Our Story
The Whiskey Factory is a premier event venue and part of a working spirits distillery in Detroit. Our mixed-use event space serves the revolutionaries of this great American city and the individuals supporting these change-makersâfrom the corporate companies who value the city and its heritage to the artists, entrepreneurs and creatives that are a reminder of the soul of the city that has never left.
The Whiskey Factory is home to Detroit City Distillery, creator of small-batch artisanal whiskeys, gins and vodkas made from the finest local ingredients sourced directly from farms near this historic location. We are bringing back this timeless craft at the historic site that has long served as the epicenter of alcohol production in Detroit. Once the site of Goebelâs Brewery and Strohâs Ice Cream, The Whiskey Factoryâs distinguished history creates an ambiance of heritage in this urban two-story brick house distillery.
The Whiskey Factory was a long-dormant building at 1000 Maple, located just off Gratiot Avenue between Downtown Detroit and Eastern Market. It is the last remaining historic structure at the site that largely defined Detroitâs brewing legacy. Brewing at the site goes as far back as the 1930âs when Goebel Brewing Company built a massive brewery to compete with Strohâs Brewery, Detroitâs largest brewery at the time. The breweries were located directly across the street from one another. Shortly after Strohâs acquired Goebelâs in the 1960âs, the building was converted to a factory to produce Strohâs Ice Cream, a successful business created out of necessity during the days of Prohibitionâwhen producing alcohol was illegal.
Today weâve returned this special place to its origins. We are reviving the long history of alcohol production at the site that created it all, and we invite you to be part of history with us.
