Ann Arbor Distilling Company sits in a converted warehouse on Felch Street, just outside downtown Ann Arbor, bringing craft spirits production to a city better known for the University of Michigan than distilling. Founded in 2013 by Matt Moyer, who left a corporate career to pursue his passion for spirits, the distillery started as Ann Arbor’s first legal distillery since Prohibition. The operation began with Moyer working nights and weekends while keeping his day job, slowly building the business from the ground up in a 3,000-square-foot space that he gutted and rebuilt himself. Moyer’s journey into distilling started with homebrewing and evolved into a fascination with spirits production after taking courses at Michigan State University. What began as weekend experimentation turned into a full commitment when he realized Ann Arbor’s educated, adventurous population would embrace locally-made spirits. The early years meant doing everything himself – from mashing grain to bottling by hand to delivering cases to local bars in his personal vehicle. The distillery’s first product, a white whiskey, launched in 2014, followed by aged expressions as barrels matured. Today, you’ll find a working distillery that’s grown into its space but maintains that scrappy, hands-on feel. The tasting room occupies one end of the production facility, so you’re literally drinking next to the stills and fermentation tanks. Moyer and his small team produce vodka, gin, and whiskey, with everything from grain milling to bottling happening on-site. It’s not fancy – concrete floors, exposed ductwork, and the persistent smell of fermenting grain – but it’s authentic in a way that feels refreshing after visiting more polished operations.