The MacMillan Spirit House

What The MacMillan Spirit House does

The MacMillan Spirit House is a Virginia-based food and beverage company operating specialty whiskey and spirits bar and tasting room concepts. The business is anchored by two physical retail locations in Northern Virginia: the original MacMillan Whiskey Room in Fairfax (2920 District Ave Suite 155) and the second location, The MacMillan Spirit House, in Alexandria (500 Montgomery St, Ste 140), both opened or active by January 2024. Founded in 2018 and operated by owners Derek and Emma, the company serves walk-in individual consumers and SMB customers seeking specialty whiskey and spirits experiences in a bar/lounge setting, with the firmographic description also referencing catering services.

The business model is direct-to-consumer physical retail, generating revenue through in-person sales of whiskey, spirits, and complementary food and beverage offerings across two storefronts. The original Whiskey Room was projected to generate approximately $2 million in revenue for 2023. Growth into the Spirit House location was financed via an equity crowdfunding round of approximately $109,468 facilitated by Honeycomb Credit, recorded on 2024-01-08, indicating a community-financed, founder-controlled expansion strategy rather than institutional venture or debt capital. The brand identity is linked to the Clan MacMillan heritage organization, which operates the parent website (themacmillan.com), suggesting a family- or clan-affiliated branding approach.

The technology footprint is minimal and consistent with a small hospitality operator: a BentoBox-hosted marketing website with newsletter signup, basic contact information, and links to the two location subdomains. There is no mobile app, no public API, no disclosed integrations, and no AI/ML capabilities referenced in the available data. Distribution is entirely physical/regional within Northern Virginia, with two retail showrooms serving as both point-of-sale and brand experience venues. Headcount is reported in the 11–50 range, supporting two operational bar locations plus back-office and ownership roles.

Name

The MacMillan Spirit House

Legal name

The MacMillan Spirit House

Website

https://themacmillan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The MacMillan Spirit House operates specialty whiskey and spirits bar and tasting room locations in Northern Virginia, serving walk-in individual and SMB consumers across two storefronts in Alexandria and Fairfax. Founded in 2018 by Derek and Emma, the company generates revenue through direct in-person sales of spirits, whiskey, and related food and beverage offerings, with a second location funded via community crowdfunding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Spirits Bar & Lounge

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

akta.pro primary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (CRANACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• Whiskey bar
• Spirits retail
• Tasting room
• Specialty bar lounge
• Craft beverage

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue generated from sales of whiskey, spirits, and likely food at physical bar/restaurant locations. The original business (The MacMillan Whiskey Room) projects $2 million in revenue for 2023, indicating a food and beverage retail model with in-person purchases.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

The MacMillan Spirit House operates a whiskey-focused bar and tasting room in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the second location of The MacMillan Whiskey Room brand, founded by Derek and Emma. The business specializes in serving and selling specialty whiskey and spirits, along with related food and beverage offerings, to walk-in customers at its physical storefront.

Product overview

The MacMillan Spirit House operates as a hospitality business consisting of two whiskey-focused bar and tasting room locations. The original location, The MacMillan Whiskey Room, is in Fairfax, Virginia, while the second location, The MacMillan Spirit House, is in Alexandria, Virginia. Both establishments specialize in whiskey offerings and represent a family-owned business operated by Derek and Emma.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The MacMillan Spirit House A whiskey-focused bar and tasting room located at 500 Montgomery St, Ste 140, Alexandria, VA 22314. The second physical location under The MacMillan brand, serving walk-in customers seeking specialty whiskey and spirit experiences.
• The MacMillan Whiskey Room The original whiskey-focused bar and tasting room operated at 2920 District Ave Suite 155, Fairfax, VA 22031. The flagship location of the brand, recognized in the Northern Virginia market.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• The Dead Rabbit: An award-winning cocktail bar in NYC's Financial District with a celebrated taproom and parlor. Comparable as a destination spirits bar with strong brand identity, though at a much larger and more established scale than MacMillan.

Direct peers

• Multnomah Whiskey Library: A whiskey library-style bar in Portland, OR offering an extensive spirits collection in a lounge setting. Directly comparable in concept — a curated, library/atmosphere-driven whiskey venue with a tasting-room feel.
• Seven Grand: A chain of whiskey-focused bars with locations across several U.S. cities, featuring hundreds of whiskies and a dedicated tasting-room atmosphere. Comparable as a multi-location whiskey bar concept and a potential expansion template for MacMillan.
• The Flatiron Room: A whiskey-focused restaurant and bar in New York City known for its curated spirits list and tasting events. Highly comparable business model to MacMillan's: a destination bar built around premium whiskey experiences and education.
• The Brandy Library: A members-style spirits library and lounge in Tribeca, NYC focused on brown spirits education and tastings. Comparable as a premium, spirits-educational tasting-room concept serving a similar affluent enthusiast customer.
• Jack Rose Dining Saloon: A large whiskey-focused dining saloon and bar in Washington, DC with an extensive bourbon and spirits collection. Directly comparable to The MacMillan Spirit House as a spirits-centric on-premise venue in the same broader DMV market, with a similar premium positioning.
• Amor y Amargo: A bitters and spirits-focused bar in NYC's East Village known for an unconventional, spirits-driven cocktail program. Comparable as a small-format, spirits-specialist bar with a curated, education-forward experience.
• Bourbons Bistro: A bourbon-focused bistro in Louisville, KY with a deep whiskey list and Kentucky heritage positioning. Comparable as a regional, whiskey-anchored bar and restaurant concept with family-style branding similar to MacMillan.

Emerging players

• Whiskey Cake: A whiskey-themed kitchen and bar concept with locations in Texas and beyond, pairing American comfort food with a deep whiskey list. Comparable as a multi-unit, whiskey-anchored casual dining concept with similar menu-and-spirits positioning.

Regional players

• Clyde's Restaurant Group: A regional hospitality group operating multiple bars and restaurants across the DC and Northern Virginia area. Comparable as a competing multi-venue operator in the same DMV geography where MacMillan is expanding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-macmillan-whiskey-room

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 The MacMillan Spirit House