RiNo distillery calling it quits after 10 years

After nearly a decade of producing scratch-made spirits entirely in-house from its RiNo distillery and tasting room, The Block Distilling Co. announced plans to close in the coming months. 

News of the decision first leaked out after local press picked up on a letter the company sent to investors forecasting the news. Over the weekend, the company posted its plans more publicly on social media, featuring a picture of a dumpster fire. 

“The industry is in the dumps and unfortunately our timing sucked,” it read. “But let’s boogie together with discounted everything to go out in style.”

We’ve reached out to co-owner and head distiller Kraig Weaver, who has operated the family-run business with his brother, Kameron, and wife, Michelle, at 2990 Larimer St. since 2015, for additional details and what’s next but have yet to connect.

On paper, the company had enjoyed a good start. It was an early pioneer of Denver’s RiNo craft scene, releasing its first batch of whiskey — The Block’s Four Grain Straight Whiskey — in December 2019 to great acclaim. While whiskey was the company’s signature product, it also created highly rated vodka, seasonal gins, brandies and liqueurs, all of which were available in its full bar and tasting room as either straight pours or incorporated into classic-but-innovative cocktails. 

Over the years, The Block Distilling Co. raised some $3.4 million from investors, including a number of crowdsourcing campaigns using the Wefunder platform. Initial rounds focused on investing in the distillery’s production capabilities, and a later effort pointed to a desire to expand distribution to up to six additional states outside of Colorado.

In its pitch to investors at the time, the company boasted double-digit growth for five of its first six years. In a 2024 investor pitch, it reported over $5.2 million in cumulative sales since launch, with a 24% growth rate over 2023. But the economics, apparently, have changed. Drinking trends are shifting, with younger generations reportedly drinking less alcohol, citing health, sleep and other concerns.

Adding to these macro challenges is the company’s self-described commitment to “doing things the hard way.” The About Us page on its website is a manifesto for this philosophy.

“Starting a distillery is capital intensive; from the equipment required to distill to the time in barrels,” it reads. “There are a lot of business models out there and we don’t bash on the other models as long as deception is not part of the game. We just want you to know that our business model is to make everything in-house from start to finish.”

The distillery is known for selective sourcing of rye used in its whiskeys, initially focused purely on Colorado-grown grains, and later from a dedicated 720-acre family farm in Missouri. The Block’s members club distributed quarterly bottles of unique and rare releases, such as rose liqueur, amaro, cask-strength straight bourbon and peach brandy. In 2022, it launched a food truck called This is A Waffle Truck (TWAT), in partnership with chef Bryan Smith of Black and Delicate Baking, featuring waffles, pretzels and a caramel sauce made from the distillery’s whiskey.

The closure comes at a difficult time for Denver’s craft-beverage industry, with rising costs, changing drinking habits and a challenging market putting pressure on independent breweries, bars and distilleries. In March, the city’s first distillery pub, Denver Distillery, also closed.

The Block Distilling hasn’t announced a specific final closing date, saying only that it will wind down operations over the next three to four months. In the meantime, the distillery encourages customers to visit by offering unspecified drink specials, retail bottles and the promise of a little fun along the way.

“Stay tuned for discounted bottles, one off releases, big ol’ shindigs and as much shenanigans as we can fit into 3-4 months of wind down,” the company wrote on Instagram.

The Block Distilling Co is located at 2990 Larimer St. and is open from noon to 10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, from noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit theblockdistillingco.com.