What Finger Lakes Distilling does

Finger Lakes Distilling LLC is a privately held New York State farm distillery founded in March 2007 in Burdett, New York, by Brian A. McKenzie. It operates as the region's first stand-alone distillery, producing handmade spirits from locally grown fruits and grains at a single headquarters facility overlooking Seneca Lake. The production platform combines a 350-gallon Bavarian Holstein copper pot still (installed December 2008) and a continuous column still with copper thumper (installed April 2013), sourced from German Holstein Company and Vendome Copper & Brass Works, alongside a completed barrel warehouse facility.

The company's product portfolio spans approximately 19+ SKUs across McKenzie whiskeys (Straight Bourbon, Bottled in Bond Bourbon, Small Batch Bourbon, Straight Rye, Bottled in Bond Rye, 10-year-old American Straight Malt, Pure Pot Still Whiskey), McKenzie and Seneca Drums gins, Vintner's grape-based vodka and liqueurs, Glen Thunder corn whiskey, Mac's blended whiskey and vodka, fruit brandies (Apple, Grape, Pear), Riesling Grappa, Maplejack and fruit liqueurs, and the recently launched (2024) Mac's Reposado Agave Spirit. Sub-brands include McKenzie, Seneca Drums Gin, Glen Thunder, Vintner's Vodka, Mac's, and the Thief & Mallet Club.

Finger Lakes Distilling operates a diversified revenue model spanning direct-to-consumer (year-round on-site tasting room and Square-powered online bottle shop restricted to NY State residents), wholesale distribution to 15 states via three distributors (Skurnik Wines & Spirits, Prestige LeDroit Distributing Co., and Pacific Edge Wine & Spirits), a three-tier paid membership club (Thief & Mallet Club at $90/$160/$280), and paid experiences including private tours, a Create Your Own Gin Workshop (~40 bottles per session), and a $10,000 Make Your Own Barrel single-cask engagement with ~175 bottles and 5-year sampling rights. Customer segments are spirits enthusiasts and Finger Lakes tourists (primary), retail consumers across the 15-state wholesale footprint, and dedicated club members seeking exclusive releases.

Name

Finger Lakes Distilling

Legal name

Finger Lakes Distilling LLC

Website

https://fingerlakesdistilling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Finger Lakes Distilling is a privately held New York State farm distillery in Burdett, NY that produces handcrafted whiskey, gin, vodka, brandy, liqueurs, and agave spirits from locally grown fruits and grains, selling direct-to-consumer via tasting room and online shop, through three distributors across 15 states, and via the Thief & Mallet Club membership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

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), Craft Distilleries & Microdistilleries (THAFALAH), Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Craft spirits production
• Farm distillery spirits
• Whiskey and bourbon
• Distillery tasting room
• Spirits wholesale distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Burdett

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Spirits Sales (Direct): Direct sales of spirits through the on-site tasting room bottle shop and online bottle shop (for NY State residents). Includes flights, cocktails, and bottle purchases.
2. Spirits Distribution (Wholesale): Wholesale distribution to retail stores across 15 states through three distributors: Skurnik Wines & Spirits, Prestige LeDroit Distributing Co, and Pacific Edge Wine & Spirits.
3. Thief & Mallet Club Memberships: Annual subscription memberships offering curated bottle shipments, discounts, and exclusive access to releases. Tiers: Annual ($90/1 bottle), Semi-Annual ($160/2 bottles), Quarterly ($280/4 bottles). Shipping limited to NY residents.
4. Experiences (Tours and Workshops): Paid experiences including private distillery tours (booked via FareHarbor), Create Your Own Gin Workshop (approximately 40 bottles per class), and Make Your Own Barrel program ($10,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Finger Lakes Distilling manufactures and sells handcrafted spirits, including whiskey, vodka, gin, brandy, grappa, liqueurs, and agave spirit, using locally grown New York fruits and grains. The company operates an on-site tasting room, an online bottle shop (for NY residents), wholesale distribution to 15 states, and a paid membership club along with paid distillery experiences such as tours, gin workshops, and a custom barrel program.

