Rusted Crow Distillery sits on Telegraph Road in Dearborn Heights, bringing craft spirits to Detroit’s western suburbs. Founded by Dave Landrum, a former automotive engineer who traded pistons for pot stills, the distillery opened its doors in 2018 after years of planning and navigating Michigan’s evolving craft distillery laws. The operation runs out of a converted industrial space that Landrum and his team transformed into a working distillery and tasting room, complete with custom copper stills and aging barrels. Landrum’s journey from the auto industry to craft distilling reflects Detroit’s broader economic transformation. After decades in automotive manufacturing, he saw an opportunity to create something tangible and lasting in the spirits world. The transition wasn’t easy—convincing banks to fund a distillery startup, learning the intricacies of federal and state regulations, and building a customer base from scratch. But Landrum’s engineering background proved valuable in designing efficient production systems and maintaining consistent quality control. Today, Rusted Crow produces bourbon, rye, and vodka on-site, with a focus on small-batch production that allows for experimentation and quality control. The tasting room offers visitors a chance to sample spirits straight from the source while watching the production process unfold. It’s not the most polished operation you’ll find, but there’s something authentic about tasting spirits where they’re actually made, with the founder often behind the bar explaining his process and philosophy.