What Starlight Distillery does

Starlight Distillery is a privately held, family-owned craft distillery operated by the seventh-generation Huber family on a 700+ acre estate in Borden, Indiana (Starlight, IN). Founded as a family farm in 1843 with distilling operations established by 2001, the company produces bourbon, rye whiskey, brandy, gin, rum, and vodka using estate-grown grain inputs and a true grain-to-glass production model.

Production technology centers on sweet mash fermentation across the whiskey portfolio, copper pot still distillation using Vendome and Christian Carl stills (including an 80-gallon Christian Carl pot still for brandies and gin and a 500-gallon copper pot still for rum), and proprietary custom barrel finishing programs including double oak maturation, Japanese Mizunara oak, Brazilian Amburana, rum finishing, and brandy cask aging for gin. The product portfolio spans roughly 20 SKUs organized across bourbons, ryes, flavored whiskeys, gins, rums, vodka, and brandies, with flagship expressions including Carl T. Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon and Rye, Single Barrel Bourbon and Rye, the 10-Year Reserve Bourbon, and Simon's 1794 Gin.

The business generates revenue across four streams: direct-to-consumer bottle sales at the Borden, Indiana facility, paid distillery experiences and tours priced from $15 to $99.99 per person, wholesale distribution through a network of retail liquor stores in at least 17 U.S. states plus Canada, and e-commerce through Seelbach's online partnership. Customer segments include premium whiskey enthusiasts, hospitality bars and restaurants, and specialty liquor retail. The company markets directly through Instagram, Facebook, email newsletters (pre-sale access for limited releases), and earned media in Forbes, Food & Wine, Uproxx, and Vinepair, and is supported by an extensive portfolio of industry awards including multiple Double Gold and Best in Class titles at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Name

Starlight Distillery

Legal name

Starlight Distillery

Website

https://starlightdistillery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1843

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Starlight Distillery is a seventh-generation family-owned craft distillery in Borden, Indiana producing bourbon, rye, brandy, gin, rum, and vodka from estate-grown grains, with sales direct-to-consumer via on-site experiences and online, alongside wholesale distribution across 17+ U.S. states and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), 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

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF), Spirits/Cocktail Bars Operated by Producers (THAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Craft bourbon whiskey
• Small batch distilling
• Estate grown grain whiskey
• Barrel aged rye
• Grain to bottle spirits

Headquarters

HQ city

Borden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bottle Sales (Direct-to-Consumer at Distillery): Visitors purchase bottles directly at the Starlight Distillery location in Borden, Indiana. This includes both core products and limited-edition allocations such as the 10-Year Reserve Bourbon, Single Barrel selections, and special finishing releases. The distillery hosts events and releases that drive direct purchases.
2. Distillery Experiences and Tours: Paid tours and experiences including the Discovery Tour ($15/person), Farm to Glass Tour ($24.99/person), Straight from the Barrel Tour ($64.99/person), and Bottle-Your-Own Experience ($99.99/person). The distillery also offers private tasting events and cocktail classes generating incremental experience revenue.
3. Wholesale Distribution: Starlight Distillery products are sold through a network of retail liquor stores across multiple U.S. states, generating wholesale revenue through distributor and retailer relationships.
4. E-Commerce (Online Partner): Products are sold online through the Seelbach's online platform, reaching customers outside the distillery's immediate geographic footprint.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Starlight Distillery is a craft distillery founded in 2001 on the Huber family estate in Borden, Indiana, producing bourbon, rye whiskey, brandy, gin, rum, and vodka from estate-grown grains. The distillery uses sweet mash fermentation and traditional copper pot still distillation, with its products recognized through multiple industry awards and sold through a combination of direct-to-consumer tasting room sales and retail/wholesale distribution.

