Griffin Claw Brewing Company
Overview of the Distillery
Griffin Claw is a Michigan-based microbrewery and distillery with two taprooms in Metro Detroit. Founded in 2013, the company started out from a range of award-winning IPAs and has since expanded to also produce its own spirits range and a hard cider line. Taprooms in Birmingham and Rochester Hills combine food from their own kitchen with cocktails, whiskey flights and bottle sales of their own spirits.
History
The history starts in 2010 in Birmingham, where submitted IPAs from the brewery’s backing brewery won top prizes at the World Beer Cup and sparked the desire to establish a brewery. In 2013, Bonnie LePage and Mary Nicholson founded Griffin Claw Brewing Company with the goal of brewing high-quality beverages, building a strong team, and supporting the local community. At the opening, the company also embarked on a distillation program so brewery and distillery products could complement each other. Since then, the company has grown to two locations in Metro Detroit and developed a hard cider brand, Blackgrass Cider. In 2020 Griffin Claw implemented technology to capture and reuse CO2 to reduce emissions and ensure supply for carbonation and packaging.
Raw Materials and Production
The production combines brewery and distillery traditions. Several of the whiskey recipes use rye; Rail District Rye is produced as 100% rye malt whiskey. The company notes the use of a mash filter in connection with Rail District Rye to achieve a smoother texture. Details about distillation equipment and fermentation times are not elaborated, but several spirits are made as single barrel releases or blends. Some bottles are prepared with infusions (e.g., coffee, grapefruit, peach) before or after aging. Taprooms also serve as sales and tasting platforms, where guests can order whiskey flights and purchase bottles to go.
Aging and Barrel Types
The aging is described primarily as based on charred or new oak barrels. Several products are stated to be aged in charred new oak or in fresh oak, and the company uses a climate-controlled Barrel House for aging and monitoring. In some variants traditional aging is combined with infusions of fruit or coffee before bottling.
Whiskeys
The range covers both traditional American whiskey types and flavored variants. Core items include Rail District Rye and Flying Buffalo Bourbon, as well as a Barrel Strength edition. There are also seasonal and flavored variants such as Night Owl Coffee Whiskey, Grapefruit Rye, Peach Whiskey and Screamin' Pumpkin in various aging ages. The products are sold as poured drinks in taprooms, as part of whiskey flights and as bottles to go.
| Whiskey | Type / Series | Alcohol | Age | Barrel and Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rail District Rye Whiskey | Rye Whiskey | 50 % | Charred new oak | 100% rye malt whiskey, aged in charred new oak; the recipe highlighted as enabled by the use of a mash filter. | Core Range | |
| Flying Buffalo Bourbon | Bourbon / High-rye whiskey | 50 % | Fresh oak barrels | Aged in fresh oak barrels; the amount of rye in the mash makes it a high-rye whiskey. | Core Range | |
| Night Owl Coffee Whiskey | Flavoured / Coffee whiskey | Single barrel American whiskey (base) | Made as equal parts single barrel American whiskey and Super Duper Cold Brew coffee, with sugar and vanilla added. | Core Range | ||
| Grapefruit Rye Whiskey | Flavoured Rye Whiskey | 40 % | 8 years | Not specified | Distilled with rye, aged 8 years and infused with grapefruit. | Seasonal/Limited |
| Peach Whiskey | Flavoured Whiskey | 40 % | Not specified | Fruit-infused whiskey with peach character; indicated as 80 proof. | Seasonal/Limited | |
| Screamin' Pumpkin Whiskey (2 Year) | Flavoured / Seasonal Whiskey | 40 % | 2 years | Not specified | Distilled from Screamin' Pumpkin Ale and spiced with pumpkin spice; available in variants aged 2 years and 6 years. | Seasonal/Limited |
| Barrel Strength Whiskey | Barrel Strength American Whiskey | 66.41 % | 7 years | Charred oak | Bottled at barrel strength (132.8 proof / 66.41% ABV) after 7 years aging in charred oak. | Limited |
Whisky Style and Flavor Profile
The whiskey selection ranges from fruity to spicy and coffee-infused. Grapefruit Rye brings citrus notes, Peach Whiskey has peach character, Night Owl Coffee Whiskey combines single barrel American whiskey with cold-brew coffee and vanilla, and the Screamin' Pumpkin series adds pumpkin spice. Across the range, charred/new oak serves as a consistent aging base.
Visit the Distillery
The public can visit two taprooms in Metro Detroit: Birmingham (575 South Eton Street) and Rochester Hills (2265 Crooks Rd). Both locations serve food from their own kitchen, have outdoor patios, and offer cocktails, beer, cider and their own spirits. Visitors can try whiskey flights, order cocktails or purchase bottles to go. The concrete opening hours are listed for each location, and Mondays are closed at both locations.
Opening hours are Birmingham: Tue 3:00–11:00 PM, Wed 3:00–11:00 PM, Thu–Sat 12:00–11:00 PM, Sun 12:00–10:00 PM. Rochester Hills: Tue–Wed 12:00–10:00 PM, Thu–Sat 12:00–11:00 PM, Sun 12:00–10:00 PM. Mondays closed.
Philosophy and Craft
The company operates with a mission to deliver high-quality drinks, build a strong team, and support the local community. There is a focus on inclusion in the product range and on combining brewery and distillery work. Investment in technologies such as CO2 recovery shows a priority on supply security and reducing the emissions footprint.
Sustainability
Implementation of Earthly Labs CiCi® technology to capture and reuse CO2 from the brewing process to reduce emissions and supply risk.
Latest News
Griffin Claw implements Earthly Labs technology to recycle CO2 – 2020-11-30
Griffin Claw implemented Earthly Labs' CiCi® technology to capture and reuse CO2 from the brewing process, reducing the emissions footprint and dependence on external CO2 deliveries.
2025 Flying Buffalo Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout Release – November 8 – 2025-10-29
Announcement of the Flying Buffalo Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout release in November 2025 in Birmingham and Rochester Hills, with several variants aged in bourbon barrels for nine months in the climate-controlled Barrel House.