Lyon Rum

What Lyon Rum does

Lyon Rum, operating under the legal entity Windon Distilling Company, is a craft rum distillery founded in December 2013 by Jaime Windon and Ben Lyon in Saint Michaels, Maryland. It is Maryland's first cane-to-glass distillery in over 40 years and operates on a vertically integrated production model that sources Louisiana sugar cane and blackstrap molasses from family farms, ferments and double-distills in 26-gallon pot stills five days a week on-site, and bottles by hand. The product line spans six year-round rum expressions (White, Dark, Sailors Reserve, Rock & Rum, Curaçao, Coffee Rum) plus seasonal and limited releases including the aged Anniversary Reserve BIJOU Batch. The Dark Rum uses a proprietary hand-caramelized sugar coloring process, and Sailors Reserve rests 6-12 months in used bourbon barrels from Kings County Distilling.

The company employs approximately 12 people and generates revenue through a hybrid distribution model: self-distribution across Maryland via dedicated Rum Runner vans serving 200+ on-premise and retail accounts plus statewide DTC home delivery; wholesale through five regional distributors covering nine states (MD, DC, DE, CT, NJ, NY, PA, FL, plus LA); tasting-room and tour sales at the Saint Michaels distillery; and ticketed events at the new Golden Hour event space opened in January 2025. Pricing is unit-based with limited-edition SKUs such as the ESLC Black Rum at $40 per 750ml bottle. The company is women-owned, privately held, bootstrapped (no institutional funding), and led by Jaime Windon as sole principal following co-founder Ben Lyon's departure.

Name

Lyon Rum

Legal name

Windon Distilling Company

Website

https://lyonrum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lyon Rum is a privately held, women-owned craft rum distillery in Saint Michaels, Maryland, producing cane-to-glass rums double-distilled in pot stills and distributing through self-distribution, five regional distributors across nine US states, and DTC channels including tasting room and home delivery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Rum & Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Distilleries (31214), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

Beverages (2080), 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 Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Craft rum distillery
• Small batch spirits
• Artisan rum production
• Direct-to-consumer spirits
• Distillery tasting room

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Michaels

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Spirits Bottle Sales: Direct and wholesale bottle sales of rum expressions including White Rum, Dark Rum, Sailors Reserve, Rock & Rum, Curaçao, Coffee Rum, and seasonal releases. Sold through self-distribution in MD, distributor partnerships across 9 states, and direct-to-consumer at distillery and via home delivery.
2. Tasting Room & Tours: Daily tours and tastings offered at the Saint Michaels distillery, with complimentary tastings and bottle sales. New Golden Hour event space hosts ticketed jazz and cocktail events.
3. Home Delivery: Free contact-less home delivery of spirits, merchandise, and mixers across Maryland via Rum Runner vans, introduced during COVID-19 and continued as key sales channel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Lyon Rum manufactures and sells a portfolio of craft American rums (White, Dark, Sailors Reserve, Rock & Rum, Curaçao, Coffee Rum, plus seasonal releases) produced through double distillation in 26-gallon pot stills using Louisiana molasses and evaporated cane juice. The company complements product sales with direct-to-consumer services including Maryland home delivery via Rum Runner vans, a daily distillery tasting room and tour experience in Saint Michaels, and the Golden Hour event space hosting jazz and cocktail events. Distribution is hybrid, with self-distribution across Maryland and wholesale partnerships extending reach to nine U.S. states.

