Albany Distilling
Albany Distilling is a privately held craft distillery in downtown Albany, NY producing Ironweed whiskeys, Awakened Spirit coffee vodka, Quackenbush rum, and ALB On The Go vodka seltzers via small-batch distillation, serving local consumers through its ADCo Bar, regional retail distribution, and contract distilling services for third-party brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersAlbany, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Albany Distilling does
Albany Distilling Company, Inc. (ADCo) is a privately held craft distillery founded in 2011 in downtown Albany, New York, and is the city's first distillery since Prohibition. The company produces a portfolio of four branded spirit lines using small-batch methods that combine modern and traditional distillation: Ironweed whiskeys (Straight Bourbon, Empire Rye, Straight Malt, and limited editions including Rum Bourbon, Cab Barrel Rye, Double Oak Rye, and Solera Rye), Awakened Spirit coffee-flavored vodka blended with cold-brewed Death Wish Coffee, Quackenbush rum in oak-aged and unaged expressions, and ALB On The Go vodka-based seltzer canned at 5% ABV. All whiskeys are mashed, fermented, distilled, aged in freshly charred oak barrels, and bottled on premises, using grain grown in New York State with no added colorings or flavorings.
The company operates a vertically integrated production and retail model centered on its 75 Livingston Avenue facility, which houses both the distillery and the ADCo Bar and Bottle Shop located adjacent to the Palace Theater. Distribution runs through three channels: direct-to-consumer sales at the on-site bar and bottle shop, regional retail distribution of branded spirits to liquor stores and on-premise accounts, and fee-for-service Contract Distilling, in which ADCo provides capacity, TTB regulatory navigation, label specification, and sourcing support to third-party brands bringing new spirits to market.
Customer segments are twofold. The primary segment is craft spirits enthusiasts and local consumers seeking locally produced artisanal whiskey, vodka, rum, and ready-to-drink cocktails. The secondary segment is hospitality venues (bars, restaurants, event operators) requiring distinctive craft spirits and branded on-premise experiences. GTM is primarily direct, anchored by the ADCo Bar experience, supplemented by regional wholesale and a partnership-driven model for the Death Wish Coffee collaboration. Revenue mechanics are conventional spirits sales plus B2B contract services, with publicly disclosed pricing not available; the business is bootstrapped, founder-owned, and shows no external investment, M&A, or subsidiaries beyond the wholly owned ADCo Bar operating unit.
Albany Distilling firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Albany Distilling
- Legal name
- Albany Distilling Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://albanydistilling.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Albany Distilling is a privately held craft distillery in downtown Albany, NY producing Ironweed whiskeys, Awakened Spirit coffee vodka, Quackenbush rum, and ALB On The Go vodka seltzers via small-batch distillation, serving local consumers through its ADCo Bar, regional retail distribution, and contract distilling services for third-party brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Albany Distilling industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Distilled Spirits
- NAICS
- Distilleries (312140)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcoholic Beverage Production (Canned Cocktails, Hard Seltzer) (AFAFAAAE), Alcoholic Beverage Blending, Bottling & Private Label (Non-Distilling) (AFAFAAAH), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ), Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Albany Distilling is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Albany
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Albany Distilling business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Spirits Sales: Direct sales of branded spirits including Ironweed whiskeys (Straight Bourbon, Empire Rye, Straight Malt, and limited editions), Awakened Spirit coffee vodka, Quackenbush rum, and ALB On The Go vodka seltzers through their bar, bottle shop, and retail distribution.
- ADCo Bar Operations: On-site bar and bottle shop at 75 Livingston Ave, Albany NY serving cocktails and providing a venue experience near the Palace Theater.
- Contract Distilling Services: Offering distillery facilities and expertise to other brands seeking to bring spirits to market, including assistance with TTB regulations, label specifications, and sourcing.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
Albany Distilling product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Albany Distilling Company is a craft distillery that produces small-batch spirits on-site in downtown Albany, NY, including Ironweed whiskeys (Straight Bourbon, Empire Rye, Straight Malt, and limited editions), Awakened Spirit coffee vodka blended with Death Wish Coffee, Quackenbush rum (Amber and Original), and ALB On The Go vodka seltzers. The company also operates the ADCo Bar and Bottle Shop at 75 Livingston Ave and offers contract distilling services to other brands seeking TTB-compliant production support.
Product overview
Albany Distilling Company (ADCo) is a craft distillery founded in 2011 as Albany's first distillery since Prohibition. The company operates a portfolio of four distinct spirit brands: Ironweed Whiskey (offering Straight Bourbon, Empire Rye, Straight Malt, and limited editions), Awakened Spirit Coffee Vodka (blended with Death Wish Coffee), Quackenbush Rum (in aged and unaged expressions), and ALB On The Go Vodka Seltzer (in five flavors). The company also offers contract distilling services for third-party brands and operates its own bar and bottle shop in downtown Albany.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ironweed: Whiskey brand featuring Straight Bourbon, Empire Rye, Straight Malt, and limited editions including Rum Bourbon, Cab Barrel Rye, Double Oak Rye, and Solera Rye. Made from New York State grains and aged in freshly charred oak.
- Awakened Spirit
- Quackenbush
- ALB On The Go
Products and services
- Ironweed Whiskey Craft whiskey brand featuring Straight Bourbon, Empire Rye, and Straight Malt expressions made from New York State grains and aged in freshly charred oak, plus limited editions including Rum Bourbon, Cab Barrel Rye, Double Oak Rye, and Solera Rye. Sold in 750 mL bottles at 40-50% ABV with no added colorings or flavorings.
