Colorado Distillers Guild

What Colorado Distillers Guild does

The Colorado Distillers Guild (CDG) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association incorporated in Colorado that unites over 40 Colorado craft distilleries to collectively promote the state's spirits industry, provide legislative advocacy, and share industry resources. The organization is governed by a volunteer board of Colorado distillers and distillery managers (Board President Lee Wood, Vice President Bobby Martin, Treasurer Craig Englehorn, Government Liaison David Fishering, and Communications Director Forrest Wilson) and operates across the Eastern Plains, Western Slope, Front Range, and Rocky Mountain regions of Colorado.

The Guild's primary product is the Colorado Spirits Trail (CST) mobile application, available on iOS and Android, which enables distillery enthusiasts and visitors to discover, plan visits to, and rate member distilleries. The app is powered by a third-party platform called Local Explorers, which provides a business portal allowing member distilleries to self-update listings, events, images, and exclusive offers. The organization runs no proprietary technology stack of its own; its public-facing site is built on Squarespace.

Revenue is generated from three streams: tiered annual membership dues tied to proof-gallon production ($400 for small producers under 2,000 PG, scaling up to $1,000 for larger producers at 20,000–50,000 PG), presenting sponsorships ($2,000–$3,500 for exclusive category sponsorship such as glass, software, or neutral grain spirit), supporting sponsorships ($750, non-exclusive), and advertising inventory on the CST app sold to hotels, restaurants, liquor stores, media, and retail outlets. The Guild functions as a horizontal trade association with a community-led and event-driven go-to-market motion, relying on the app and website as its principal marketing and member-acquisition channels.

Name

Colorado Distillers Guild

Legal name

Colorado Distillers Guild

Website

https://coloradodistillers.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Colorado Distillers Guild is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association uniting over 40 Colorado craft distilleries for collective marketing, legislative advocacy, and industry support via the Colorado Spirits Trail mobile app and tiered membership and sponsorship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Distilleries (312140)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJAGAF

Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka)

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

Keywords

• Craft spirits trade association
• Distillery membership program
• Spirits industry advocacy
• Craft distillery marketing
• Spirits trail discovery app

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from distilleries based on their annual proof gallon (PG) production, following a tiered structure similar to the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA). Dues range from $400 for smallest producers to $1,000 for mid-range producers.
2. Presenting Sponsorships: Exclusive sponsorship opportunities at $2,000-$3,500 for trade suppliers or individuals seeking exclusive industry sponsorship (e.g., glass, software, neutral grain spirit categories).
3. Supporting Sponsorships: Non-exclusive sponsorship opportunities at $750 for trade suppliers or individuals doing business with the distilling industry.
4. App Advertising: CST app advertising inventory sold to hotels, restaurants, liquor stores, media, and retail outlets to reach distillery enthusiasts and adventure seekers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Colorado Distillers Guild is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that serves Colorado's licensed craft distilleries through tiered annual memberships, legislative and regulatory advocacy, and the Colorado Spirits Trail mobile app — a free iOS/Android discovery platform that lets consumers find, rate, and plan visits to over 40 member distilleries across the state. The guild supplements dues with presenting and supporting sponsorships sold to trade suppliers and with CST app advertising sold to hospitality and retail partners.

Product overview

Colorado Distillers Guild operates a single core product portfolio centered on its mobile application and membership services. The primary offering is the Colorado Spirits Trail (CST) App, a free mobile platform available on iOS and Android that connects distillery enthusiasts with over 40 member distilleries across Colorado. The Guild complements the app with tiered membership programs based on annual proof gallon production (ranging from $400 to $1,000 annually), and sponsorships (Supporting Sponsors at $750, Presenting Sponsors at $2,000-$3,500) that provide advertising and exclusive category sponsorship opportunities. All offerings work together to promote Colorado's distilling industry through advocacy, marketing support, and the interactive trail discovery experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colorado Spirits Trail (CST) Mobile App A free mobile application available on iOS and Android that enables distillery enthusiasts and visitors to discover over 40 Colorado member distilleries, plan visits, track and rate experiences, view events and product highlights, and access exclusive deals. Member distilleries receive marketing exposure through distillery listings, event promotion, and special offers managed via the Local Explorers business portal.
• Annual Distillery Membership Program Tiered annual membership for Colorado distilleries holding a DSP permit, priced from $400 (0–2,000 proof gallons) up to $1,000 (20,000–50,000 proof gallons), providing members with legislative advocacy, lobbying support, industry education, TTB/state regulatory resources, and inclusion in the Colorado Spirits Trail app marketing platform.
• Presenting Sponsorship Exclusive annual sponsorship at $2,000 or $3,500 for trade suppliers or individuals seeking exclusive industry category visibility (examples: glass, software, neutral grain spirit), available to organizations in allied industries.
• Supporting Sponsorship Non-exclusive annual sponsorship at $750 for trade suppliers, individuals, partnerships, or corporations in allied industries seeking brand visibility within the Colorado distilling community.
• CST App Partnership Advertising

