San Juan Island Distillery

What San Juan Island Distillery does

San Juan Island Distillery is a privately held, family-operated craft producer of estate hard cider and small-batch apple-based spirits, based at 12 Anderson Lane in Friday Harbor, Washington. The company began making hard cider in 1999 and is one of the oldest ciderworks in Washington State; it entered distilled spirits with its first Apple Brandy release in 2014. Core production is built on an estate orchard on Westcott Bay growing up to 18 cider apple varieties, a copper pot still, a hydraulic press for cider, and limousin oak barrel aging (minimum 3 years for brandy). The product line includes Apple Brandy, Eau de Vie, Pommeau, a broad gin range (Harvest Select, Citrus, No 5, Navy Strength, Spy Hop, Salish, Barrel-Aged, and seasonal foraged botanical variants), Aquavit, Blackberry Vodka, and three cider varieties (Semi-Dry, Dry, Very Dry).

The company monetizes through three streams: direct bottle sales of spirits and cider, on-site tasting experiences, and original cocktail recipe content that drives interest. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer via the weekend tasting room (Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM) and a Square e-commerce storefront; no retail, wholesale, or third-party distribution is disclosed. The customer base consists of craft spirits enthusiasts, home cocktail makers, and consumers seeking drier wine alternatives. There is no disclosed pricing, no funding history, no management team information, no partnerships, and no patents or trademarks on file. Operations are single-site and small-scale, with a reported headcount of 1-10 employees and a 9-barrel brandy inventory tied to a family-college-fund narrative.

Name

San Juan Island Distillery

Legal name

San Juan Island Distillery

Website

https://sanjuanislanddistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Juan Island Distillery is a family-owned craft producer of estate hard cider and small-batch apple-based spirits in Friday Harbor, Washington, selling direct-to-consumer via a weekend tasting room and Square e-commerce since 1999.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distillery and Estate Cider

NAICS

Distilleries (31214)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Cider & Perry Production (AFAFAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands (CRADAIAE), Cideries & Meadery Tasting Rooms (THAFALAI), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Craft spirits production
• Estate hard cider
• Apple brandy aging
• Botanical gin distilling
• Small batch distillery

Headquarters

HQ city

Friday Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Spirits Sales: Direct sales of craft spirits including apple brandy, various gin varieties (harvest select, citrus, no5, navy strength, seasonal foraged varieties), eau de vie, vodka, and aquavit. Sold directly to consumers at the distillery and via online ordering.
2. Estate Hard Cider Sales: Sales of three varieties of hard cider (Semi-Dry, Dry, Very Dry) made from estate-grown cider apples. Sold in bottles directly to consumers.
3. Tasting Experiences: On-site tasting experiences at the distillery where visitors sample the full range of small-batch distilled spirits and learn about the production process.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

San Juan Island Distillery is a small-batch craft distillery that produces apple-based spirits and estate hard cider. Core products include Apple Brandy aged in limousin oak barrels, Eau de Vie, Pommeau, a portfolio of apple- and grain-based gins featuring foraged island botanicals, plus Aquavit, Blackberry Vodka, and Semi-Dry/Dry/Very Dry estate hard ciders made from up to 18 varieties of cider apples grown on its own Westcott Bay orchard.

Product overview

San Juan Island Distillery is a small-batch craft spirits and estate hard cider producer operating since 1999 (cider) and 2014 (spirits). The product portfolio centers on apple-based spirits derived from estate-grown cider apples, including Apple Brandy, Pommeau, and Eau de Vie (brandy line), a diverse range of gins both apple-based (Harvest Select, Citrus, No 5, Navy Strength) and grain-spirit-based (Spy Hop, Salish, Barrel-Aged, seasonal foraged varieties), plus Aquavit and Blackberry Vodka. The estate cider line offers Semi-Dry, Dry, and Very Dry varieties from 18 apple varieties. The company also operates a tasting room and cocktail program. Products are sold direct-to-consumer through the distillery and online ordering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Westcott Bay Cider: Estate hard cider brand made from 18 varieties of cider apples grown in their orchard on the shore of Westcott Bay.
• Spy Hop Gin

