Weiss Distilling Company

What Weiss Distilling Company does

Weiss Distilling Company is a privately held craft distillery and experiential hospitality business founded in 2017 and headquartered in Clawson, Michigan. The company operates a vertically integrated 5,300-square-foot facility at 34 E 14 Mile Road that combines a 4,000-square-foot grain-to-glass microdistillery, a 40-seat hidden speakeasy tasting room, a 40-seat retail shop, a bespoke ice factory (Weiss Ice), a 28-seat theater space, and The Juniper Room private event venue seating up to 30 guests. The company sells ~10 proprietary spirits including Vanishing Vodka, Straitjacket Gin, Royal Rum, Blind Cut Bourbon, Ježibaba Absinthe, Arcane Aquavit, Snake Eyes Sotol Culebra, and Weiss Lightning Moonshine, retail-priced between $29.99 and $59.99 per 750ml bottle on a pickup-only basis.

The business generates revenue through four streams: on-site bottle retail (pickup-only, no shipping), on-site cocktail and mocktail sales in the speakeasy, private event bookings in The Juniper Room, and merchandise/apparel. Production uses iStill modern distillation technology for precise heads/hearts/tails cuts, and the reverse-osmosis bottom-up ice freezing system produces 100 lbs/day of crystal-clear cocktail ice. The company is bootstrapped, founder-led by Dennis Weiss, and self-described as family-owned with no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed subsidiaries. Geographic scope is Metro Detroit only, with no wholesale or shipping distribution.

The company is privately held, for-profit, with ~10 employees, and operates entirely direct-to-consumer. It was recognized in Best of Detroit 2022 by Hour Detroit, and its primary marketing levers are Instagram/Facebook organic social, earned media in Metro Detroit outlets, and seasonal themed events (HalloWeiss, Weiss on Ice, Weiss in the Wild). The company has no app, no public API, no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, and no recognized certifications, patents, or partnerships.

Name

Weiss Distilling Company

Legal name

Weiss Distilling Co.

Website

https://thewdc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Weiss Distilling Company is a privately held, bootstrapped craft distillery and speakeasy in Clawson, Michigan, founded in 2017 by Dennis Weiss. It produces eight proprietary spirits on-site, operates a 40-seat cocktail bar, retail shop, and private event venue, and serves Metro Detroit consumers exclusively through direct-to-consumer channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Spirits

NAICS

Distilleries (312140), Distilleries (31214), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Craft Distilleries & Microdistilleries (THAFALAH), Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Distilled Spirits Production & Distilling (AFAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Craft distillery
• Craft spirits
• Speakeasy bar
• Private event venue
• Artisanal ice

Headquarters

HQ city

Clawson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bottle Sales: Retail bottle sales of spirits (vodka, gin, rum, bourbon, absinthe, aquavit, sotol, moonshine) for off-site consumption. Pickup-only model with bottles available at the Clawson location.
2. Speakeasy & Tasting Room: On-site consumption of craft cocktails, mocktails, and proprietary spirits in the 40-seat hidden speakeasy. Features cocktails composed of house-made syrups, bitters, ice, and sodas alongside their own spirits.
3. Private Event Venue: The Juniper Room private event venue seating up to 30 guests with 4K cinema screen, professional sound, and private bar. Used for corporate meetings, private screenings, cocktail parties, and milestone celebrations.
4. Merchandise & Apparel: Sale of Weiss Distilling Co. branded apparel and accessories through the retail shop.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Weiss Distilling Company is a craft distillery that produces small-batch spirits (vodka, gin, rum, bourbon, absinthe, aquavit, sotol, and moonshine) and sells them direct-to-consumer through an on-site bottle shop and a 40-seat speakeasy. It also operates The Juniper Room, a private event venue, and Weiss Ice, a craft ice factory serving hospitality customers.

