Great Lakes Distillery

What Great Lakes Distillery does

Great Lakes Distillery, founded in 2004 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by Guy Rehorst, is a privately held craft spirits producer recognized as Wisconsin's first distillery since Prohibition. The company operates a handcrafted, small-batch production model built on two copper pot stills, with a broad portfolio spanning vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon, rye, rum, brandy, absinthe, liqueurs, and an annual calendar of seasonal and limited-edition releases. Its spirits are marketed on a Wisconsin provenance angle with non-chill filtered production and locally sourced Wisconsin grain, fruit, honey, and maple ingredients, producing dozens of SKUs across core, limited, and seasonal lines under the Rehorst, Still & Oak, Good Land, and Amerique 1912 sub-brands. The founder has also created an adjacent non-alcoholic venture, Boundless Beverages, producing SANS Junipre botanical spirit under 0.5% ABV.

Revenue is generated through three primary channels: wholesale distribution in Wisconsin (via Capitol-Husting and Allstate Liquor & Wine Co.) and Chicagoland (via Louis Glunz Beer Inc.) reaching 200-plus on-premise and retail accounts; direct-to-consumer sales via two on-site tasting rooms (MKE Tasting Room with Fox Den restaurant in Milwaukee, and the Still & Oak tasting room in West Allis) offering cocktails, food, and tours; and an e-commerce storefront shipping to most US states outside of a restricted set. Pricing is largely transaction-based, with tours at $10-$15 per person (half-price on Sundays, free on First Mondays), cocktail tickets $9-$15, and event-based private bookings for groups of 10+. The company's customer segments span local consumers and tourists (primary), Wisconsin/Illinois bars, restaurants, and hotels (PFISTER Hotel, Iron Horse Hotel, Bavette, The Noble), regional grocery and liquor retail chains (Woodman's, Total Wine, Sendik's, Pick 'N Save, Hy-Vee, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Meijer), and Wisconsin non-profits via donations to 300+ organizations over the last two years. Operational differentiation is anchored in deep local supply chains, federal-approved bottle reuse, a partially underground production facility, and an extensive international award record including San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold, World Gin Awards, and Beverage Testing Institute Gold medals.

Name

Great Lakes Distillery

Legal name

Great Lakes Distillery

Website

https://greatlakesdistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Great Lakes Distillery is a privately held craft spirits producer founded in 2004 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the state's first distillery since Prohibition. It produces handcrafted small-batch vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, brandy, absinthe, and liqueurs using copper pot stills, selling wholesale across Wisconsin and Illinois, through two on-site tasting rooms, and via direct e-commerce to most US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (31214)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Craft spirits production
• Distilled whiskey bourbon
• Tasting room services
• Distillery tours
• Small batch distilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Spirits Product Sales: Sale of bottled spirits including vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, brandy, liqueurs, absinthe, and seasonal releases through retail stores, bars, restaurants, and direct e-commerce.
2. On-Premise Tasting Room Sales: Cocktails, food, and retail bottle sales at two tasting room locations in Milwaukee and West Allis, WI.
3. Distillery Tours and Tastings: Guided distillery tours with full tasting of award-winning spirits, priced at $10-15 per person. Half-price tours on Sundays, free tours on first Mondays.
4. Private Events and Party Bookings: Private tours, reserved tasting room space, production floor events, and private party bookings for company gatherings, birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations. Minimum group size of 10 for private tours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Great Lakes Distillery is a craft distillery that produces handcrafted, small-batch spirits using copper pot stills and Wisconsin-sourced ingredients. Its portfolio spans vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, brandy, absinthe, liqueurs, and non-alcoholic botanical spirits. Beyond production, it operates two tasting rooms (Milwaukee and West Allis) with cocktail service and food, hosts distillery tours and tastings, and books private events.

