Copperwing Distillery

Our Story – Copperwing Distillery is the story of three friends who come from the fields of engineering, medicine, and law. In 2014, Chris and Brian, who were former neighbors and fast friends, got to talking one night over cocktails. They speculated about what it would take to open their own micro-distillery and realized it was something within their reach. A short while later, Chris recruited Kyle, a former colleague and home brew hobbyist, to join the endeavor and Copperwing Distillery was born. Research and investments ensued. The guys found a warehouse space in St. Louis Park and set to work pursuing licenses, designing and building stills, and developing recipes for spirits. They did this in the hours after tucking their children into bed because all three had day jobs and family responsibilities. 

The original goal was to make great spirits for distribution, but it didn’t take long for sights to be set on something bigger. Focus shifted to creating a cocktail room, something that hadn’t been done before in St. Louis Park. Chris, Brian, and Kyle worked closely with the St. Louis Park mayor and city council to get zoning and licensing approval. They invested in industrial stills and cocktail room construction. Kyle resigned from his day job to take on the work of creating a distillery full time. As of today, the cocktail room is open, Copperwing’s spirits are on store shelves throughout Minnesota, and Copperwing Distillery is ready to welcome you. We hope you will become a part of our story.