Switchgrass Spirits

What Switchgrass Spirits does

Switchgrass Spirits is a worker-owned craft distillery headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 2016 and operating with four worker owners and a total headcount in the 1-10 range. The company produces bourbon, rye, apple brandy, American whiskey, bottled cocktails, and a series of limited releases, using a hybrid pot and column still and aging in Missouri white oak barrels. Its first commercial product shipped in February 2020, more than three years after the cooperative was established.

The business sells through a multi-channel distribution model: regional wholesale across Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas; a national retail partnership with Trader Joe's carrying the Gold Dust bourbon expression; direct-to-consumer subscriptions via the STLPR Spirits Club; and on-premise placement at restaurants and bars including iN/iN, Retreat, and Olio. The product line includes Bottled-In-Bond certified bourbon, rye, and apple brandy, as well as American Single Malt experiments and Double Cask collaborations with Bluewood Brewing and Millpond Brewing.

In 2024 the distillery received recognition from Forbes and the Beverage Testing Institute, signaling growing third-party validation in the craft segment. Switchgrass has not raised outside funding and discloses no revenue, operating as a small, self-funded worker cooperative focused on whiskey and brandy production, regional brand-building, and selective national channel partnerships.

Name

Switchgrass Spirits

Legal name

Switchgrass Spirits

Website

https://switchgrassspirits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Switchgrass Spirits is a worker-owned craft distillery in St. Louis, Missouri, producing bourbon, rye, apple brandy, American whiskey, and limited releases for retail, on-premise, DTC subscription, and national Trader Joe's distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Distilled Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (31214), Distilleries (312140)

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), Cocktail Mixes & Alcoholic Beverage Bases (non-alcoholic mixers, RTD spirit bases) (AFAFAGAH)

Keywords

• Craft distillery spirits
• Bourbon whiskey production
• Small batch distilling
• Apple brandy spirits
• Bottled cocktail production

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Spirit Sales (Bottled Products): Direct sales of bottled spirits including bourbon, rye, apple brandy, and limited releases through distillery, online shop, and retail partners
2. Bottled Cocktail Sales: Pre-mixed bottled cocktails including Gold Dust and Copperhead sold through retail and bar accounts
3. Distillery Tours: Saturday distillery tours with advance tickets including facility walkthrough, history overview, production methods, and full spirits tasting. Tour guests receive 10% off purchases.
4. Spirits Club Membership: Seasonal spirits club in partnership with St. Louis Public Radio delivering traditional and limited release bottles quarterly
5. Private Label/Barrel Sales: Private label barrel purchases for businesses or personal use
6. Branded Merchandise: Online store for branded gear including apparel and accessories

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Switchgrass Spirits is a worker-owned craft distillery that produces grain-to-glass bourbon, rye whiskey, apple brandy, bottled cocktails, and limited collaboration releases using Midwestern labor and ingredients. Operations include distillation in a hybrid pot-and-column still, Missouri white oak barrel aging, on-site tours, a quarterly spirits club membership, private label barrel programs, and wholesale distribution across Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas.

Product overview

Switchgrass Spirits is a worker-owned craft distillery offering a portfolio of grain-to-glass spirits centered on bourbon, rye whiskey, and apple brandy. Core products include standard and Bottled-In-Bond expressions of Bourbon, Rye, and Apple Brandy, plus American Whiskey. The portfolio extends to bottled cocktails (Gold Dust, Copperhead) and limited collaboration releases with regional breweries (Double Cask series with Bluewood Brewing and Millpond Brewing). The company produces seasonal and experimental releases including annual American Single Malts and maple-finished bourbons. Services include distillery tours, a seasonal spirits club membership (STLPR Spirits Club), private label barrel programs, and wholesale distribution across Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bourbon Wheat and barley-forward bourbon with honey and cornbread notes and subtle vanilla finish, aged in charred Missouri white oak barrels. For whiskey enthusiasts who enjoy spirits neat, on the rocks, or in cocktails.
• Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon 100 proof sweet-mashed, batch-distilled bourbon with 63% corn, 25% wheat, 12% malted barley, aged at least four years in Missouri white oak. Notes of citrus, vanilla, honey, and cornbread.
• Rye Whiskey High rye whiskey with boldness and complexity from high wheat and barley content. Subtle cherry and tropical fruit notes, black pepper, and smooth vanilla finish from charred Missouri white oak barrels.
• Bottled-In-Bond Rye 100 proof sweet-mashed, batch-distilled rye with 76% rye, 12% wheat, 12% malted barley, aged at least four years in Missouri white oak. Notes of sweet pear, spicy pepper, cola, and fresh baked bread.
• Apple Brandy Single orchard Jonathan apple brandy, twice distilled in an alembic pot still with cuts made to taste. Designed for mixing or after-dinner sipping.
• Bottled-In-Bond Apple Brandy 100 proof sweet-mashed, twice distilled apple brandy in an alembic pot still, made with 100% single orchard Jonathan apples. Notes of bright green apple with subtle floral undertones and warmed sugar finish.
• American Whiskey American version of Irish whiskey using a four grain blend of malted barley, red winter wheat, yellow dent corn, and pumpernickel rye at 82 proof. Notes of butterscotch, honey, and vanilla.
• Gold Dust Bottled Cocktail Bright bottled cocktail made with Switchgrass bourbon, local honey, fresh ginger, and lemon. Versatile for whiskey sours, whiskey mules with ginger beer, or hot toddies.
• Copperhead Bottled Cocktail Bottled rock and rye cocktail with sweet mashed rye whiskey combined with Belgian rock candy, citrus peel, horehound, and spices. Similar to an old fashioned, served over ice or as a shot.
• Double Cask Bourbon: Bluewood Limited collaboration bourbon with Bluewood Brewing, aged 4 years in Missouri white oak then rested 6 months in stout casks. Notes of dark chocolate, bing cherries, and rich honey.
• Double Cask Rye: Millpond Limited collaboration rye with Millpond Brewing, aged 4 years in Missouri white oak then rested 6 months in stout casks. Notes of cherry candy and cocoa spice.
• Maple Finished Bourbon Single barrel bourbon finished in maple syrup barrels from Summers Family Farm. Combines wheated bourbon sweetness with maple complexity. Notes of cherries, cornbread, and maple.
• American Single Malt 2025 132 proof American Single Malt using traditional beer brewing malts. Notes of black currant, clove, and cream soda with warm vanilla from aging four years in Missouri white oak. Annual experimental release.
• American Single Malt 2022 92 proof American Single Malt using traditional beer brewing malts. Notes of tart cherry, chocolate, and fresh bread with warm vanilla from aging two years in Missouri white oak. Sold out.
• Distillery Tours Saturday distillery tours (advance tickets required) at the historic American Legion hall facility. Includes hour-long walkthrough of facility, history overview, production methods, and tasting of entire family of spirits including special releases. Tour guests receive 10% off purchases.
• STLPR Spirits Club Membership Quarterly spirits subscription club in partnership with St. Louis Public Radio. Members receive traditional and special limited release bottles quarterly, recipe cards, special bonuses, and access to member connection events. Pick-up and delivery available in the St. Louis Metro Area.
• Private Label Barrel Program Private label program allowing businesses or individuals to purchase barrels for personal or business use with custom branding and personalization.
• Wholesale Distribution Program Wholesale account inquiry program for retailers and establishments interested in carrying Switchgrass Spirits products. Distributed in Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas.

