Tucked in the heart of Eastern Market, Detroit City Distillery (DCD) has been raising a glass to the Motor City’s resilience and spirit for 10 years. This year marked a major milestone for the distillery founded by eight friends who decided to bring an old-world craft into a new era — one batch, one bottle, one bold idea at a time. DCD (detroitcitydistillery.com) creates small-batch artisanal whiskey, gin and vodka using the finest local ingredients sourced directly from nearby farms.
The story began not in a boardroom, but around a campfire party where whiskey flowed freely and ideas even more so. Among those friends was J.P. Jerome, now master distiller and co-owner, whose background in brewing at Bell’s Brewery and scientific training at Michigan State University gave the group the technical chops to turn their whiskey-fueled dream into reality.
“We all had different backgrounds — lawyers, accountants, science nerds — but we were all into craft spirits,” Jerome says. “We knew we wanted to be in Detroit, and more specifically, Eastern Market. There’s history here, energy. It’s a place where people come to buy local and connect.”
That authenticity runs through everything DCD does. From the start, they’ve made it their mission to distill everything in-house using Michigan-grown grains — about 95 percent of it local. That’s no easy feat when manufacturing in a city still rebuilding itself. But the DCD team leaned in, determined to not just represent Detroit in name, but in every sip of what they make.
Their first spirits — a couple of vodkas, a gin and their flagship Bloodline American whiskey — were crafted in a modest space behind their Eastern Market cocktail bar. Today, they’ve expanded operations to the historic Stroh’s ice cream factory, now reimagined as The Whiskey Factory, where most of their production, aging and tours happen.
As for what’s in the bottle? DCD’s product line has exploded over the years, with standout regulars like Butcher’s Cut Bourbon (the label features Jerome’s grandfather, a former Eastern Market butcher, whose shop was on the same site Jerome built the distillery), Railroad Gin and Paczki Day Vodka — a customer favorite infused with raspberry paczki from New Palace Bakery in Hamtramck. Detroit City Distillery creates small batch artisanal whiskey, gin and vodka using the finest local ingredients sourced directly from farms near their distillery and tasting room located in Detroit's famed Eastern Market.
But Detroit City Distillery is about more than award-winning spirits — it’s about building community.
“We always knew we had to be authentic,” Jerome says. “We didn’t want to fake it or slap a Detroit label on something made elsewhere. That’s why we give back.”
And give back they do — whether it’s donating hundreds of bottles, tours and merch to local fundraisers, or launching custom collaborations for causes like Bees in the D and Detroit Dog Rescue. The dog rescue partnership alone raised thousands of dollars through limited-edition bottles — $40 from each sale going directly to the nonprofit.
To mark their 10th anniversary, DCD opened their vault of one-off spirits and merch, donating all the proceeds to charities rooted in the Eastern Market neighborhood.
“We’re proud to have created 25 jobs over 10 years,” Jerome says. “That’s the kind of impact that matters.”
Visitors today can explore DCD through three distinct experiences: the original tasting room with its high-end craft cocktails; a behind-the-scenes distillery tour at The Whiskey Factory; or the ever-popular Blend Your Own Bourbon session, where guests sample from four distinct barrels, mix their own unique blend and bottle it to take home, label and all.
There’s also The Whiskey Club, a members-only crew of hardcore fans who get exclusive bottles, merch and access to four annual events, sometimes featuring a live barrel-making demonstration.
“They’re our diehards,” Jerome says. “They’ve been with us from the beginning.”
As DCD looks toward the next decade, the team remains focused on continuing to be a place where people come for the spirits but stay for the stories.
“Expect an authentic experience,” Jerome says. “This is something you really can't get very many places outside of Kentucky. But it's right here. It's local.”
Detroit City Distillery is planning an open house on Thursday, June 26, from 4 until 7 p.m. Regular tasting room hours and information on booking tours or Blend Your Own sessions can be found at detroitcitydistillery.com.