Deacon Giles

What Deacon Giles does

Deacon Giles, Inc. is a craft distillery founded in 2015 and headquartered at 75 Canal Street in Salem, Massachusetts, where it produces a portfolio of small-batch spirits including Original Gin, Juniper Point Dry Gin, Yankee Ingenuity Vodka, three rums (Solera Costera Amber, Friendship's Bounty Spiced, and Liquid Damnation White), two absinthes (Absinthe des Voisins and Scarlet Absinthe), and an Italian-style Amaro Diacono Liqueur featuring locally foraged botanicals such as wormwood and staghorn sumac. The production approach emphasizes traditional craft methods — including solera barrel aging for the amber rum and anise/fennel/wormwood-based absinthe formulations — with technical differentiation concentrated in recipe formulation rather than process automation.

The company operates a vertically integrated on-premise business model centered on The Speakeasy Lab, an in-house cocktail bar that opened December 5, 2016 (Repeal Day) and serves cocktails priced at $11–$14 using exclusively house-distilled spirits. Revenue streams include on-site bottle sales (750ml and 375ml formats at $15–$62), cocktail bar service, founder-led weekend tours and tastings (concentrated September–October), private event hosting for 10–50 guests, branded merchandise (apparel, stickers, bottle openers), gift cards, and a canned cocktail line (G+T AF, Splash O' Cran, Trader Giles Mai Tai) distributed through third-party retail channels in 4-packs at $13. Online alcohol sales are prohibited under Massachusetts state law, constraining digital distribution to merchandise only.

Deacon Giles serves a dual customer base of Salem tourists (drawn by the town's witch-trial-era heritage and the distillery's 1830s-inspired brand narrative) and local cocktail enthusiasts, supplemented by event-hosting customers and a Burlington, MA collaboration with Common Craft. The company is privately held and co-founded by Ian Hunter (business operations) and Jesse Brenneman (production, 14+ years industry experience at Old Dominion, Gordon Biersch, and Harpoon Breweries). It has received the American Distilling Institute's "Gin Distillery of the Year" designation and multiple BONS (Best of New England Spirits) awards from 2017 through 2023.

Name

Deacon Giles

Legal name

Deacon Giles, Inc.

Website

https://deacongiles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Deacon Giles is a Salem, MA craft distillery founded in 2015 that produces small-batch gin, rum, vodka, absinthe, amaro, and canned cocktails for on-site retail, the in-house Speakeasy Lab cocktail bar, tours, events, and limited off-premise wholesale distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distillery / Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Craft distillery
• Distilled spirits production
• Gin and rum
• Cocktail bar
• Canned cocktails

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

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

Revenue model

1. Spirits Bottle Sales: Sale of distilled spirits in 750ml and 375ml bottles including gin, vodka, rum, absinthe, and liqueurs for take-home purchase at the distillery
2. Cocktail Bar Revenue: In-house Speakeasy Lab cocktail bar serving crafted cocktails using house-distilled spirits. Features seasonally rotated menu and specialty drinks
3. Canned Cocktails: Pre-packaged canned cocktails sold in 4-packs for off-premise consumption through retail distribution
4. Tours and Tastings: Founder-led distillery tours and tastings offered on weekends, particularly during fall season (September-October). Tickets sold in advance
5. Merchandise Sales: Apparel, headwear, stickers, bottle openers, and other branded merchandise sold through online store and at distillery

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Deacon Giles is a Salem, MA craft distillery that produces small-batch spirits — gin, vodka, rum, absinthe, and liqueurs — sold as bottles, canned cocktails, and merchandise. It also operates The Speakeasy Lab, an in-house cocktail bar, and offers founder-led distillery tours and tastings.

