A big-hearted dog. A tiny still. A stubborn idea.
fatdogspirits started as a weekend experiment in a drafty warehouse—more hobby than business—anchored by an overfed rescue bulldog who refused to leave the still alone.
What began as “let's see if we can make something better than the bottom shelf” became a small, independent distillery dedicated to character-driven spirits and honest craftsmanship.
From late-night experiments to a real-deal distillery.
Before there were labels, bar placements, or tasting room hours, there were hand-written mash bills and a secondhand still that took three people to move. Weeknights were for reading, weekends were for boiling water, checking cuts, and waking the neighbors.
Friends stopped by for “quality control” and left honest feedback: keep this, lose that, never make that again. The dog—already called “fat dog” by everyone—claimed a spot near the warmest pipe and refused to budge.
Those early batches taught us what we still believe: flavor comes from patience, attention, and a willingness to dump a batch that doesn't live up to the last one.
No tasting room, no signage—just a roll-up door, a borrowed forklift, and a group of friends determined to build something worth pouring twice.
Why we put a dog front and center on a bottle of vodka.
The “fat dog” was a rescue with a barrel chest, a crooked underbite, and a habit of falling asleep against the warmest equipment in the room. He had no pedigree, no papers, and zero interest in impressing anyone—and that felt like the right energy for what we were building.
Naming the distillery after him was a reminder: stay grounded, stay playful, and don't take yourself too seriously—no matter how serious you are about what's inside the glass.
Today, “fat dog” stands for spirits that are approachable, meticulously made, and best enjoyed in good company—whether that's around a bar, a fire pit, or a kitchen counter after midnight.
The way we make spirits (and why it's a little slower).
We could cut corners, speed up fermentations, or chase volume. Instead, we chose a different path: fewer SKUs, fewer batches, more attention per drop.
Grain & water, chosen on purpose.
We start with grain we can trace and partners we can visit. Local when it makes sense, regional when it doesn't—but always transparent about where it comes from.
- Vodka
- 100% corn
- Gin
- Grain base + botanicals
Slow runs, careful cuts.
Every run is monitored the old-fashioned way: with instruments, experience, and a lot of nosing and tasting. If a cut isn't right, it doesn't go in the bottle.
- Vodka runs
- Triple distilled
- Filtration
- Charcoal-polished
Blending, resting, and signing off.
Before any batch ships, it rests, it's tasted by multiple palates, and it's signed off by the distiller who made it. Some barrels never make it. That's part of the job.
- Barrel series
- Numbered releases
- Review
- Panel-tasted
Still small, still independent, still chasing better bottles.
We built fatdogspirits to be the kind of distillery we wanted to drink from: transparent, human, and obsessed with flavor over fads. We don't plan to outgrow that.
The lineup will evolve—new botanicals, new barrels, new collaborations—but our north star stays the same: make spirits that feel personal, not generic.
Get the next chapter first.
New releases, behind-the-scenes notes, and stories from the warehouse—no spam, no hard sells.