Rockfilter Distillery

What Rockfilter Distillery does

RockFilter Distillery is a certified-organic, farm-to-bottle craft distillery based in Spring Grove, Minnesota, founded by Christian Myrah — a Navy combat fighter pilot turned certified organic farmer and head distiller — with production beginning in March 2016 and the distillery officially opening in June 2017. The company grows its own non-GMO grains on site and operates a complete vertical workflow from cultivation to bottling, including grain milling at the historical 1870s Schech's water-powered mill using French quartz stones and water drawn from a Karst limestone aquifer. Its product portfolio comprises seven small-batch whiskey and bourbon expressions (Giants of the Earth, Fence Jumper, Stone's Throw, Red Rider, Barrel Roll Rye, Rail Splitter, and the Dessa collaboration series Time & Distance and Hand Shadow), incorporating uncommon grains such as triticale, grain sorghum, and heirloom corn.

The business monetizes through four streams: on-site bottle and cocktail sales from its cocktail room, DTC e-commerce with shipping to 41 U.S. states, wholesale distribution to 100-plus liquor stores, restaurants, and bars across Minnesota (including Total Wine & More, Lunds & Byerlys, and Hy-Vee), and a paid monthly distillery tour priced at $18 per person that includes a private tasting and a cocktail discount. Distribution is constrained in nine states due to shipping regulations. The company is independently founder-owned with 1–10 employees, no disclosed outside funding, and no parent entity, and has accumulated multiple industry recognitions including a Gold Medal from the American Distilling Institute for Barrel Roll Rye and nine consecutive years of Forbes "Best of the Web" designation.

Name

Rockfilter Distillery

Website

https://rockfilterdistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RockFilter Distillery is a Minnesota-based, certified-organic craft distillery that grows its own grains to produce small-batch whiskeys and bourbons, selling through a cocktail room, DTC e-commerce shipping to 41 states, and Minnesota wholesale accounts serving craft spirits enthusiasts and hospitality operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (31214), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ), Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft distillery spirits
• Organic whiskey bourbon
• Farm-to-bottle distilling
• Small-batch rye whiskey
• Distillery tours tastings

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring Grove

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: Direct bottle sales through on-site cocktail room and distillery store
2. E-commerce Direct Shipping: Online sales with direct-to-consumer shipping to 41 states
3. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale distribution to liquor stores, restaurants, and bars across Minnesota
4. Distillery Tours: Paid distillery tours on second Saturday of each month with private tasting and cocktail discount

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RockFilter Distillery is a certified-organic farm distillery that grows, mills, distills, bottles, and sells its own line of small-batch organic whiskeys and bourbons, including collaborations such as Dessa's Time & Distance and Dessa's Hand Shadow. It complements bottle sales with an on-site cocktail room, e-commerce shipping across 41 states, wholesale distribution across Minnesota, and paid monthly distillery tours with private tastings.