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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CDG follows a similar tiered dues structure to ACSA, making it a key reference partner for industry standards and best practices in craft distilling advocacy.
• Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal regulatory agency providing production reporting guidelines that CDG uses for membership tier calculations (TTB production reports line 14).
• American Distilling Institute (ADI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry organization providing educational resources and certification for craft distillers; listed as a member resource.
• Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational trade association for distilled spirits; listed as a member resource for industry information.
• United States Bartenders' Guild (USBG)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional bartending organization; listed as a member resource connecting distillers with on-premise channel.
• Women of the Vine & SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on gender diversity in the spirits industry; listed as a member resource.
• Colorado Department of Agriculture - Colorado Proud ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState agricultural marketing program; listed as a resource for Colorado-based producers.
• Colorado Department of Revenue - Liquor Enforcement DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState regulatory body for liquor licensing and compliance; essential partner for legislative advocacy.
• Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerState economic development agency supporting Colorado businesses; listed as a member resource.
• Kentucky Distillers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional distillers association; part of network of state-level craft spirits organizations.
• New Mexico Distillers GuildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional distillers guild; part of network of state-level craft spirits organizations.
• Oregon Distillers GuildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional distillers guild; part of network of state-level craft spirits organizations.
• Washington Distillers GuildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional distillers guild; part of network of state-level craft spirits organizations.
• Local Explorers (App Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party platform powering the Colorado Spirits Trail app, enabling member distilleries to update listings, events, and special offers through a business portal.

Scale indicators2 records

Direct peers

• New Mexico Distillers Guild: State-level craft distillers association and a named peer organization of CDG. Comparable member-based advocacy and tourism-promotion mission targeting New Mexico's craft spirits producers.
• Kentucky Distillers Association: State-level distillers guild/bourbon trail operator with the same combination of legislative advocacy, tiered membership, and a consumer-facing tourism trail (Kentucky Bourbon Trail). Directly comparable structure to CDG's Spirits Trail app model.
• American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA): The national craft distillers trade body whose tiered PG-based dues structure CDG explicitly mirrors. Operates the same advocacy + collective-marketing model at federal scale, making it the closest analogue to CDG's core operating model.
• Tennessee Distillers Guild: Another state-level craft distillers association operating a comparable advocacy + tourism-promotion model. Representative of the same family of regional guilds CDG competes/cooperates with in the broader craft spirits ecosystem.
• Oregon Distillers Guild: Another state-level craft distillers trade association explicitly listed in CDG's peer network. Operates an analogous advocacy + collective marketing mission and is part of the same inter-guild referral ecosystem.
• Washington Distillers Guild: State-level distillers association and a named peer organization of CDG. Runs the same combination of legislative advocacy, education, and distillery-discovery/tourism programming for Washington craft producers.

Others

• Local Explorers: Third-party technology platform that powers the Colorado Spirits Trail app and business portal for CDG members. Not a competitor but the enabling infrastructure provider whose product CDG's flagship consumer experience depends on.
• United States Bartenders' Guild (USBG): Professional bartenders' association that CDG explicitly lists as a member resource connecting distillers to the on-premise channel. Adjacent trade community rather than a direct competitor, but shares the same association/advocacy operating model.

Broad incumbents

• American Distilling Institute (ADI): Industry organization providing craft distillers' education, events (including the annual conference), and certification. Listed by CDG as a member resource and provides overlapping industry-services value to the same craft distiller audience.
• Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS): The national trade association for the broader distilled spirits industry (large producers + suppliers). Operates the federal advocacy lane that CDG's Government Liaison coordinates with, but covers the entire industry rather than Colorado craft specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorado-distillers-guild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Colorado Distillers Guild