Products and services

• Apple Brandy Rich, warm, earthy apple brandy with notes of peach and toasted nuts, aged a minimum of 3 years in limousin oak barrels named after family grandchildren. Available for purchase at the distillery and online.
• Apple Eau de Vie Unaged apple brandy at approximately 40% alcohol (80 proof), intensely apple-flavored and intended for after-dinner sipping in small amounts.
• Pommeau Fortified cider aperitif/digestif produced by mixing partially fermented cider with young apple brandy, then aged for two years; offers tannic sweetness and refreshes barrels for brandy re-aging.
• Harvest Select Gin Flagship apple-based gin with classic botanicals (juniper, star anise, cardamom) plus local island flavors including lavender, blackberries, madrone bark, and wild roses; floral and soft, not juniper-forward.
• Spy Hop Gin Grain-spirit gin using the same botanical blend as Harvest Select on a neutral base, allowing botanicals to come through clearly; aromatic and refreshing, suitable for cocktails and sipping. Sold under the Spy Hop sub-brand.
• Salish Gin Grain-spirit gin that swaps Eurasian juniper for hyper-local Salish juniper berries (Juniperus Maritima), adding earthiness without a pine cone taste; recommended over ice and for Martinis.
• Barrel-Aged Gin Spy Hop gin rested in 10-gallon barrels for six months, adding caramel and vanilla notes while retaining gin flavors.
• Citrus Gin Harvest Select gin soaked with five kinds of citrus peels for a week, producing a prominent citrus bloom on the nose and in taste.
• No 5 Gin Fifth gin featuring hyper-local Salish juniper berries (Juniperus Maritima) for earthiness and more juniper nose, plus angelica root for aromatics and mouthfeel.
• Navy Strength Gin Harvest Select at 57% alcohol instead of 42%, with the same flavors in greater concentration, designed for sipping slowly over ice or Martinis.
• Seasonal Foraged Gins Grain-spirit gins released every 6-8 weeks reflecting island micro-seasons using foraged local botanicals including Stinging Nettle (March/April and October), Elderflower (May/June), Seaside (June-September), Thimbleberry (July), Salal Berry (August), Chanterelle (October/November), and Hawthorne Berry (December).
• Aquavit Scandinavian spirit made with caraway seed and dill, lighter on caraway with additional botanicals, flavorful enough to sip or mix.
• Blackberry Vodka Naturally flavored and sweetened vodka redistilled with blackberries and madrone bark.
• Estate Hard Cider Small-batch hard cider made from real cider apples (up to 18 varieties from estate orchard on Westcott Bay shore), produced in Semi-Dry, Dry, and Very Dry varieties; no added sugar needed due to real cider apple base. Sold under the Westcott Bay Cider sub-brand.
• Distillery Tastings In-person tasting experience at the distillery in Friday Harbor, open Saturdays and Sundays 1:00 PM-4:00 PM, with weekday tastings available by text appointment; visitors sample the full range of small-batch distilled spirits and learn about the production process.
• Cocktail Recipe Program Original cocktail recipes featuring handcrafted spirits and estate cider, including signature cocktails such as Lingonberry Splash, Martinez, Mushroom Martini, San Juan 48, Pig War Martini, and others; provides use-case content driving interest and product sales.

Quantifiable outcome

• No added sugar needed in cider production due to estate-grown cider apple varieties

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• 2 Towns Ciderhouse: Larger Pacific Northwest craft cidermaker based in Corvallis, OR with broad retail and wholesale distribution. Comparable cider product category, but materially larger scale and multi-state footprint.
• Westland Distillery: Seattle-based single malt whiskey distillery, now part of a larger spirits group. Comparable Pacific Northwest craft distillery category with broader product range and significantly larger distribution footprint.
• Woodinville Whiskey Co. Washington State craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and other spirits with regional and national distribution. Comparable craft distillery category in the same home state, though larger and focused on grain-based whiskey.
• Heritage Distilling Company: Washington State-based craft distillery with multiple tasting rooms and broader spirit portfolio. Comparable craft distillery category in the same state, though with larger multi-location footprint.

Direct peers

• Stone Barn Brandyworks: Portland, OR craft distillery producing fruit brandies and eau de vie. Most comparable peer for the apple-based brandy, eau de vie, and pommeau portion of San Juan Island's portfolio, with similar small-batch craft ethos.
• Tieton Cider Works: Washington State craft cider producer in Yakima Valley growing their own apples. Comparable estate-grown cider strategy, similar regional footprint, and DTC + tasting-room distribution.
• Alpenfire Cider: Estate-grown craft cider producer in Port Townsend, WA using organic apples from their own orchard. Most direct peer given shared Pacific Northwest estate-cider ethos, comparable scale, and DTC tasting-room model.
• Clear Creek Distillery: Portland, OR craft distillery known for fruit brandies, eau de vie, and grappa. Comparable small-batch fruit-spirit production focus and Pacific Northwest DTC craft identity.
• Copperworks Distilling Company: Seattle-based craft distillery producing small-batch gin, whiskey, and vodka using copper pot stills. Comparable Pacific Northwest craft distillery scale, equipment, and DTC + tasting-room model.

Regional players

• Schilling Cider House: Pacific Northwest craft cidermaker with taproom and distribution. Comparable craft hard cider product category and DTC taproom model, but more Oregon-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sjidistillery
• Facebookfacebook.com/sanjuanislanddistillery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 San Juan Island Distillery