- Awakened Spirit Coffee Flavored Vodka Vodka blended with cold-brewed Death Wish Coffee at 33.3% ABV in 750 mL bottles, with no added colorings, flavorings, or caffeine.
- Quackenbush Rum Caribbean-style rum available in Amber (oak barrel-aged) and Original (unaged) expressions at 40% ABV in 750 mL bottles, made from Caribbean fancy-grade molasses with no added colorings or flavorings.
- ALB On The Go Vodka Seltzer Pre-mixed vodka cocktail line canned at 5% ABV in 12 oz cans, made with vodka (rather than malt like most spiked seltzers), seltzer, and natural flavorings. Available flavors include Black Cherry, Blueberry Lemonade, Strawberry Smash, Raspberry Lime, and The Knickerbocker.
- Contract Distilling Services Partner services for third-party brands to bring new spirit products to market, including assistance with TTB regulations, label specifications, sourcing, distillation, and production. Leverages ADCo's craft distillery expertise and trial-and-error experience navigating complex alcohol industry requirements.
- ADCo Bar and Bottle Shop Company-owned bar and bottle shop at 75 Livingston Ave, Albany, NY 12207, offering house spirits, cocktails, and a retail selection of all ADCo branded products. Reachable by phone at (518) 949-2472.
- Private Events at ADCo Bar Hosted private events at the ADCo Bar location, offered as a venue and beverage experience service for groups, organizations, and branded occasions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Award-winning spirits recognized in the craft distilling industry
Companies that use Albany Distilling
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Albany Distilling technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Albany Distilling partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Death Wish CoffeecoreDeath Wish Coffee is used in the production of Awakened Spirit coffee-flavored vodka. The vodka is blended with cold-brewed Death Wish Coffee, creating a unique coffee vodka product. The collaboration combines Albany Distilling's spirits expertise with Death Wish Coffee's premium coffee.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Albany Distilling competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hillrock Estate Distillery: Hudson Valley, NY estate distillery producing whiskeys from estate-grown grain. Highly comparable to ADCo's NY-state grain sourcing story, premium bourbon/rye portfolio, and tasting room DTC model.
- Coppersea Distilling: Hudson Valley, NY craft distillery focused on raw-spirit and aged whiskeys, rum, and gin. Directly comparable to ADCo's NY-based small-batch production and farm-to-bottle sourcing approach.
- Berkshire Mountain Distillers: Regional craft distillery in Massachusetts producing whiskeys, gin, vodka, and rum with a similar small-batch, award-winning positioning. Closely matches ADCo's scale, portfolio breadth, and New England craft identity.
- Kings County Distillery: Brooklyn, NY urban craft distillery producing bourbon, whiskey, and other spirits with an on-site tasting room and bottle shop. Closely comparable to ADCo's urban downtown Albany location and DTC bar strategy.
- St. George Spirits: California craft distillery with a broad portfolio (whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, absinthe). Comparable to ADCo in its willingness to span multiple spirit categories at craft scale, with established industry reputation.
- Few Spirits: Evanston, IL craft distillery producing bourbon, rye whiskey, gin, and vodka. Comparable to ADCo's whiskey-led multi-category craft portfolio and small-batch production model.
- Tuthilltown Spirits: Hudson Valley, NY craft distillery (founded 2003) producing whiskey, vodka, and gin in small batches with a similar farm-to-bottle positioning and DTC tasting room. One of the most direct regional analogs to Albany Distilling's craft model.
- Balcones Distilling: Waco, TX craft distillery producing award-winning whiskeys, rum, and other spirits with a strong craft reputation. Comparable to ADCo in small-batch craft production and industry recognition profile.
- Smooth Ambler: West Virginia craft distillery known for bourbon and rye whiskey with a growing portfolio. Similar to ADCo in its whiskey focus, mid-Atlantic craft positioning, and small-batch award-winning approach.
- Finger Lakes Distilling: New York State craft distillery producing a diverse multi-category portfolio (whiskey, vodka, gin, rum, grappa). Comparable to ADCo's broad spirit portfolio across categories and small-batch craft approach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Albany Distilling social profiles
Digital presenceAlbany Distilling financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Albany Distilling leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Albany Distilling subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Albany Distilling funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Albany Distilling 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 Albany Distilling
What does Albany Distilling do?
Albany Distilling Company is a craft distillery that produces small-batch spirits on-site in downtown Albany, NY, including Ironweed whiskeys (Straight Bourbon, Empire Rye, Straight Malt, and limited editions), Awakened Spirit coffee vodka blended with Death Wish Coffee, Quackenbush rum (Amber and Original), and ALB On The Go vodka seltzers. The company also operates the ADCo Bar and Bottle Shop at 75 Livingston Ave and offers contract distilling services to other brands seeking TTB-compliant production support.
Is Albany Distilling a public or private company?
Albany Distilling is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Albany Distilling founded?
Albany Distilling was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Albany Distilling based?
Albany Distilling is headquartered in Albany, United States, in the North America region.
How does Albany Distilling make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Spirits Sales are the primary driver. The others are ADCo Bar Operations and contract Distilling Services.
Who are Albany Distilling's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hillrock Estate Distillery, Coppersea Distilling, Berkshire Mountain Distillers, Kings County Distillery, St. George Spirits, Few Spirits, Tuthilltown Spirits, Balcones Distilling, Smooth Ambler and Finger Lakes Distilling.
Does Albany Distilling have an API?
No public API is recorded for Albany Distilling.
What industry is Albany Distilling in?
Albany Distilling's product category is Craft Distilled Spirits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAC, Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling, with a secondary code of AFAFAAAE, Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Alcoholic Beverage Production (Canned Cocktails, Hard Seltzer). Its NAICS code is 312140 and its SIC code is 2080.