The Better Man Distilling
The Better Man Distilling Co. is a privately-owned, Patchogue-based urban craft distillery producing small-batch gins, vodkas, whiskeys, and ready-to-drink canned cocktails using local New York State ingredients, selling through a tasting room, wholesale distribution in 13 states, and nationwide direct shipping.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersPatchogue, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Better Man Distilling does
The Better Man Distilling Co. is a privately-held craft distillery headquartered at 161 River Ave, Patchogue, New York, founded by Anthony Gruppuso and self-described as Long Island's first urban craft distillery. The company produces small-batch spirits — gins (Elysian Fields Lavender Gin, Golden Hour Dry Gin, Moonstruck Yuzu Gin, Red Horizon Apple Forward Gin), vodkas (Starling, Halcyon Days Cranberry), and whiskeys (Grand Optimist Empire Rye, Grand Optimist Bourbon, Wheat Bourbon) — using local New York State agricultural ingredients, heritage grain mash bills, and a coastal "rickhouse by the ocean" aging process that imparts salinity to aged spirits. Elysian Fields Lavender Gin uses butterfly pea flower for natural color and a citrus-activated color change; the Empire Rye and Bourbon lines are positioned under New York State Farm Distiller (Class D) and Empire Rye designations, requiring minimum grain sourcing and 2+ years of aging.
The business operates a hybrid model. Spirits are sold through a tasting room and bottle shop open Thursday–Sunday, distributed wholesale to retail liquor stores across 13 states (NY, NJ, CT, NH, VT, ME, MA, RI, PA, VA, AZ, IL, CA), and shipped nationwide via a Shopify storefront. The tasting room also runs a full craft-cocktail and small-plates program (cocktails $8–$18; food $10–$25) and offers tiered distillery experiences (Tour & Tasting with Cocktail at $25 per person; American Whiskey Experience from $50), themed seasonal igloo rentals, private event hosting (birthdays, weddings, corporate), and a community events calendar that includes an outdoor movie series, monthly book club, floral arrangement classes, and charity partnerships. Ready-to-drink canned cocktails (Sparkling Lavender Lemonade, Cranberry Mule, Barrel Aged Negroni) extend the brand into higher-velocity formats.
Revenue mechanics combine per-bottle DTC and wholesale transactions, per-cover on-premise spending, and per-experience service fees. The company's San Francisco World Spirits Competition medals (gold, multiple silver, multiple bronze) underwrite brand credibility. Organizational scale is reported in an 11–50 employee band, with key roles including Head Distiller Peter Cornillie, Head of Operations Abby, and Director of Processes Giulia Hamacher (chemistry PhD). The company is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding or institutional investors.
The Better Man Distilling firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Better Man Distilling
- Legal name
- The Better Man Distilling Co.
- Website
- https://thebettermandistillingco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Better Man Distilling Co. is a privately-owned, Patchogue-based urban craft distillery producing small-batch gins, vodkas, whiskeys, and ready-to-drink canned cocktails using local New York State ingredients, selling through a tasting room, wholesale distribution in 13 states, and nationwide direct shipping.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Better Man Distilling industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft Distilled Spirits
- NAICS
- Distilleries (312140), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)
Keywords
Where The Better Man Distilling is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Patchogue
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Better Man Distilling business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Spirits Sales: Direct bottle sales through on-site bottle shop and nationwide shipping. Product line includes gins, vodkas, whiskeys, and ready-to-drink canned cocktails.
- Tasting Room & Food & Beverage: On-site consumption of craft cocktails, beer, and small plates through the tasting room. Margin on prepared drinks and food items.
- Private Events: Hosting of private events including birthdays, weddings, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, and corporate events. Revenue from event bookings and minimum spends.
- Distillery Experiences: Paid experiences including Tour & Tasting with Cocktail ($25), American Whiskey Experience (from $50), and Whiskey Nerds barrel tasting program.
- Igloo Experiences: Seasonal themed igloo rentals with 3-hour time blocks at $25 reservation fee. Includes themed cocktails and full bar access.
