Left to Right: David Wallace, Heidi Bolger, Sarah Anderson, Richard Anderson.
Springdale Township, Michigan — January 7, 2026 — Iron Fish Distillery today announced a planned transition in ownership. Co-founders Richard Anderson and Sarah Anderson have agreed to sell their ownership interest to fellow co-founders David Wallace and Heidi Bolger. The transaction was completed effective December 31, 2025.
Founded in 2016, Iron Fish Distillery has grown into Michigan’s leading farm-based craft distillery, welcoming hundreds of thousands of guests to its agricultural destination while expanding distribution across Michigan and into multiple out-of-state markets. Over the past decade, the four co-founders worked collaboratively to shape the brand’s identity, build a nationally recognized visitor destination, develop an estate-distilled spirits program rooted in agriculture, and establish a growing wholesale and direct-to-consumer footprint.
“Creating Iron Fish has been a privilege and one of the most meaningful chapters of our lives,” said Richard and Sarah Anderson. “We are deeply proud of what the team has built—of the brand, the culture, the connection to agriculture, and the community that has grown around this place. We believe Iron Fish is well positioned for its next chapter and for continued success under David and Heidi’s leadership.”
David Wallace and Heidi Bolger, who will continue as sole owners following the transaction, expressed appreciation for the partnership that shaped the business. “Iron Fish exists today because of the shared vision, dedication, and collaboration of all four founders,” they said in a joint statement.
“We are grateful for everything Richard and Sarah have contributed and look forward to building on that foundation as the company moves ahead.”
As part of the transition, Sarah Anderson supported a year-end operational handoff, and Richard Anderson will remain briefly in early 2026 to assist with the transition of key wholesale, industry, and community relationships.
Iron Fish Distillery will continue its consistent year over year growth in end destination, production of brown spirits, and distribution operations without interruption, supported by an experienced leadership team and a deep bench of talent across the organization. Estate whiskey production, craft cocktails, tours, events, and multi-state distribution—including its longstanding partnership with Imperial Beverage in Michigan—remain central to the company’s day-to-day operations and long-term vision.
About Iron Fish Distillery
Established in 2016, Iron Fish Distillery stands as Michigan’s first farm distillery, cultivating grains, distilling spirits, and aiming to perfect the art of barrel-finishing sourced whiskey. This third party environmentally audited working farm and distillery attracts over 150, 000 guests annually to the agricultural destination, reborn on a long-abandoned 120-acre farm located in rural Springdale Township in Manistee County.
Named for the Steelhead that journeys up the nearby Betsie River, every step of the Iron Fish soil-to-spirit process occurs onsite. The process starts in farm fields where the distillery grows and harvests its own grain. Milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, and barrel aging is on full display for visitors. Iron Fish also carefully sources bourbon for finishing in barrels from around the world. To date, their library of aged spirits exceeds 2,500 barrels.
Iron Fish Distillery’s vision is to be a beloved legacy distillery leaving the land and community a better place than they found it.
For questions email info@ironfishdistillery.com
More information, visit www.ironfishdistillery.com
