rhine Hall Distillery manufactures and sells European-style fruit brandies (eau de vie/schnapps) made from 100% whole fruit with no additives, sweeteners, or neutral spirits. The portfolio includes core fruit brandies (Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum), aged Reserve expressions, an exotic tropical line (Mango, Pineapple, Guava EDV) produced via Mexican partners, and specialty spirits (Grappa, Bierschnaps, La Normande Pommeau, Fernet Lola, Coffee Liqueur). Products are sold direct-to-consumer via e-commerce and through a multi-state wholesale distributor network.
Is Rhine Hall, a public or private company?
Rhine Hall, is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Rhine Hall, founded?
Rhine Hall, was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rhine Hall, based?
Rhine Hall, is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rhine Hall, make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Bottle Sales are the primary driver. The others are wholesale and Distribution and tasting Room Sales.
Who are Rhine Hall,'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Koval Distillery, FEW Spirits, Clear Creek Distillery, St. George Spirits, Copper & Kings American Brandy, Leopold Bros, Germain-Robin and Osocalis. Broad incumbents are Laird & Company and Christian Brothers Brandy.
Does Rhine Hall, have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rhine Hall,.
What industry is Rhine Hall, in?
Rhine Hall,'s product category is Craft Spirits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAL, Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site), with a secondary code of CRANAAAD, Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise). Its NAICS code is 31214 and its SIC code is 2080.