Product overview

Finger Lakes Distilling is a New York State farm distillery producing award-winning handmade spirits from locally grown fruits and grains. The product portfolio centers on the McKenzie whiskey line (Bourbon, Rye, Malt, Pure Pot Still) and Mac's value spirits, complemented by a full gin range (Distiller's Reserve, Seneca Drums), grape and fruit-based vodka (Vintner's, Vintner's Wild Berry), brandies (Apple, Grape, Pear), liqueurs (Maplejack, Cassis/Cherry/Raspberry), specialty spirits (Riesling Grappa, Glen Thunder Corn Whiskey), and new agave spirits (Mac's Reposado). The distillery operates a tasting room and offers experiential services including distillery tours, gin workshops, barrel-making experiences, and a three-tier Thief & Mallet Club membership program for exclusive releases and benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• McKenzie: McKenzie branded spirits including Straight Bourbon, Bottled in Bond Bourbon, Small Batch Bourbon, Straight Rye, Bottled in Bond Rye, American Straight Malt, and Pure Pot Still Whiskey
• Seneca Drums Gin
• Glen Thunder
• Vintner's Vodka
• Mac's
• Thief & Mallet Club

Products and services

• McKenzie Straight Bourbon Rich and spicy bourbon with a mash bill of New York-grown grain, featuring caramel and vanilla flavors with a dry finish and rye spice.
• McKenzie Bottled in Bond Bourbon Bourbon aged a minimum of 4 years and bottled at 50% ABV per the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, offering a broad-shouldered whiskey with balance and long finish.
• McKenzie Small Batch Bourbon Limited annual production using a 4-grain mash bill of locally grown grains, with vanilla, caramel, and oak sweetness balanced by signature spice.
• McKenzie Straight Rye Made from New York-grown grain with notes of nougat, dark chocolate, and dried red fruit; finished in local sherry barrels to balance rye spiciness.
• McKenzie Bottled in Bond Rye Empire Rye celebrating New York-grown rye, bottled at 50% ABV per the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, highlighting historical rye spiciness.
• McKenzie American Straight Malt 10-year-old single malt whiskey celebrating McKenzie family heritage and Finger Lakes Distilling mastery; one of the oldest age statements in the American Single Malt market.
• McKenzie Pure Pot Still Whiskey Irish-inspired pot-distilled whiskey from New York-grown un-malted barley, malted barley, and oats; complex yet approachable spirit.
• McKenzie Distiller's Reserve Gin Traditional London-style dry gin with 16 botanicals balanced with juniper at the fore.
• Seneca Drums Gin Expressive dry gin distilled from local grape spirit with a signature blend of 11 botanicals; three-time winner of the Best New York Craft Spirit Award.
• Vintner's Vodka Grape-based vodka made from local Catawba wine; smooth, silky, and light with excellent structure and complex fruit notes.
• Vintner's Wild Berry Vodka Vintner's Vodka infused with local strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, then third-distilled for refined taste and balance.
• Apple Brandy New York State apple blend brandy fermented in open-top fermenters and distilled on a column still; aged in McKenzie Bourbon barrels.
• Grape Brandy European-style brandy distilled from a blend of vinifera and native Finger Lakes grapes; patiently aged in McKenzie Bourbon barrels.
• Pear Brandy Small-batch Eau de Vie style spirit from hand-picked Bartlett pears from the Finger Lakes region; distilled in a pot still retaining rich pear character.
• Riesling Grappa Pomace-style spirit from highly aromatic Finger Lakes grapes; includes seeds, skins, and juice for concentrated regional flavors.
• Maplejack Liqueur Apple brandy aged in McKenzie Bourbon barrels and sweetened with New York State maple syrup.
• Cassis, Cherry & Raspberry Liqueur Liqueurs made from regional black currants, raspberries, and cherries soaked in neutral spirit, pressed, and naturally sweetened with cane sugar.
• Mac's American Blended Whiskey Blended whiskey composed of 75% straight McKenzie whiskey; distilled entirely at Finger Lakes Distilling from NY State-grown grains, designed for cocktailing.
• Mac's Vodka Vodka distilled from 100% locally sourced, naturally gluten-free New York State-grown corn; fermented and distilled on-site with no additives.
• Mac's Reposado Agave Spirit Tequila-style agave spirit aged in reposado fashion; new category expansion for the distillery released in 2024.
• Tasting Room & Tippling House Year-round on-site tasting room offering flights, cocktails, light food, and bottle sales with Seneca Lake views; features full spirits line and branded merchandise.
• Distillery Tours Private guided tours of the production floor, barrel warehouse, and bottling facility followed by a tasting or craft cocktail; weekday availability with one week advance booking.
