What Maverick Distillery does

Maverick Distillery is an Ontario craft distillery founded in 2009 by Craig and Sally Peters, operating a multi-brand alcoholic beverage portfolio from a single Oakville facility at 2140 Winston Park Drive. The portfolio comprises six core spirit brands — TAG Vodka, Barnburner Whisky, Ginslinger Gin, LUNÁTICO Tequila, and CARGO Rum — extended into ready-to-drink subcategories (TAG Vodka Seltzers and Sodas, House Cocktails pre-mixed line), plus branded merchandise. Production technology centers on 10-times distillation with birch charcoal trickle filtration for vodka, cold-press botanical extraction using foraged Niagara Escarpment juniper and local ingredients for gin, bourbon-barrel aging, tunnel pasteurization, homogenization, and three automated bottling lines (50mL to 1.75L) plus a high-speed canning line (200mL to 473mL) rated at 6,000 cans per hour. The facility carries CRA Bonded Warehouse status, TTB and FDA registration, and 2,000,000+ annual case capacity.

Name

Maverick Distillery

Legal name

Maverick Distillery

Website

https://maverickdirect.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Maverick Distillery is an Ontario craft distillery founded in 2009 operating a multi-brand portfolio (vodka, whisky, gin, tequila, rum, RTDs, coolers) via direct-to-consumer e-commerce in Ontario, wholesale to 600+ bars and restaurants, contract manufacturing, and bulk industrial alcohol sales across North America.

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 (445320)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Liquor Stores (General Off-Premise) (CRANAAAA), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft spirits production
• Beverage alcohol manufacturing
• Ready-to-drink cocktails
• Contract bottling services
• Bulk alcohol supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Spirits Sales: E-commerce sales of owned spirits brands (TAG Vodka, Barnburner Whisky, Ginslinger Gin, Lunático Tequila, Cargo Rum), coolers, and ready-to-drink cocktails through maverickdirect.ca with next-day Ontario delivery.
2. Contract Manufacturing & Co-Packing: Bottling and canning services for third-party brands including automated bottling (50mL to 1.75L), canning of carbonated and flat beverages, with 2,000,000+ annual case capacity. Includes warehouse and distribution services.
3. Beverage Alcohol Wholesale: Wholesale sales to licensed bars, restaurants, and hospitality venues across Ontario with dedicated licensee pricing and next-day delivery.
4. Industrial Alcohol & Sanitizer: Sales of neutral grain spirits, specialty denatured alcohol (SDAG-3 95%), and custom sanitizer blends in drum, tote and tanker volumes across Canada and the US.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Maverick Distillery manufactures and sells a portfolio of Ontario craft spirits (vodka, whisky, gin, tequila, rum), ready-to-drink coolers, and pre-mixed House Cocktails through direct-to-consumer e-commerce, a licensee wholesale program, and a 2M+ case contract manufacturing/co-packing operation. The company also distributes bulk industrial alcohol including neutral grain spirits and specialty denatured alcohol across North America.

Product overview

Maverick Distillery is an Ontario craft distillery founded in 2009 by Craig and Sally Peters, operating as a multi-brand alcoholic beverage company with direct-to-consumer e-commerce, wholesale, and contract production operations. The portfolio comprises six core spirit brands: TAG Vodka (Ontario's original craft vodka, best-selling craft vodka in Ontario), Barnburner Whisky (award-winning Ontario whisky and bourbon expressions including cask-strength and blended varieties), Ginslinger Gin (Niagara Escarpment foraged botanical gin), LUNÁTICO Tequila (100% blue agave Mexican tequila), and CARGO Rum (Panama-sourced rum bottled in Oakville). The product line extends into ready-to-drink categories including TAG Vodka Seltzer and Soda coolers, and pre-mixed House Cocktails. The company operates a CRA Bonded Warehouse with over 2,000,000 annual case capacity for its contract production services, serving bars, restaurants, and other brands seeking co-packing solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TAG Vodka: Ontario's original craft vodka made from locally grown sweet corn, 10-times distilled and filtered over birch charcoal
• BARNBURNER Whisky
• GINSLINGER Gin
• LUNÁTICO Tequila
• CARGO Rum
• House Cocktails
• TAG Coolers