Product overview

RockFilter Distillery is a certified-farm craft distillery producing a portfolio of eight distinct organic spirits. The core offering consists of seven whiskey and bourbon expressions (Giants of the Earth, Fence Jumper, Stone's Throw, Red Rider, Barrel Roll Rye, Rail Splitter, and two Dessa collaborations), all made from organically grown grains cultivated on the company's own Minnesota farm. A complementary distillery tour experience is offered as an add-on service. The products range from classic bourbon to rye whiskey, with unique mash bills incorporating uncommon grains like triticale and grain sorghum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Giants of the Earth Organic bourbon made with grain sorghum, delivering earthy characteristics and sophisticated sweetness.
• Fence Jumper Bourbon crafted from emerald green organic heirloom corn with Northern Rye and Black Cherry wood smoke finish.
• Stone's Throw Organic small-batch bourbon with creamy oats and a rye kick, offering smooth mouthfeel and floral palate.
• Red Rider Organic small-batch rye whiskey made from bold winter rye with applewood-smoked oats.
• Barrel Roll Rye Organic small-batch rye whiskey with organic corn and hearty rye; awarded a Gold Medal by the American Distilling Institute.
• Rail Splitter Bourbon made from corn split with triticale (a wheat-rye cross), balancing sweet and spicy flavors.
• Dessa's Time & Distance Limited-edition organic rye and corn bourbon co-created with musician and writer Dessa.
• Dessa's Hand Shadow Limited-edition organic rye, triticale, and corn whiskey aged in white oak barrels and finished in ruby port casks, co-created with Dessa.
• Distillery Tours Guided distillery tours held on the second Saturday of each month for $18.00 per person, including a private tasting and $2.00 off a cocktail after the tour.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dessa (Musician/Artist)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2018Collaboration with Minneapolis-based musician and writer Dessa resulting in two limited edition products: Dessa's Time & Distance (organic rye and corn bourbon) and Dessa's Hand Shadow (organic rye, triticale and corn whiskey). Products received recognition from American Craft Spirits Association.
• Schech's MillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical water-powered mill using French quartz stones from the 1870s, still powered by rushing waters of Beaver Creek. Provides grain milling services for RockFilter's organic grains.
• Dutch Charley CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner referenced in Friends & Partners section of website.
• The Granary WoodshopsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner referenced in Friends & Partners section of website.
• Werner Design WerksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner referenced in Friends & Partners section of website.
• Inkling PicturesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreative/media partner referenced in Friends & Partners section.
• Far North SpiritsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional craft spirits producer partnership, referenced as part of the local spirits community network.
• Capra Nera CreameryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal artisan creamery partner referenced in Friends & Partners section.
• Ryan BlanskiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndividual creative partner referenced in Friends & Partners section.
• Giants of the Earth Heritage CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage organization partnership, named after their Giants of the Earth bourbon and local heritage connection.
• Houston County Historical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical society partnership supporting local heritage and community connection.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Koval Distillery: Chicago-based certified organic grain-to-bottle craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, vodka, and liqueurs. Highly comparable for organic, small-batch, farm-sourced positioning and unusual grain usage.
• Smooth Ambler Spirits: West Virginia craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, gin, and vodka with national distribution. Comparable craft whiskey peer with established multi-state wholesale presence.
• Far North Spirits: Minnesota craft grain-to-glass distillery in Hallock, MN producing rye, bourbon, and gin from estate-grown grains. Already listed as a RockFilter community partner and is a direct comparable in farm-to-bottle craft whiskey.
• FEW Spirits: Illinois craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, gin, and specialty spirits with national distribution. Comparable craft whiskey peer at a more advanced stage of distribution build-out.
• J. Carver Distillery: Minnesota craft distillery in Waconia producing bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, and brandy with tasting room. Regional craft peer sharing Minnesota wholesale and cocktail room model.
• Vikre Distillery: Minnesota craft distillery in Duluth producing organic-certified vodka, gin, whiskey, and aquavit with on-site cocktail room. Direct peer sharing geography, organic positioning, and D2C experience focus.
• Corsair Artisan Distillery: Tennessee craft distillery producing experimental whiskey, gin, vodka, and rum with multi-location tasting rooms. Comparable craft peer with unusual grain experimentation and direct sales model.
• 11 Wells Spirits: St. Paul-based craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and cocktail liqueurs with cocktail room and Minnesota distribution. Comparable regional craft whiskey peer with D2C and on-premise model.
• Tattersall Distilling Company: Minnesota craft distillery producing whiskey, vodka, gin, and liqueurs with on-site cocktail room and statewide distribution. Closely comparable regional craft peer in same geography and product category.

Broad incumbents

• WhistlePig Whiskey: Leading craft rye whiskey brand with national distribution and farm estate in Vermont. Larger incumbent in the same craft whiskey category, useful as a benchmark for category leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/rockfilterdistillery
• Xx.com/RockFilter
• Facebookfacebook.com/rockfilterdistillery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rockfilter-distillery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Rockfilter Distillery