Wood Hat Spirits

Name

Wood Hat Spirits

Legal name

Wood Hat Spirits

Website

https://woodhatspirits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Bourbon and Whiskey

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC), Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD)

Keywords

• Craft bourbon distillery
• Corn whiskey production
• Heirloom corn spirits
• Wood-fired distillation
• Cordials and liqueurs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Florence

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Spirits Product Sales: Sale of bottled bourbon, corn whiskey, and cordials/liqueurs through on-site tasting room, online shop, and third-party retail/restaurant partners across Missouri, New Jersey, and New York. Includes premium allocated releases and standard portfolio products.
2. Tasting Room Experiences and Tours: Revenue from on-site tastings ($10 for 5 spirits), facility tours ($15/person), and distiller's deep-dive tours ($30/person). Also offers barrel-select and special tasting experiences during events.
3. Merchandise and Souvenirs: Sale of branded merchandise including trucker hats, clothing, Glencairn whiskey glasses, and empty seasoned barrels. Bourbon Barrel Honey (18oz) and gift cards also available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wood Hat Spirits is a craft distillery that produces bourbon, corn whiskeys, and cordials/liqueurs using heirloom corn varieties grown on the distillery's own land in New Florence, Missouri. Their core offering is a vertically integrated "field to glass" portfolio featuring unique corn genetic varieties (Red, White, Blue, and Orange Flint) distilled through a proprietary carbon-neutral wood-fired process. Products are sold via on-site tasting room, online storefront, and third-party liquor retailers and restaurants in Missouri, New Jersey, and New York.

Product overview

Wood Hat Spirits is a craft distillery offering a diverse portfolio of bourbon, corn whiskey, cordials, and liqueurs. The product lineup centers on their unique use of heirloom and heritage corn varieties (including Blue, Red, Purple, and Orange Flint corns) bred and grown exclusively for whiskey production. Core bourbon offerings include Bourbon Rubenesque (flagship), Queen's Reserve (honey-finished), Montgomery County, and specialty releases like the 250th Anniversary Cask Strength All American. Corn whiskey products feature Bloody Butcher, Ol' Blue Corn, and Aged Blue Corn Whiskey. The liqueur/cordial range includes Black Walnut Liqueur, Berry Berry Cordial, Persimmon Cordial, and Tawny Berry Cordial. The distillery also produces the Allocated Corn Series featuring ultra-rare heritage corn varieties. All products are crafted at their carbon-neutral facility in New Florence, MO using wood-fired distilling methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bourbon Rubenesque Full-bodied wheated bourbon made with 75% blue corn and 25% wheat, aged 4-5 years in Chinkapin white oak barrels with heavy toast then char. Non-chill filtered. Distilled using a 1000 gallon Vendome pot still with 6-plate bubble cap and dephlegmator. Flagship bourbon product.
• Queen's Reserve Bourbon Blue corn bourbon finished in barrels that previously contained local honey, featuring honey presence from start to finish. Award-winning spirit (2024 ADI Gold Medal, 2025 Best of Missouri Bourbon).
• Montgomery County Bourbon Wheated bourbon made with 25% wheat and 75% corn, aged approximately 3 years in new #3 char 15gal Missouri Oak barrels. Known for up-front smoothness and clean finish. Won Double Gold at 2023 Key West Whiskey Awards.
• Montgomery County 83 Proof Lower proof version (41.5% ABV) of Montgomery County Bourbon with woody, brown sugar, and vanilla notes.
• Bloody Dapper Bourbon Wheated bourbon made with heirloom Bloody Butcher Red corn (75%) and 25% wheat. Smooth up front with rich, mellow yet peppery mid-palate and pleasing warm finish.
• Brew Barrel Bourbon Bourbon finished in barrels previously used to imbue beer with bourbon essence. Varies with each batch, offering smooth and unique flavor profiles.
• Twin Timbers Bourbon Bourbon finished in pecan barrels, featuring lush pecan notes and the full body of Rubenesque. Award-winning spirit (Best of Show, DISC 2019).
• All American Missouri Straight Bourbon Special blend of 14 different barrels selected from Red, White, Blue, and Orange corn whiskeys and bourbons. Intense tasting experience with sweet depth transitioning to complex mid palate flavors.
• 250th Anniversary Cask Strength All American Missouri Straight Bourbon Commemorative bourbon celebrating 250 years of independence, blended from 14 distinct barrels featuring rare Orange Flint, Cateto, and Red, White, and Blue corn varieties. Bottled at cask strength (62.2% ABV).
• WHO-8 Bourbon Wheated bourbon made from Orange Flint corn bred by Wood Hat Spirits. Batch 1 char #3.
• Ol' Blue Corn Whiskey Barrel strength corn whiskey (127-130 proof) made from blue corn, offering unique barrel-by-barrel taste experiences ranging from caramel and almond to cigar box and white pepper.
• Bloody Butcher Corn Whiskey Barrel strength whiskey (100% Bloody Butcher Red Corn) at 60% ABV. Surprisingly smooth entry with big, spicy, peppery mid-palate and smooth, lingering warming finish. Multiple award winner.
• Aged Blue Corn Whiskey 100% Blue Corn Whiskey, the original product where Wood Hat started. Aged with gentle well-rounded mouth feel from blue corn and toasted chinquapin barrel. Ultra smooth finish.
• All American Red White & Blue Corn Whiskey Made from 3 distinct heirloom corns marrying spicy intensity of red corn with mellow sweetness of blue corn. Smooth up front transitioning to complex peppery mid-palate.
• White Dog Unaged clear whiskey made from corn bred exclusively for whiskey production. Smooth with big mouthfeel and superior clean flavor. Named after distillery cat 'White Dogf'.
• Black Walnut Liqueur Traditional Italian Nocino-style liqueur crafted from young black walnuts, five whole spices and lemon rind. Dark and savory, sipped straight or mixed with bourbon. Award-winning product.
• Berry Berry Cordial Sweet fruity cordial capturing essence of blackberries and raspberries. Mixes well with sparkling white wine or ice cream, can substitute for maraschino cherry in mixed drinks.
• Persimmon Cordial Old-world cordial crafted from local wild persimmon infused with cardamom, cinnamon and jaggery. Delicate essence enjoyed alone or added to bourbon with orange essence.
• Tawny Berry Cordial Berries, spirit and wood balanced by gently resting in selected barrels from award-winning whiskeys. Rich, slightly sweet berry notes with ribbon of smoky toffee and refreshing tartness.
• Allocated Corn Series Limited allocation series featuring unique heritage corn varieties including Missouri Shoepeg, Cateto (orange flint heritage corn), and Bloody Purple (purple variety from Bloody Butcher). Premium allocated release priced at $361+.
• Distillery Tastings, Tours, and Experiences On-site experiences at the New Florence, MO distillery including standard tastings ($10 for 5 spirits), facility tours ($15/person), and Distiller's Deep Dive Tours ($30/person). Includes barrel tastings and special unreleased product sampling during events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2024 ADI International Spirits Competition: Gold Medal (Queen's Reserve Bourbon), Silver Medal (Rubenesque Bottled-in Bond), Bronze Medal (Persimmon Cordial), Bronze Medal (Excellence in Packaging — Queen's Reserve Bourbon)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Irene Tan (Whisky Mentors)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Master Blender Irene Tan of Whisky Mentors collaborated with Wood Hat Spirits to create the 250th Anniversary All American Missouri Straight Bourbon — a cask-strength blend of 14 barrels selected from Red, White, Blue, and Orange corn whiskeys and bourbons. Irene Tan's blending expertise was instrumental in creating the complex, unified expression that celebrates the diversity of American craft distilling.
• Missouri Craft Distillers GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Wood Hat Spirits is a proud member of the Missouri Craft Distillers Guild, established in 2019. Through this membership, the company participates in the Missouri Spirits Expedition — a statewide 'trail' app and program that encourages consumers to visit participating distilleries across Missouri, similar to the Lewis & Clark expedition. Members earn rewards (vouchers and a free bottle of MSE Blended MO Bourbon Whiskey) for visiting distilleries. Wood Hat Spirits is a destination site for this program.
• Harvest HostsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWood Hat Spirits partners with Harvest Hosts as a destination site, allowing Harvest Hosts members (RV/camping travelers) to stay at the distillery property. This drives agritourism and experiential visits to the tasting room and distillery, creating a unique draw for traveling spirit enthusiasts.
• JoHannes MichelsenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoHannes Michelsen is the inventor of hand-turned wood hats and the 'Leader of the Wood Hat Movement.' He taught founder Gary Hinegardner the craft of making wood hats. This mentor relationship is the origin of the company's name 'Wood Hat Spirits' and is part of the distillery's brand story, with wood hats on display and available for purchase in the tasting room.
• Local Stave MillcoreOthersWood Hat Spirits sources scrap wood from a neighboring barrel stave manufacturer to fuel their wood-fired distilling process. This creates a circular economy: the stave mill's wood waste is repurposed as fuel for distillation, and ash from the furnace is returned to the corn fields as fertilizer, closing the loop on the distillery's agricultural-supply chain.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Old Fourth Distillery: Atlanta-based craft distillery with on-site tasting room and emerging distribution. Smaller craft peer in a similar production-plus-experience model.