Product overview

Great Lakes Distillery is Wisconsin's original craft distillery (founded 2004) producing a diverse portfolio of handcrafted spirits. The core product line spans Vodka (Rehorst Vodka, Rehorst Citrus Honey Vodka), Gin (Rehorst Gin and variants including Barrel Aged, Bottled-In-Bond, Barrel Reserve, Orchard Gins, Holiday Gin), Whiskey (Still & Oak Straight Bourbon and Rye, Bottled-In-Bond variants, Dirty Helen Barrel Strength expressions, Kinnickinnic Whiskey, Repeal Reserve, Smoked Malt), Rum (Roaring Dan's Rum), Brandy (Brightonwoods Apple Brandy, Barrel Aged Pear Brandy, Artisan Series), Absinthe (Amerique 1912 Verte and Rouge), Liqueurs (Good Land Orange, Cherry, Cranberry, Coffee, Nocino), Tequila-style (Gran Azul Mixto), and seasonal/limited releases (Pumpkin Spirit, Hibernation Series). The company also produces SANS Junipre non-alcoholic botanical spirit through its Boundless Beverages subsidiary. Beyond spirits, the company operates two tasting room locations (MKE Tasting Room & Fox Den in Milwaukee, Still & Oak in West Allis) offering cocktails, food service, distillery tours, and private event hosting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Good Land: Liqueur line including Orange Liqueur, Door County Cherry Liqueur, Wisconsin Cranberry Liqueur, Coffee Liqueur, and Nocino Black Walnut Liqueur
• Still & Oak
• SANS Junipre

Products and services

• Rehorst Vodka Handmade small-batch vodka distilled from Wisconsin-grown red wheat and red wheat malt using old world methods, known for a naturally sweet, smooth taste with wheaty top notes and medium body. Targeted at spirit consumers and cocktail enthusiasts.
• Rehorst Citrus Honey Vodka Citrus-flavored vodka made with real fresh lemons and pure Wisconsin honey, distinguishing itself with actual fruit rather than industrial flavorings. Multiple gold medal winner. Targeted at consumers seeking flavored craft vodka.
• Rehorst Gin American craft gin made with 9 botanical ingredients including sweet basil and Wisconsin ginseng, blending London Dry and Dutch Genever styles. Awarded Gold at the World Gin Awards and listed in the New York Times Top Ten American Craft Gins. Targeted at gin enthusiasts and craft cocktail drinkers.
• Rehorst Barrel Aged Gin Award-winning Rehorst Gin rested in oak barrels to add whiskey- and brandy-like characteristics, designed for brown cocktails such as Old Fashioned and Manhattan. Targeted at craft cocktail enthusiasts.
• Rehorst Bottled-In-Bond Gin The world's first gin to earn federal Bottled-In-Bond distinction, using the same botanical build as Rehorst Gin with four years of oak aging, bottled at 100 proof. Targeted at collectors and gin aficionados.
• Rehorst Barrel Reserve Batch Z Gin Original Rehorst Gin with added fresh orange peel, increased cardamom and cassia, rested in spent Zinfandel wine casks for over 18 months. Targeted at premium gin collectors.
• Orchard Gins Limited batch fruit gins made from 100% fruit distillates (cherry, pear, apples) infused with Rehorst Gin botanicals, with fewer than 750 bottles of each 375ml bottle produced. Targeted at limited-release collectors.
• Holiday Gin Handcrafted spirit using Rehorst Gin as a base with holiday botanicals including juniper, basil, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and cranberry. Targeted at seasonal gifting and holiday cocktail use.
• Still & Oak Straight Bourbon Whiskey Flagship bourbon launched in 2018 with a malt-heavy mash bill of 67% Corn, 22% Malt and 11% Rye, non-chill filtered, featuring notes of roasted grain, vanilla, honey, caramel, and raw peanuts. Targeted at bourbon enthusiasts and craft whiskey drinkers.
• Still & Oak 6yr. Bourbon Small-batch bourbon aged 6 years in 53 gallon new charred American oak barrels using Wisconsin-grown grain and the flagship mash bill. Targeted at aged bourbon drinkers.
• Still & Oak Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bourbon meeting federal bottled-in-bond requirements, aged minimum 4 years and bottled at 100 proof. Awarded 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold. Targeted at premium bourbon enthusiasts.
• Dirty Helen Barrel Strength Straight Bourbon Barrel strength bourbon honoring Milwaukee legend 'Dirty Helen' Cromwell, using the same mash bill and Wisconsin-grown grain as Still & Oak Straight Bourbon, with vanilla and corn notes. Targeted at bourbon collectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bottle reuse saves enough energy to power a 100 watt CFL bulb for 5 hours per bottle
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Capitol-HustingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWisconsin distributor covering the Greater Milwaukee Area for wholesale distribution of Great Lakes Distillery products to bars, restaurants, and retailers.
• Allstate Liquor & Wine Co.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWisconsin statewide distributor for wholesale distribution of Great Lakes Distillery products.
• Louis Glunz Beer Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIllinois distributor covering the Chicagoland area for Great Lakes Distillery products.
• Lakefront BrewerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Pumpkin Seasonal Spirit (distilled from Lakefront Pumpkin Lager) and Still & Oak Black Friday Bourbon (finished in Lakefront Imperial Stout beer barrels). The collaboration emerged from sharing drinks when Lakefront suggested their Pumpkin Lager could make an interesting distilled spirit.
• 1550 Maple GoodsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Still & Oak Maple — a single barrel limited release where 1550 Maple Goods filled a freshly dumped GLD bourbon barrel with pure Wisconsin maple syrup, which was then refilled with Still & Oak Bourbon to rest and acquire maple character.
• Von Stiehl WineryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSource of Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrels from Algoma, Wisconsin, used for aging Kinnickinnic Whiskey (Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Finished 'KK' Whiskey). Only two barrels were produced.
• Valentine Coffee RoastersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilwaukee-based artisan coffee roaster providing the unique blend of Central and South American beans used in Great Lakes Distillery's Good Land Coffee Liqueur, made via cold brew method.
• Anderson's Maple SyrupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCumberland, Wisconsin artisan maple syrup producer providing 100% pure maple syrup used in Roaring Dan's Rum production, added before second distillation.
• Brightonwoods OrchardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoutheast Wisconsin orchard with over 200 heirloom apple varieties, supplying apples for Brightonwoods Apple Brandy. Brandy is distilled entirely from Brightonwoods Orchard apples using copper pot stills.
• Yuppie Hill FarmminorOthersLocal farm that receives and repurposes organic waste (spent grains and fruit) produced in Great Lakes Distillery's distillation process.
• WMSE 91.7 FM (Chicken Shack Radio)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on Chicken Shack Straight Rye Whiskey — a single barrel release benefiting the anti-established radio station. A portion of each bottle sold supports WMSE 91.7 FM.
• Boundless Beverages (SANS Junipre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA separate company founded by Great Lakes Distillery founder Guy Rehorst to explore and develop non-alcoholic spirits. SANS Junipre N/A Botanical Spirit is produced by Boundless Beverages and available through drink-sans.com.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Copper & Kings American Brandy Company: Louisville, KY distiller specializing in American brandy and aged spirits with tasting room. Comparable craft brandy/whiskey positioning but with a more brandy-centric portfolio than Great Lakes.
• Smooth Ambler Spirits: West Virginia craft distillery producing gin, vodka, and award-winning whiskey. Comparable small-batch craft spirits portfolio and on-site experience model.
• Leopold Bros: Denver-based craft distillery producing a wide range of category-spanning spirits including gin, whiskey, liqueurs, and absinthe. Comparable in product breadth and craft tasting room experience.