- Outdoor Movie Series: Ticketed outdoor movie screenings at $5-$10 per person, often including themed cocktails and snacks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Tasting Room Hours |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tour & Tasting with Cocktail |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | American Whiskey Experience |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Igloo Reservations |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Book Club |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Outdoor Movie Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Floral Arrangement Class |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Puppy Speed Dating |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mother's Day Reservations |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Distillery Experience Gift Cards |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktail Menu Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Food Menu Pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bottle Shop Pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Better Man Distilling product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Better Man Distilling is Long Island's first urban craft distillery, producing small-batch gin, vodka, and whiskey using locally sourced New York State ingredients, with spirits aged by the ocean. The company operates an on-site tasting room serving craft cocktails, beer, and small plates, a bottle shop, paid distillery tour and tasting experiences, themed igloo rentals, private event hosting, and an outdoor movie series. Bottles are sold directly via tasting room, online, and through retail liquor stores in 13 states.
Product overview
The Better Man Distilling Co. is Long Island's first urban craft distillery offering a portfolio of small-batch spirits and experiential hospitality services. The core product line includes gins (Elysian Fields Lavender Gin, Golden Hour Dry Gin, Moonstruck Yuzu Gin, Red Horizon Apple Forward Gin), whiskeys (Grand Optimist Bourbon, Grand Optimist Empire Rye, Wheat Bourbon, Single Malt, Frankenstein Whiskey), and vodkas (Starling Vodka, Halcyon Days Cranberry Vodka). Ready-to-drink canned cocktails include Sparkling Lavender Lemonade, Cranberry Mule, and Barrel Aged Negroni. The company also operates a tasting room with craft cocktails and small plates, offers distillery experiences (Tours & Tastings, American Whiskey Experiences), and maintains themed igloo event spaces. Distribution spans NY, NJ, CT, NH, VT, ME, MA, RI, PA, VA, AZ, IL, and CA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Elysian Fields Lavender Gin Floral, herbaceous gin featuring Long Island lavender at its heart, colored naturally with butterfly pea flower; it has a color-changing property when mixed with citrus. Available in 375 mL and 750 mL bottles for craft spirits consumers.
- Grand Optimist Empire Rye New York State rye whiskey meeting Empire Rye designation (75% NYS rye grain), aged by the ocean; showcases spicy, earthy cereal notes with fruity complexity and hints of salinity from sea air.
- Grand Optimist Bourbon Whiskey Bourbon made from NYS grain (70% corn, 10% rye, 20% malted barley) aged by the sea; features heritage grains (Red Flint and VK Flint corn) with chocolate, espresso, caramel, and vanilla notes.
- Starling Vodka House vodka featured in various craft cocktails and available for purchase in 750 mL bottles at $29.99.
- Halcyon Days Cranberry Vodka Cranberry-flavored vodka available in 750 mL ($32.99) and 375 mL ($19.99) sizes.
- Golden Hour Dry Gin Dry gin featured in cocktails and available for purchase in 750 mL at $39.99.
- Moonstruck Yuzu Gin Yuzu citrus-forward gin available in 750 mL at $45.99 and 375 mL at $24.99.
- Red Horizon Apple Forward Gin Apple-forward gin, part of the spirits portfolio.
- Sparkling Lavender Lemonade Canned ready-to-drink cocktail featuring Elysian Fields Lavender Gin with bubbles, 8.4% ABV; sold in 4-packs for $16.99 or individual cans for $8.
- Barrel Aged Negroni Barrel-aged Negroni cocktail available in 375 mL bottles for $25.99.
- Cranberry Mule Canned cocktail made with Halcyon Days Cranberry Vodka, 8.4% ABV.
- Tour & Tasting with Cocktail Guided distillery tour including cocktail, walking through manufacturing facilities, history lesson, tasting room, barrel warehouse, and guided tasting of entire spirits portfolio; approximately 1-1.5 hours, $25 per person.
- American Whiskey Experience Deep dive into American whiskey history and processes; includes guided tasting of different whiskey styles, learning to read whiskey bottles, and tasting from selected barrels; from $50 per person, available Thursday-Saturday evenings.
- Igloo Experiences Five themed private igloo spaces for groups of up to 8 people with themes including Gamer Cave, Camp Better Man, Witches' Den, Disco Fever, and Ladies' Night; 3-hour time limit with $25 reservation fee; each igloo has a unique theme cocktail.
- Outdoor Movie Series Ticketed outdoor movie screenings on Thursday evenings during summer/fall months; features themed cocktails and snacks with full food and drink menu available; $5-$10 per ticket.