Products and services

• TAG Vodka No.5 Ontario-crafted vodka made from locally grown sweet corn, 10-times distilled and trickle-filtered over birch charcoal. Available in sizes from 50mL to 1.75L at 40% ABV. 100% gluten-free. Sold direct-to-consumer and through licensee program.
• TAG Double Espresso Vodka Espresso-infused vodka crafted in collaboration with Back Road Roasters. Targeted at consumers seeking flavored premium vodka for home cocktail preparation.
• Barnburner Ontario Whisky Double-aged Ontario whisky blended from corn and rye grain whiskies, aged in bourbon barrels at 41.6% ABV (83 Proof). Awarded Gold Medal at Canadian Whisky Awards. Sold to consumers and licensees.
• Barnburner Cask Bourbon 7YO Cask-strength bourbon aged 7 years in Bardstown, Kentucky, bottled at 60% ABV. Non-chill filtered, hand-numbered, and traced to barrel origin. Mash bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley.
• Barnburner Union Bourbon Whisky Blend Blended whisky combining 75% Canadian whisky with 25% Kentucky bourbon at 43% ABV (86 Proof). Developed in partnership with Union Hotel.
• Ginslinger Ontario Craft Gin Small-batch gin at 46% ABV made with foraged wild juniper and local botanicals from the Niagara Escarpment using cold-press extraction process.
• LUNÁTICO Tequila 100% blue agave tequila with no additives. Clean, smooth pour with crisp finish and subtle kick. Bright agave leads with light citrus and touch of pepper. Available in 750mL.
• CARGO Rum (Panama White and Panama Gold) Premium rum produced in Panama and bottled in Oakville. White rum offers clean, smooth taste with bright, lightly sweet notes; Gold rum provides additional character and depth.
• House Cocktails RTD Line Premium ready-to-pour cocktails made with craft spirits, fresh juices, and natural ingredients. Variants include Espresso Martini, Old Fashioned, Whisky Sour, Cosmopolitan, and Paper Plane. Available in sizes from 100mL to 20L kegs. ABV ranges from 20% to 35.5%.
• TAG Vodka Seltzer Vodka-based seltzer made with real juice and all-natural flavors in Lemon Lime, Mango Ginger, Wild Cherry with Yuzu, and Watermelon Basil variants. 4.5% ABV, 99 calories per serving.
• TAG Vodka Soda and TAG Coolers Line Vodka coolers and sodas with real juice and organic cane syrup. Variants include Orange Twist, Blueberry Lemon, Blackberry Sour (TAG Vodka Soda) at 6% ABV and 110 calories per 355mL serving.
• Mojito 7% RTD Ready-to-drink craft mojito featuring freshly squeezed lime and muddled mint. 7% ABV in 355mL format.
• Contract Production and Co-Packing Services B2B contract canning, bottling, and distilling services for other brands. Co-packing of canned and bottled spirits, RTDs, and non-alcoholic beverages. Three automated bottling lines (50mL to 1.75L), canning (200mL to 473mL), with 2,000,000+ annual case capacity. Tunnel pasteurization and homogenization available. TTB and FDA registered.
• Bulk Alcohol and Sanitizer Sales B2B wholesale specialty alcohols including Neutral Grain Spirits (NGS) for premium beverage alcohol, Specialty Denatured Alcohol SDAG-3 95%, and custom sanitizer blends. Available in drum, tote, and tanker volumes. Over 100,000L ready-to-ship next day from Oakville facility. Shipping across Canada and the United States.
• Licensee Program (Bars and Restaurants) Wholesale ordering program for Ontario bars and restaurants offering competitive pricing on coolers, spirits, and cocktails with next-day delivery and satisfaction guarantee. Currently serving 600+ Ontario hospitality venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.85-4.94 average product rating across 4,576+ reviews
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Back Road RoasterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Maverick Distillery and Back Road Roasters to create the Espresso Martini House Cocktail. Features rich coffee flavor and chocolate notes, combining craft spirits with specialty coffee expertise. Product includes 25mg caffeine per serving and 20% ABV.
• Union HotelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured Whisky Confessions event partnership where Barnburner and Union Whisky were paired together. Celebrates great whisky, good conversation, and stories shared over a glass. Bundle product created for this collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dillon's Small Batch Distillers: Ontario-based craft distillery producing vodka, gin, whisky, and liqueurs with a similar DTC and licensee distribution model in the same provincial market. Closely comparable on product range, geography, and craft positioning.
• Spirit of York Distillery Co. Toronto-based craft distillery making vodka, gin, and rye whisky, serving Ontario on-premise and DTC channels. Directly comparable Ontario craft distillery with overlapping product portfolio and bar/restaurant distribution.
• Junction 56 Distillery: Beamsville, Ontario craft distillery producing vodka, gin, and whisky with a destination tasting room and on-premise program. Similar Ontario craft positioning, small-batch spirit portfolio, and direct retail model.
• Kinsip House of Fine Spirits: PEC/Ontario craft distillery producing gin, vodka, whisky, and ready-to-serve cocktails with farm-based sourcing narrative. Comparable on Ontario craft positioning, multi-spirit brand portfolio, and cocktail-forward product strategy.

Regional players

• Ironworks Distillery: Nova Scotia-based craft distillery producing vodka, rum, whisky, and liqueurs. Comparable craft spirits producer in Canada operating in a different provincial market but with similar multi-spirit brand structure and DTC focus.

Broad incumbents

• Forty Creek Distillery: Canadian whisky specialist (now part of Campari Group) producing aged Canadian whiskies at meaningful national scale. Comparable on whisky production and Ontario/Canada distribution, but operates as a larger incumbent brand rather than a craft position.
• Corby Spirit and Wine Limited: Canadian-listed spirits and wine portfolio company that markets and distributes a broad range of spirits brands in Canada, including through the LCBO. Operates as a larger broad incumbent with regulatory and listing reach Maverick competes against for shelf space.
• Diageo Canada: Canadian arm of global spirits giant Diageo, distributing brands like Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, and Johnnie Walker through the LCBO. Represents the large-incumbent competitive set for Ontario shelf, on-premise, and category leadership.
• Pernod Ricard Canada: Canadian operations of global spirits group Pernod Ricard, distributing brands like Absolut, Jameson, and The Glenlivet across the LCBO. Serves as broad-incumbent competitive benchmark in Canadian spirits distribution and on-premise account competition.

Emerging players

• White Claw (Mark Anthony Brands): Category-leading hard seltzer brand competing directly with Maverick's TAG Vodka Seltzer and Cooler lineup in the Ontario RTD/seltzer segment. Closely comparable on the RTD cooler side of Maverick's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Maverick-Distillery-100071101219067
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maverickdistillery
• Instagraminstagram.com/maverickdistillery
• Xx.com/tagvodka

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Maverick Distillery