About Us

The Schulten family welcomes you to Fifth State Distillery where an honest days work creates an honest spirit. Owned and operated by the family, the integrity of farm to bottle is strictly honored and maintained. The distillery produces the flagship gin, vodka, whiskey, and specialty spirits.

The spirits made reflect the tenacious spirit of the early Connecticut distillers. We are proud to be the first licensed distillery in Bridgeport Connecticut since Prohibition. The Eastern seaboard and primarily Connecticut was once a land of smugglers, bootleggers, and moonshiners. During prohibition the proximity to Canada was also very tempting to enterprising gangs of spirits makers and sellers. Times have changed and now the Schulten family makes spirits enjoyed in numerous countries.

The rise of distilleries in Connecticut, the fifth state of the union, comes not only from the colorful history of liquor manufacturing but also from the bounty of rich corn and grains abundant in the Nutmeg state as Connecticut is known. It also comes from a great entrepreneurial spirit that draws farmers and distillers to the amazing bounty of herbs, botanicals, and other spirit flavorings that grow in Connecticut.

At Fifth State Distillery we proudly hand select corn for distilling from partner-farmers. Many of our partners are 3rd and 4th generation farm families. We believe craft spirits start with the proper management of farmlands and the sustainable enriching of the soils while adhering to a crop rotation that “cures the land” each harvest.