Quantifiable outcome

• First product released February 2020 with steady growth since
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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.

• Bluewood BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Limited Release Double Cask Bourbon. Aged 4 years in Missouri white oak, then rested an additional 6 months in stout casks from Bluewood Brewing, offering notes of dark chocolate, bing cherries, and rich honey.
• Millpond BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Limited Release Double Cask Straight Rye. Aged 4 years in Missouri white oak, then rested an additional 6 months in stout casks from Millpond Brewing, offering notes of cherry candy and cocoa spice.
• Summers Family FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Maple Finished Bourbon using maple syrup aged in Switchgrass bourbon barrels. Single barrel release combining sweetness of wheated bourbon with rich complexity of maple syrup.
• St. Louis Public RadiocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSTLPR Spirits Club partnership offering quarterly seasonal spirits delivery with exclusive access to new products and behind the scenes events. Membership helps support the mission of St Louis Public Radio.
• Big Heart Tea CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration featuring Big Heart Tea Company Sunshine Dust syrup in Switchgrass 75 cocktail recipe

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Middle West Spirits: Columbus, Ohio craft distillery producing whiskey, vodka, gin, and bourbon using grain-to-glass methods and innovative barrel finishes. Comparable size, Midwest positioning, and craft distribution model.
• Tom's Town Distilling: Kansas City craft distillery offering bourbon, vodka, gin, and rum. Competes with Switchgrass in Missouri on-premise/off-premise accounts and on Midwestern craft positioning.
• Still 630: St. Louis craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and vodka using similar small-batch grain-to-glass methods. Closest geographic and operational peer, directly competing in the same St. Louis on-premise and off-premise accounts.
• Smooth Ambler: Maxwelton, West Virginia craft distillery producing bourbon and rye whiskey with national distribution. Comparable craft scale, premium positioning, and award-winning whiskey portfolio.
• Corsair Distillery: Nashville, Tennessee craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, vodka, and rum with experimental barrel finishes. Compares on limited-release experimentation, craft scale, and multi-product portfolio strategy.
• Wood Hat Spirits: Missouri craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and grappa from local grains. Compares on craft scale, Missouri production, regional distribution, and limited-release wood-finished experimentation.
• FEW Spirits: Evanston, Illinois craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, and gin with an events/tourism focus. Comparable craft scale, Midwest urban distribution footprint, and tour/experience offering.
• Koval Distillery: Chicago craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and specialty spirits with a focus on organic grains and unique mash bills. Comparable craft scale, regional Midwest presence, and grain-forward positioning.
• Wilderness Trail Distillery: Bardstown, Kentucky craft distillery producing bourbon and rye with proprietary fermentation science. Comparable craft scale, Bottled-in-Bond expressions, and on-grain distilling approach.
• Copper & Kings American Brandy Company: Louisville, Kentucky distillery specializing in American brandy with pot-still production. Comparable craft scale, brandy portfolio focus, and pot-distilled spirit methodology overlapping with Switchgrass's apple brandy line.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/switchgrassspirits
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/switchgrass-spirits

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Switchgrass Spirits