Product overview

Deacon Giles is a craft distillery founded in 2015 in Salem, MA. The company produces a portfolio of Damn Righteous Spirits including six bottled spirits (Original Gin, Juniper Point Dry Gin, Yankee Ingenuity Vodka, three rums including Solera Costera Amber Rum, Friendship's Bounty Spiced Rum, and Liquid Damnation White Rum), two absinthes (Absinthe des Voisins and Scarlet Absinthe), and Amaro Diacono Liqueur. The portfolio also includes three canned cocktails (G+T AF, Splash O' Cran, and Trader Giles Mai Tai). The company operates The Speakeasy Lab, an in-house cocktail bar opened December 5th 2016, offers distillery tours and tastings, and sells branded merchandise including apparel, stickers, and bottle openers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Original Gin A malt barley and rye based gin infused with juniper, coriander, cardamom, sweet orange peel, lemon peel, rose hips, mace and angelica root. 86 proof. Sold in 750ml ($36) and 375ml ($20) bottles.
• Juniper Point Dry Gin A 100% cane-based, juniper-forward dry gin. 86 proof. Sold in 750ml ($32) and 375ml ($17) bottles.
• Yankee Ingenuity Vodka A 100% cane-based vodka. 80 proof. Sold in 750ml ($27) and 375ml ($15) bottles.
• Solera Costera Amber Rum A 100% molasses rum aged in oak barrels with a #3 char for a minimum of 18 months using a solera method. 84 proof. Sold in 750ml ($35) and 375ml ($18) bottles.
• Friendship's Bounty Spiced Rum A 100% molasses rum flavored naturally with cacao nibs, Tahitian vanilla, sweet orange peel, and long pepper. 80 proof. Sold in 750ml ($32) and 375ml ($17) bottles.
• Liquid Damnation White Rum A 100% molasses rum made with a blend of blackstrap and fancy molasses. 80 proof. Sold in 750ml ($29) and 375ml ($16) bottles.
• Amaro Diacono Liqueur An Italian-style aperitif liqueur with a blend of herbs and spices including staghorn sumac, wormwood, gentian root, cinnamon and clove. 66.6 proof. Sold at $33.
• Absinthe des Voisins A traditional-style absinthe using anise seed, fennel, locally grown wormwood and secret herbs and spices. 110 proof. Sold at $52.
• Scarlet Absinthe A lighter absinthe with hibiscus and higher ABV, featuring notes of lemon, red berries and green tea with a scarlet hue. 133.2 proof. Sold at $62.
• Canned Cocktails (G+T AF, Splash O' Cran, Trader Giles Mai Tai) Pre-packaged canned cocktails sold in 4-packs ($13) for off-premise consumption: G+T AF (gin and tonic, 8% ABV), Splash O' Cran (vodka, cranberry and bubbles, 7% ABV), and Trader Giles Mai Tai (rum, lime, orange, almond, 7% ABV).
• The Speakeasy Lab In-house cocktail bar and lounge serving crafted cocktails made from house-distilled spirits, with a seasonally rotated menu, tasting flights, and live events space. Cocktails range $11-$14.
• Distillery Tours and Tastings Founder-led one-hour distillery tours with in-depth discussion of the distilling process and complimentary tasting, offered on most Saturdays from mid-September through October. Tickets sold in advance.
• Branded Merchandise (Apparel, Stickers, Bottle Openers, Gift Cards) Branded apparel (t-shirts $26-$35, tank tops $26, caps $20-$30), stickers ($2), stainless steel bottle openers ($8), and in-store gift cards, sold via the online store and at the distillery.

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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Common CraftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDeacon Giles has a collaboration with Common Craft, located in Burlington, MA on the back side of the mall. This is a new collaboration that extends their brand presence to the Burlington area.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Short Path Distillery: Everett, MA craft distillery producing gin, vodka, and other small-batch spirits. A regional peer operating in the same Massachusetts market with comparable craft production scale.
• Triple Eight Distillery: Nantucket, MA craft distillery producing vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey with a tasting room. Regional Massachusetts peer anchored to a tourism-driven island market, comparable in operating model.
• Tuthilltown Spirits: New York craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, vodka, and liqueurs with on-site tasting. Comparable as a small-batch craft producer emphasizing heritage brand storytelling and specialty spirits.
• Bully Boy Distillers: Boston-based craft distillery producing gin, vodka, rum, and whiskey with an on-site tasting room. Closely comparable as a Massachusetts craft distillery with a destination hospitality model and similar product mix.
• Privateer Rum: New England craft distillery based in Amesbury, MA producing rum, gin, and whiskey at a similar small-batch scale. Directly comparable as a fellow Massachusetts craft producer with on-site tasting experiences and overlapping product categories.
• Berkshire Mountain Distillers: Sheffield, MA craft distillery producing gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, and specialty liqueurs. A fellow Massachusetts craft producer with overlapping spirits portfolio and on-site tasting experiences.
• GrandTen Distilling: Boston-based craft distillery producing gin, vodka, whiskey, and cordials with a tasting room. Comparable as another Massachusetts craft operator with a similar portfolio breadth and hospitality component.
• Corsair Distillery: Tennessee craft distillery producing gin, whiskey, rum, and specialty spirits with a tasting room. Comparable as a multi-product craft distillery with award recognition and experimental product development.

Broad incumbents

• St. George Spirits: California-based craft distillery producing a wide range of gin, vodka, whiskey, absinthe, and liqueurs. A larger, broader craft producer with established national distribution that Deacon Giles could aspire to scale toward.

Regional players

• Vermont Spirits: New England craft distillery producing vodka, gin, and specialty liqueurs from local ingredients. Regional peer with a similar locally-rooted, terroir-driven portfolio approach in an adjacent New England state.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deacongiles
• Instagraminstagram.com/deacongiles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/deacon-giles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Deacon Giles