Spirits · Chicago, Illinois
Letherbee Distillers
A bartender-founded Chicago distillery known for bold, herbal gins and bitters.
- Founded
- 2012
- Founded by
- Brenton Engel
- Based in
- Chicago, Illinois
Their story
Letherbee is the work of Brenton Engel, a Chicago bartender who started making spirits as a home hobby in 2007. Working behind the bar at places like Lula Cafe taught him how herbs and spices fit together, and he set out to make the gin he wanted to pour.
The flagship Letherbee Gin came out in 2012 and quickly found a following among Chicago bartenders. The distillery has since added a fernet, a barrel-aged absinthe, Bësk (a fierce Swedish-style bitter), and seasonal Vernal and Autumnal gins that change recipe with each release.
How it's made
The original gin is built on 11 botanicals, with fennel and licorice giving it a noticeable anise note. Letherbee skips chill filtration so the botanical oils stay in the spirit, which is why it turns cloudy over ice. The seasonal gins use new botanical blends every time.
Our featured pick
Vernal Seasonal Gin (750ML)
$45.00
A distinctive spirit to enjoy neat, over ice, or in a favorite cocktail.
Shop Letherbee Distillers
3 in stock
When you chill filter a spirit you're removing flavor
Why we carry them
We think Letherbee is one of the most characterful gins around, made by someone who thinks like a bartender. Try it in a gimlet or a martini.
More makers like this
All makers-
10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Co.
Vail, Colorado
Colorado whiskey honoring the WWII ski soldiers who trained near Vail.
-
10th Street Distillery
San Jose, California
American single malt whisky, engineered in San Jose by two Silicon Valley friends.
-
1792 Distillery
Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown bourbon named for the year Kentucky became a state.
Find more makers like this in Provisions Club, our curated subscription.
Explore Provisions Club