Product overview

Weiss Distilling Co is a craft distillery and entertainment venue in Clawson, Michigan offering a portfolio of seven proprietary spirits including Vanishing Vodka, Straitjacket Gin, Royal Rum, Blind Cut Bourbon, Ježibaba Absinthe, Arcane Aquavit, and Snake Eyes Sotol Culebra. The company operates a 4,000-square-foot microdistillery using iStill technology, a 40-seat speakeasy bar, a retail shop, a bespoke ice factory (Weiss Ice), and The Juniper Room private event theater. Seasonal experiences include Weiss on Ice (winter), HallowWeiss (Halloween), and Weiss in the Wild (summer).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vanishing Vodka: 81-proof vodka made from 100% organic white wheat and purified with charcoal. Named after Harry Houdini's famous Vanishing Elephant illusion.
• Straitjacket Gin
• Royal Rum
• Blind Cut Bourbon
• Ježibaba Absinthe
• Arcane Aquavit
• Snake Eyes Sotol Culebra
• Weiss Lightning Moonshine

Products and services

• Vanishing Vodka Small-batch craft vodka produced in-house at the Clawson distillery and sold direct to consumers through the on-site bottle shop and speakeasy.
• Straitjacket Gin Small-batch craft gin distilled on-site and sold via the on-site bottle shop and speakeasy.
• Royal Rum Small-batch craft rum produced in-house and sold direct to consumers through the distillery's retail and speakeasy channels.
• Blind Cut Bourbon Small-batch craft bourbon whiskey produced at the Clawson distillery and sold direct to consumers on-site.
• Ježibaba Absinthe Small-batch absinthe distilled in-house and sold to consumers through the bottle shop and speakeasy.
• Arcane Aquavit Small-batch Scandinavian-style aquavit produced at the distillery and sold direct to consumers.
• Snake Eyes Sotol Culebra Small-batch sotol spirit produced in-house and sold through the on-site bottle shop and speakeasy.
• Weiss Lightning Moonshine Small-batch moonshine produced at the Clawson distillery and sold direct to consumers on-site.
• Weiss Distillery Speakeasy On-site 40-seat speakeasy bar at the Clawson distillery serving craft cocktails made from Weiss Distilling's own spirits, with themed seasonal experiences.
• The Juniper Room Private event venue inside the Weiss Distilling facility, rented for corporate and private events with on-site craft cocktails and Weiss Ice service.
• Weiss Ice Craft ice factory operated by the distillery, producing clear, slow-melting ice using a proprietary bottom-up freezing process for use on-premise and sale to hospitality customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 pounds of crystal-clear ice produced daily
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Corsair Distillery: Nashville-based craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, vodka, and experimental spirits with on-site tasting room. Comparable experimental/experiential craft spirits producer.
• Koval Distillery: Chicago-based craft distillery producing organic whiskey, gin, vodka, and liqueurs with on-site tasting room and store. Comparable organic, small-batch, on-site experience craft producer.
• Detroit City Distillery: Michigan-based craft distillery producing vodka, gin, whiskey, and rum with on-site tasting room and restaurant in Detroit. Closest geographic peer with similar DTC distillery-and-experience model.
• Copper & Kings American Brandy: Louisville-based craft distillery producing brandy, gin, and other spirits with on-site tasting room and speakeasy-style bar. Comparable immersive distillery-experience concept with DTC focus.
• FEW Spirits: Evanston, Illinois craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and bourbon with tasting room. Comparable small-batch craft spirits producer with on-site retail and tasting experience.
• Journeyman Distillery: Michigan craft distillery in Three Oaks producing organic spirits (whiskey, gin, vodka, rum) with a tasting room, restaurant, and event spaces. Direct peer in geography and integrated distillery-experience business model.
• Tuthilltown Spirits: New York craft distillery producing whiskey, gin, and vodka with tasting room on-site. Comparable craft distillery with DTC tasting experience and retail model.
• Smooth Ambler: West Virginia craft distillery producing bourbon, rye, gin, and vodka with tasting room experience. Comparable small-scale craft producer with DTC focus and on-site retail.
• St. George Spirits: California craft distillery producing a diverse portfolio of gin, vodka, whiskey, absinthe, and liqueurs with a tasting room. Comparable wide-SKU craft distillery model with on-premise experience.
• New Holland Brewing: Michigan-based producer of craft beer and spirits with tasting rooms, restaurants, and merchandise. Comparable multi-revenue craft producer with strong DTC focus and event programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/weissdistillingco
• Instagraminstagram.com/weissdistillingco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/weiss-distilling-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Weiss Distilling Company