Heart. soul. sustenance.

Dr. Jeff Dugas and John Cubelic began the Dread River journey in the spring of 2017. Their initial business concept was a small craft whiskey distillery, which has since evolved to include a bar and tasting room serving the full line of Dread River products, a full-service kitchen, merchandise store, and 4,000 sq. foot event space.

After two years of development and a jungle of red tape, the distillery opened in August 2019 with the goal of making genuinely excellent whiskey. Six months later, that goal was superseded by the global demand for sanitizer during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, on the other side of that unexpected detour, Dread River is picking back up where it left off, creating products worthy of celebration.

With years spent developing and growing into what we are now,  our mission has stayed the same. Dread River was founded to inspire you to share your stories -- overcome obstacles, live bravely, and drink deeply -- in the hopes that we can become a companion on your journey.  So, we offer you a glass. A toast to your accomplishments. Because we know your best stories are still yet to be written.