• Create Your Own Gin Workshop Hands-on gin creation experience where groups select botanicals, learn about gin history and distillation, create a custom spirit distilled by the head distiller, and participate in a labeling party yielding approximately 40 bottles.
• Thief & Mallet Club Memberships Three-tier annual membership program (Annual $90, Semi-Annual $160, Quarterly $280) offering curated bottle shipments, member discounts, early access to releases, and exclusive party invitations. Shipping is limited to NY State residents.
• Make Your Own Barrel Experience $10,000 premium experience where members spend 6+ hours with the distilling team to create a custom single barrel whiskey, including recipe consultation, production visits, annual sampling for up to 5 years, and approximately 175 bottles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three-time winner of the best New York Craft Spirit Award (Seneca Drums Gin)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Empire Rye AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2017Founding member of the Empire Rye Association, launched September 2017. A consortium of New York State distillers promoting Empire Rye as a regional designation.
• George Washington's Recreated Distillery at Mt. VernonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2013FLD was invited to produce peach brandy at George Washington's recreated distillery at Mt. Vernon, a prestigious honor in the craft distilling community.
• Skurnik Wines & SpiritscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary wholesale distribution partner handling distribution of Finger Lakes Distilling products to retail stores.
• Prestige LeDroit Distributing CocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner for Finger Lakes Distilling products.
• Pacific Edge Wine & SpiritscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholesale distribution partner, particularly for West Coast distribution.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Corsair Distillery: Nashville-based craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and experimental spirits with a strong focus on innovation and small-batch releases. Comparable as an award-winning craft distillery with experimental product line.
• Hillrock Estate Distillery: Estate distillery in the Hudson Valley producing handcrafted whiskey, gin, and brandy from estate-grown grain. Comparable in craft positioning, local-sourcing story, and premium experiential tasting-room model.
• Widow Jane: Brooklyn-based craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and American whiskey with a focus on limited releases and award-winning products. Comparable in New York craft whiskey positioning and small-batch, premium product strategy.
• Iron Smoke Distillery: Finger Lakes-region craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and apple-based spirits. Direct geographic and product overlap with Finger Lakes Distilling as a neighboring NY craft whiskey producer.
• Kings County Distillery: New York City's oldest whiskey distillery, focused on small-batch bourbon, rye, and moonshine with strong experiential and DTC focus. Comparable as a New York craft whiskey maker with tasting-room and limited-distribution model.
• New York Distilling Company: Brooklyn craft distillery producing gin, rye whiskey, and other spirits, including a Perry's Tot Navy Strength gin. Comparable as a New York craft distillery with similar gin and whiskey portfolio overlap.
• Cooperstown Distillery: New York craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, vodka, and liqueurs with a baseball-themed brand. Comparable as a New York craft distillery with a broad spirits portfolio and DTC focus.
• Tuthilltown Spirits: New York craft distillery producing whiskey, vodka, and gin with farm-distilled credentials and a strong DTC and on-premise presence. Most directly comparable New York craft distillery to Finger Lakes Distilling in scale, product mix, and channel strategy.

Emerging players

• Great Jones Distilling Co. New York City-based craft distillery producing whiskey, vodka, and gin with a focus on hospitality and on-premise experience. Comparable as a newer New York craft distillery combining spirits production with experiential bar concepts.

Broad incumbents

• St. George Spirits: California-based craft distillery with a broad portfolio of gins, whiskeys, absinthe, and liqueurs. Comparable in craft spirits breadth and award-winning product strategy, but at a larger and more established scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FLXDistilling
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• Instagraminstagram.com/flxdistilling
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finger-lakes-distilling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Finger Lakes Distilling