- Private Events Venue rental for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, graduations, and staff outings; mid-century modern decor with outdoor patio and pergola.
Quantifiable outcome
- Long Island's First Urban Craft Distillery
Companies that use The Better Man Distilling
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Better Man Distilling technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Better Man Distilling partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Vida MoradaminorCollaboration on Vida Morada Lavender Agave Spirit product line. Vida Morada is featured in cocktails at The Better Man Distilling including Lavender Paloma and Lavender Margarita.
- Almost Home Animal RescueminorNonprofit partnership for Puppy Speed Dating fundraiser events. Almost Home Animal Rescue brings adoptable puppies to the distillery for social events that double as fundraising opportunities.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Better Man Distilling competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Greenhook Ginsmiths: Brooklyn craft gin distillery focused on small-batch American gin with tasting room. Directly comparable as a NY craft gin producer with similar premium positioning and on-premise experience focus.
- Koval Distillery: Chicago craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and specialty spirits with on-site tasting room. Comparable in product breadth (whiskey/gin/vodka), craft scale, and experiential DTC approach.
- Catskill Distilling Company: Bethel, NY craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and vodka with tasting room and tours. Directly comparable New York craft distillery with rural tourism-driven hospitality model.
- Few Spirits: Chicago-based craft distillery producing gin, whiskey, and bourbon with tasting room. Comparable urban craft distillery with experiential hospitality and multi-state distribution.
- Catoctin Creek Distilling Company: Virginia-based craft distillery producing rye whiskey, gin, and brandy with farm-distillery tasting room. Comparable East Coast craft distillery with tasting room, event programming, and DTC model.
- Kings County Distillery: Brooklyn-based urban craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and bourbon with on-site tasting room and tours. Closest geographic and operational peer: New York urban craft, small-batch, tasting-room-driven business model.
- Finger Lakes Distilling: New York State craft distillery producing whiskeys, gin, and brandies with tasting room. Comparable in scale, NY-based sourcing, and craft spirits portfolio breadth.
- Tuthilltown Spirits (Hillrock Estate Distillery): Hudson Valley, NY craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and vodka with tastings and events. Comparable small-batch New York craft producer with farm-distillery heritage and tasting-room revenue.
Broad incumbents
- Beam Suntory: Global spirits conglomerate with bourbon/whiskey/gin portfolios. Relevant as the dominant wholesale buyer/distributor relationship counterpart and competitive incumbent that craft producers must differentiate against.
- St. George Spirits: Larger California craft distillery with broad portfolio across gin, whiskey, vodka, and liqueurs. Comparable craft positioning and innovation focus but at meaningfully greater scale and national distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Better Man Distilling social profiles
Digital presenceThe Better Man Distilling financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Better Man Distilling leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Better Man Distilling funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Better Man Distilling M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Better Man Distilling
What does The Better Man Distilling do?
The Better Man Distilling is Long Island's first urban craft distillery, producing small-batch gin, vodka, and whiskey using locally sourced New York State ingredients, with spirits aged by the ocean. The company operates an on-site tasting room serving craft cocktails, beer, and small plates, a bottle shop, paid distillery tour and tasting experiences, themed igloo rentals, private event hosting, and an outdoor movie series. Bottles are sold directly via tasting room, online, and through retail liquor stores in 13 states.
Is The Better Man Distilling a public or private company?
The Better Man Distilling is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Better Man Distilling founded?
The Better Man Distilling was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Better Man Distilling based?
The Better Man Distilling is headquartered in Patchogue, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Better Man Distilling make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Spirits Sales are the primary driver. The others are tasting Room & Food & Beverage, private Events, distillery Experiences, igloo Experiences and outdoor Movie Series.
Who are The Better Man Distilling's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Greenhook Ginsmiths, Koval Distillery, Catskill Distilling Company, Few Spirits, Catoctin Creek Distilling Company, Kings County Distillery, Finger Lakes Distilling and Tuthilltown Spirits (Hillrock Estate Distillery). Broad incumbents are Beam Suntory and St. George Spirits.
Does The Better Man Distilling have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Better Man Distilling.
What industry is The Better Man Distilling in?
The Better Man Distilling's product category is Craft Distilled Spirits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAC, Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling, with a secondary code of THAFALAG, Distilleries (Tasting Rooms). Its NAICS code is 312140 and its SIC code is 2080.