Description of Business

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Description of Business

1. Description of Business

Eastside Distilling, Inc. (“Eastside” or the “Company”) is an Oregon-based producer and marketer of craft spirits, founded in 2008. Our products span several alcoholic beverage categories, including bourbon, American whiskey, vodka, and rum. Unlike many, if not most, distillers, we operate several retail tasting rooms in Oregon to market our brands directly to consumers. Our growth strategy is to build on our local base in the Pacific Northwest and expand selectively to other markets by using major spirits distributors, such as Southern Glazer Wines and Spirits, and regional distributors that focus on craft brands. As a small business in the large, international spirits marketplace populated with massive conglomerates, we are innovative in exploiting new trends with our products, for example, our Coffee Rum with cold brew coffee and low sugar and our gluten-free potato vodka. In December 2016 we retained Sandstrom Partners (an internationally known spirit branding firm that branded St Germain and Bulleit Bourbon) to guide our marketing strategy and branding. Sandstrom Partners subsequently became an investor in our Company. We seek to be both a leader in creating spirits that offer better value than comparable spirits, for example our value-priced Portland Potato Vodka, and an innovator in creating imaginative spirits that offer a unique taste experience, for example our cold-brewed Coffee Rum, Oregon oak aged whiskeys, Marionberry Whiskey and Peppermint Bark holiday liqueur. On May 1, 2017, we acquired 90% of the ownership of Big Bottom Distillery (“BBD”) for its excellent, award winning range of super premium gins and whiskeys, including The Ninety One Gin, Navy Strength Gin, Oregon Gin, Delta Rye and initial production of American Single Malt Whiskey. BBD’s super premium spirits will expand our tasting room offerings and give us a presence at the “high end” of the market. In addition, through MotherLode Craft Distillery (“MotherLode”), our wholly-owned subsidiary acquired in March 2017, we also provide contract bottling and packaging services for existing and emerging spirits producers, some of whom contract with us to blend or distill spirits. MotherLode has also launched a new canning line of Ready-to-Drink (RTD) products, primarily designed for the wine and pre-mixed alcoholic drink industry. As a publicly-traded craft spirit producer, we have access to the public capital markets to support our long-term growth initiatives, including strategic acquisitions.

We currently sell our products in 25 states (Oregon, California, Washington, Florida, New York, Illinois, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming) as well as Washington D.C. and Ontario, Canada. The Company also generates revenue from tastings, tasting room tours, private parties, and merchandise sales from its facilities in Oregon. The Company is subject to the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).