Product overview

Starlight Distillery is an Indiana-based craft distillery producing a diverse portfolio of spirits, primarily whiskeys (bourbons and ryes), brandies, gins, rums, and vodka. The core whiskey program centers on several flagship expressions including Carl T. Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, and the premium 10 Year Reserve Bourbon, along with rye whiskeys (Old Rickhouse Rye, Bottled-in-Bond Rye, Single Barrel Rye). The flavored whiskey line includes Blackberry Whiskey and Peach Whiskey made with estate-grown fruits. Beyond whiskeys, the portfolio includes Simon's 1794 Gin (both standard and barrel-aged expressions), Silver and Spiced Rums, Vodka, and multiple brandy offerings (Applejack, Apple Brandy, and Private Reserve Brandy). The distillery operates as a grain-to-bottle producer on a seventh-generation Huber family estate established in 1843, offering distillery tours, a single barrel selection program, and a Distiller's Club membership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Huber Winery: Related winery operation under the Huber family brand portfolio, producing wines alongside the distillery's spirits.
• Plantation Hall

Products and services

• Starlight Bourbon Whiskey Bourbon whiskey produced at Starlight Distillery from estate-grown grains cultivated on the Huber family farm in Borden, Indiana. Distilled using sweet mash fermentation and copper pot stills, the bourbon is part of the distillery's award-winning American whiskey lineup aimed at craft spirits consumers.
• Starlight Rye Whiskey Rye whiskey produced from estate-grown rye on the Huber family estate, distilled using sweet mash fermentation and copper pot still distillation. Positioned as part of the distillery's craft American whiskey portfolio.
• Starlight Brandy Brandy produced at Starlight Distillery on the Huber family estate using estate-grown fruit and traditional distillation techniques. Marketed as a premium craft brandy.
• Starlight Gin Craft gin produced at Starlight Distillery on the Huber family estate in Indiana using traditional copper pot still distillation techniques.
• Starlight Rum Craft rum produced at Starlight Distillery on the Huber family estate, available in base and flavored varieties as part of the distillery's craft spirits lineup.
• Starlight Vodka Craft vodka produced at Starlight Distillery on the Huber family estate using traditional distillation methods.
• Distillery Tours and Tastings On-site distillery tours and tasting experiences offered at the Huber family estate in Borden, Indiana, allowing visitors to learn about the grain-to-glass production process and sample the Starlight range of spirits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99-point Double Gold rating for Mizunara Reserve Bourbon and Blackberry Whiskey at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Seelbach'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeelbach's is listed as Starlight Distillery's online partner, enabling e-commerce sales of Starlight products nationally. This partnership extends distribution beyond the physical retail network to consumers unable to visit the Indiana distillery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Jeptha Creed Distillery: Kentucky family-owned craft distillery using estate-grown Bloody Butcher Corn in four-grain bourbon. Closely matches Starlight's grain-to-glass, family-owned, heirloom-corn positioning.
• Rabbit Hole Distillery: Louisville-based craft bourbon producer focused on premium small-batch expressions and proprietary finishing techniques. Comparable to Starlight on premium positioning, finishing innovation, and craft-segment DTC plus wholesale model.
• Smooth Ambler: West Virginia craft distillery known for small-batch bourbon and rye. Comparable to Starlight on independent craft positioning, award-driven reputation, and distribution into national specialty retail.
• Copper & Kings: Louisville craft distillery producing brandy and gin alongside bourbon, with active barrel-aging programs. Shares Starlight's diversification beyond bourbon and use of specialty cask finishing.
• Castle & Key Distillery: Kentucky craft distillery producing a multi-spirit portfolio (bourbon, rye, gin, vodka) with an estate-driven tourism experience. Most directly comparable to Starlight on the craft-distillery-plus-experiential business model, though at different scale and Kentucky heritage.
• Koval Distillery: Chicago-based craft distillery producing organic whiskey, gin, vodka, and brandy with grain-to-bottle sourcing. Compares on craft credentials, multi-spirit portfolio, and estate/organic ingredient narrative.
• Breckenridge Distillery: Colorado craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and other spirits with a robust tourism and on-site experience business. Comparable on multi-spirit craft portfolio, experiential revenue, and national wholesale reach.
• Hard Truth Distilling Company: Indiana-based craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, gin, rum, vodka, and brandy with on-site tours. Closest state-level peer to Starlight with a nearly identical multi-spirit portfolio and tourism-driven GTM.
• Wilderness Trail Distillery: Kentucky craft bourbon and rye producer using proprietary sweet mash and innovative fermentation techniques. Closely matches Starlight on production technique (sweet mash, copper pot distillation) and small-batch craft positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Buffalo Trace Distillery: Mass-market bourbon producer (Sazerac-owned) offering craft-tier products like Colonel E.H. Taylor and benchmark bourbons (Blanton's). Represents the broader competitive set Starlight competes against for both collector demand and retail shelf space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/starlight_distillery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starlightdistillery

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 Starlight Distillery