Brella Beverage buys Chicago Distilling Co
Co-packing specialist Brella Beverage has purchased Chicago Distilling Company’s portfolio of spirits brands.
Husband-and-wife duo Jay and Noelle DiPrizio established Chicago Distilling Company in 2010 in Logan Square with the aim of creating spirits made from locally sourced grains.
The distillery produces spirits including Finns gin, Ceres Vodka and Blind Tiger whiskey, and the flagship Chicago Distilling brand.
Through the deal, Chicago-based Brella Beverage will own the Chicago Distilling Company portfolio and scale the brands through its manufacturing, distribution, and operational platform.
Production, brand development, and expansion efforts will also be supported by Brella’s Illinois-based infrastructure.
Jay DiPrizio will continue to independently produce hemp-based sparkling water brand HiLo and a range of whiskeys.
Brella Beverage plans to expand its operational capacity through a ‘significant investment’ in production facilities in Illinois, which will create jobs across manufacturing, logistics, and brand operations.
The deal is said to strengthen Brella’s position as a ‘next-generation adult beverage company focused on combining manufacturing scale with established, authentic brands’.
Chicago Distilling’s tasting room and bar on North Milwaukee Avenue has also permanently shut and its website has been taken down.
The craft distilling sector is in a challenging period with sales declining due to current economic headwinds and an increase in costs on everything from materials to taxes.
In 2024, the US craft spirits category declined for the second year in a row in line with the wider spirits market, falling by both volume and value. The sector fell to 12.7 million cases last year (versus 13.5m in 2023) and US$7.58 billion in sales – a volume decrease of 6.1% and a value drop of 3.3%.
According to the latest Craft Spirits Data Project, there were 44 active craft spirits distilleries in Chicago as of August 2025. There are 2,282 craft producers across the US.
Fellow Chicago producer Few Spirits was acquired by Heaven Hill Brands in 2023.
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