The Toledo Spirits Company sits in a converted warehouse at 1301 N Summit Street, bringing craft distilling to Ohio’s Glass City for the first time in decades. Founded in 2014 by Mike Deters and his business partner, this operation started as a dream between friends who wanted to create something uniquely Toledo. Deters, a former automotive engineer, spent years perfecting recipes in his garage before they found this 8,000-square-foot space in the Uptown district. They officially opened their doors in 2016 after navigating the complex world of federal and state licensing, becoming Toledo’s first legal distillery since Prohibition. The facility houses a 500-gallon copper pot still from Vendome Copper & Brass Works, the same company that builds stills for Kentucky’s legendary distilleries. They focus on small-batch bourbon, rye whiskey, and vodka, with plans that were always bigger than their initial setup suggested. The building itself has character – exposed brick walls, high ceilings, and industrial touches that feel authentically Toledo rather than artificially rustic. You can see the entire operation from the tasting room, which wasn’t an accident in the design.