Product overview

Lyon Rum (Windon Distilling Company) is a craft rum distillery producing small-batch, hand-crafted American rums on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The core product portfolio consists of six year-round rum expressions: White Rum, Dark Rum (flagship), Sailors Reserve, Rock & Rum, Curaçao, and Coffee Rum, plus seasonal specialty releases. The company operates on a cane-to-glass model, sourcing sugar cane and molasses from Louisiana family farms and using 26-gallon pot stills for double distillation. Services include direct home delivery across Maryland, a tasting room with daily tours, and the Golden Hour event space for jazz performances and wellness programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LYON White Rum Double-distilled white rum from Louisiana sugar cane and molasses in 26-gallon pot stills; bold, grassy, and funky with a unique nose from fresh sugar cane; intended as a versatile base spirit for cocktails.
• LYON Dark Rum Flagship dark rum colored by hand-cooking sugar into rich caramel until it smokes, then blended with white rum; bottled at 90 proof; rich, sweet, and smoky without added syrup.
• LYON Sailors Reserve Unaged reposado-style rum double distilled from Louisiana sugar cane and molasses; rests 6-12 months in used bourbon barrels from Kings County Distilling in Brooklyn; bottled at 100 proof; ACSA 2025 Best of Class and only gold medal.
• LYON Rock & Rum Spirits expression described as an old fashioned-in-a-bottle, infused with orange botanicals and dark cherries for a creative riff on classic cocktail flavors.
• LYON Curaçao First liqueur produced by Lyon Rum, marking the company's entry into liqueur production.
• LYON Coffee Rum Coffee rum liqueur made with organic Las Lajas (Costa Rica) and Chajulense (Guatemala) coffees from Rise Up Coffee Roasters in Easton, MD; delivers notes of chocolate, ripe fruit, and rich flavor.
• Seasonal Specialty Rums Limited-edition and seasonal rum releases sold at various times throughout the year, including holiday releases and special commemorative bottlings.
• Maryland Home Delivery Direct-to-consumer home delivery service via Rum Runner vans delivering spirits, merchandise, and mixers statewide across Maryland through the company's online store.
• Golden Hour {Rum Room} Event Space Ticketed event space adjacent to the Saint Michaels tasting room hosting jazz performances, wellness events, cocktail programs, and private functions with live music and curated cocktail menus.
• Distillery Tours & Tastings Daily tours and tastings at the Saint Michaels, Maryland distillery, including complimentary tastings and bottle sales.
• E-Gift Cards Digital gift cards sold via the Lyon Rum website for use as gifts toward products, tours, or tasting room purchases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced over 20,000 bottles annually as of 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regal Wine ImportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2020Distributor serving New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Represents significant market expansion bringing total states to eight in 2020.
• Drink Good Liquor IncminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Florida distributor partnership added in 2020, expanding distribution to 9 total states.
• Rise Up Coffee RoasterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Local coffee roaster in Easton, MD providing organic Costa Rican (Las Lajas) and Guatemalan (Chajulense) coffee beans for Lyon Coffee Rum Liqueur. Rise Up cultivates relationships with farmers and visits farms to ensure quality.
• Highland ImportsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2018Connecticut distributor opened in 2011 with artisan brands portfolio. Launched with Lyon Dark Rum, expanding offerings in subsequent months.
• Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership launched January 2017 to create ESLC Black Rum special edition celebrating Eastern Shore heritage. $5 from every bottle funds ESLC land conservation programs. Eight batches produced over three years, raising over $14,000 for the organization.
• Gray Wolf Craft SpiritscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Spirits company launched within Windon Distilling space, producing grain-to-glass vodka, gins, and whiskeys. Co-founded by R.B. Wolfensberger and Meghan Brown. Shares equipment and space with Lyon Rum.
• Craft Wine & SpiritscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016Distributor for Washington DC since 2016, expanded to Delaware. Owned by Raul Mejia and Shannon Crisp, serving retailers and restaurants.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Copper Fox Distillery: Virginia craft distillery with proprietary grain-malt smoking process and tasting room experience. Comparable Mid-Atlantic craft distillery competing for similar regional accounts and consumer occasions.
• New Columbia Distillers (Green Hat Gin): DC-based craft distillery producing gin and other spirits with tasting room experience and regional distribution. Same Mid-Atlantic craft distillery competitive set and similar self-distribution/DTC approach.
• Smooth Ambler: West Virginia craft distillery producing whiskey and gin with tasting room and Appalachian regional positioning. Comparable craft distillery model with similar small-batch production and multi-channel distribution.
• Sagamore Spirit: Maryland-based craft distillery (whiskey) operating on a similar regional craft-spirits thesis with tasting room, DTC, and multi-state distribution. Same Mid-Atlantic craft distillery competitive set and overlapping on-premise accounts.
• Catoctin Creek Distillery: Virginia-based craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and brandy with a tasting room and Mid-Atlantic distribution footprint. Comparable regional craft distillery archetype and on-premise/wholesale channels.

Direct peers

• Privateer Rum: Massachusetts-based craft rum distillery producing small-batch, single-origin, unaged white and aged rums in pot stills. Closest direct U.S. craft rum peer in production philosophy, scale, and target consumer.
• Koloa Rum: Hawaiian-origin craft rum brand offering flavored and aged expressions distributed across the U.S. Comparable craft rum product range and multi-state U.S. distribution strategy.
• Papa's Pilar Rum: U.S.-distributed craft rum brand with multiple aged expressions and tasting room/distillery experience in Key West and St. Petersburg. Directly comparable craft rum product portfolio and premium positioning.
• Gray Wolf Craft Spirits: Nano-distillery co-located within Lyon's Saint Michaels facility, producing vodka, gin, and whiskey. Most direct operational peer given shared space, equipment, and craft spirits production model.

Broad incumbents

• FEW Spirits: Established U.S. craft distillery with broader spirits portfolio (whiskey, gin) and national distribution. Comparable craft spirits brand archetype with similar tasting room and DTC infrastructure at larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lyondistilling
• Instagraminstagram.com/lyonrum
• Xx.com/lyonrum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Lyon Rum