Direct peers

• Journeyman Distillery: Michigan-based craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, vodka, and rum with a tasting room and on-premise experience. Closely comparable craft distillation scale and multi-spirit portfolio.
• Koval Distillery: Chicago-based craft distillery known for organic whiskey, brandy, gin, and liqueurs with on-site tours and tasting room. Highly comparable Midwest craft distillery with similar product breadth and tasting room model.
• Old Sugar Distillery: Madison, Wisconsin craft distillery producing whiskey, brandy, and other small-batch spirits. Comparable Wisconsin-based craft distillation with tasting room and similar scale.
• Death's Door Spirits: Wisconsin craft spirits producer (Door County) focused on gin, vodka, and whiskey using local agricultural inputs. Comparable Wisconsin provenance story and small-batch craft positioning.
• FEW Spirits: Craft distillery based in Evanston, IL producing bourbon, gin, and rye whiskey with on-site tasting room. Comparable to Great Lakes Distillery in scale, craft positioning, regional Midwest focus, and product breadth.

Broad incumbents

• St. George Spirits: Established California craft distillery producing gin, vodka, absinthe, and liqueurs with wider national distribution. Comparable in product breadth and craft heritage, though at larger scale.

Others

• Wisconsin Distillers Association (Industry Body): Industry association representing Wisconsin craft distillers. Relevant as ecosystem/regulatory counterpart for Great Lakes' role as pioneer of the Wisconsin craft spirits category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gldistillery
• Facebookfacebook.com/104640539268
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatlakesdistillery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-lakes-distillery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Great Lakes Distillery