Our story

Founded in 2016, Swilled Dog began as a small-batch cider company and has grown into one of West Virginia’s leading craft beverage brands, dedicated to crafting exceptional small-batch spirits. Our passion lies in creating premium whiskeys, bourbons, and gins that celebrate connection and community, where every pour tells a story and every sip gives back.

Our collections reflect our commitment to quality and sustainability. From the Adoption Series, featuring sourced, high-quality whiskey and bourbons, to our Innovation Series with one-of-a-kind creations, each bottle embodies our craftsmanship. We proudly use non-GMO corn from local farms and age our bourbons in American white oak barrels from West Virginia Great Barrel Company, capturing the essence of our region.

Swilled Dog’s spirits leave a lasting impression, telling the story of time, place, and purpose. As we look ahead, our spirits will continue building a legacy—one we proudly call Lucy’s Legacy, inspired by our rescue Border Collie, Lucy Pickles.

The Beginning
  •  Brooke and Brad experiment with making small batches of cider to refine recipes.
  • Brad and Brooke adopted Lucy Pickles.
  • The cider fun moved to the family basement and the basement was renovated into a full-fledged cidery.
  • The family plants a cider-specific apple orchard, incorporates as Swilled Dog, and makes giving back a huge part of our mission.
  • The Swilled Dog Logo is officially born, and designed by a WV artist. Lucy approves!
Okay, strap in! 2017 was a big year for Swilled Dog...
  • The first WV Scrumpy was bottled from foraged and donated apples from around WV. The cider goes on to win a silver medal at GLINTCAP - the world's largest cider competition.
  • Self-distribution begins and Brooke goes on sales calls with Daughter, Steele, in tow. Nana Debbie joined.
  • In April 2017, Swilled Dog signs with Mountain State Beverage to distribute across WV. West Virginia became wilder and more wonderful.
  • In September Caramel Apple cider pours at WVU football Stadium. Let's Go Mountaineers!
  • Online sales of Swilled Dog reached 38 (THIRTY EIGHT!) states.
  • Keeping true to our mission, we donated 2% of our total sales to charity.
  • Brooke was elected to the Board of Directors of the United States Association of Cider Makers (USACM).
  • Swilled Dog ciders debut in Western Virginia! Our sister state became wild and wonderful!
  • We leased a 20,000 sq ft facility in Upper Tract, West Virginia that we still call home today.
  • In true Swilled Dog fashion, we donated 3% of total sales to charity. Make more, give more.
  • In January, our Flagship (Walk The Dog, Pineapple, Wild Berry & Caramel Apple) and seasonal ciders became available in 12 oz cans. Koozies became wild and wonderful.
  • Upper Tract Production facility opens allowing us to increase capacity.
  • Upper Tract tasting room beckons craft beverage fans across the region. If you build it....
  • Brooke was elected as Vice President of the USACM and chair of the marketing committee. We guess they like her.
  • In October, Swilled Dog expanded distribution to FL & KY.
  • In growing, we needed a chief experience manager to craft a full brand experience for every guest. Welcome Kim!
  • During a time when the pandemic was shutting down tasting rooms across the country, our team found a way to adapt and innovate. We followed through with our plans to grow, invested even more in the business and doubled down on making great beverages.
  • This risky move paid off with our launch of Swilled Dog Spirits - a mix of ready-to-drink vodka sodas (pineapple and black cherry) and small-batch whiskeys.
  • The Whiskey Room opens, becoming the 2nd tasting experience in Upper Tract.
  • Swilled Dog Ready-to-drink cocktails are released. Perfect for any adventure.
  • In our first evaluation, every spirit submitted to the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition was awarded a medal - including the highly coveted Double Gold Medal and Gold Medals.
  • Sangria makes a splash at Disney! Our spring seasonal was featured at Epcot's International Festival of the Arts
  • The awards keep coming! We landed Gold for our Sherry Cask Finished Bourbon in the World Whiskies Competition.
  • The Barrel Strength Bourbon wins a 2nd Double Gold medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and our limited release Rye received a stellar rating by Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
  • We introduced a new Pours for Paws program, and raised our glasses and funds for a pawsome cause, helping spay/neuter over 30 furry friends. Through our partnership with Pilots to the Rescue, we soared to new heights, rescuing 17 dogs from an overcrowded shelter in WV so they could find their forever homes in MI.
  • Adding a dash of international flair to our recipe book, our distiller embarked on a spirited adventure to Amsterdam. He delved into the secrets of distillation, bringing back knowledge as rich and complex as our finest spirits.
  • Teaming up with Country Roads Trust, we bottled the essence of West Virginia into an exclusive bourbon collection. The debut release, 1863 WV Gold, vanished faster than a shooting star, sparking anticipation for our next release. Mountaineer fans, get ready to toast to tradition with our upcoming releases in 2024!
  • Shaking up the scene and stirring up excitement, we unveiled a tantalizing addition to our tasting room experience: cocktails!
  • Our CEO Brooke Glover was honored with the DISCUS Craft Distiller of the Year award.
  • Our spirits took home top medals, including bronze for our Barrel Strength Bourbon in the World Whiskies Awards. We also won Silver in the World Whiskies Awards for our 1863: The Place I Belong Bourbon.
  • We launched a new Pours for Paws program in our tasting room, helping spay/neuter over 30 pets locally.
  • In December, we sponsored a rescue flight with Pilots to the Rescue that saved 47 animals displaced by Hurricane Helene.
  • We also launched CommittedSpirits.com, making our bourbons available to fans in 45 states while supporting NIL and charitable causes.

Meet the team

Lucy Pickles, CFO (Chief fetching officer)

I wasn’t always the famous pup representing Swilled Dog. My journey began in a Tennessee puppy mill, where I lived in a tiny cage. My tail was docked to pass me off as an Australian shepherd, but I’m actually a border collie. The mill owners are now in jail, and my story didn’t end there.When the mill was shut down, I was sent to a shelter in New Orleans. I was adopted by a neglectful family and became extremely malnourished. After being rescued again, I was adopted by a family in Florida, but they needed a farm dog, not a chicken-chaser, so I ended up in a shelter again.I was scheduled to be euthanized, but a herding dog rescue group saved me. After two foster homes, I regained my health and learned to get along with other dogs. Brooke and Brad then found me, and after 8 homes in 7 months, I finally found my forever home. Now, I play with other Swilled mascots, chase squirrels, and beg for treats.Everyone deserves more treats. Swilled Dog for you and dog bones for me.

Brooke Glover

CEO & Co-Founder

Kim Kirk

Director of Marketing

Bryan Simmons

Distiller

Steve Czarnik

Cider Maker

Allie Gregory

Tasting Room Coordinator

David Malecki

Marketing Assistant