Direct peers

• Koval Distillery: Chicago-based craft distillery distinguished by unique organic grains (millet, spelt) and a grain-to-bottle ethos. Closely comparable to Wood Hat's unusual-grain and direct-trade positioning.
• Castle & Key Distillery: Kentucky craft distillery combining restored historic grounds, tourism/tasting room, and small-batch bourbon. Direct peer in the craft distillery + experiential tourism model.
• Still Austin Whiskey Co. Texas grain-to-glass whiskey distillery with on-site tasting room and direct distribution. Closely comparable farm-to-bottle craft spirits business model.
• New Riff Distillery: Kentucky craft bourbon distillery with strong tasting room, single-barrel program, and craft distribution. Comparable craft bourbon operator with a similar premium positioning.
• Smooth Ambler Spirits: West Virginia craft distillery with award-winning bourbon portfolio and tasting room. Comparable scale craft bourbon competitor.
• Frey Ranch Distillery: Nevada farm-to-bottle whiskey distillery growing its own grain and bottling on-site. Direct peer in estate-grown grain craft whiskey with vertical integration.
• Wilderness Trail Distillery: Kentucky craft bourbon distillery using proprietary fermentation and grain-control techniques. Comparable scale and craft bourbon focus with strong direct-to-consumer emphasis.
• Balcones Distilling: Texas craft distillery with award-winning experimental grain program and distinctive pot-still production. Highly comparable craft-whiskey producer with similar award-driven premium positioning.
• Jeptha Creed Distillery: Kentucky craft distillery famous for using Bloody Butcher heirloom red corn, the same heritage variety central to Wood Hat's portfolio. Direct grain-to-glass craft peer with similar heirloom-corn differentiation strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WoodHatSpirits
• Facebookfacebook.com/woodhatspirits
• Instagraminstagram.com/woodhatspirits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wood-hat-spirits

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 Wood Hat Spirits