Restless Spirits Distilling Company, LLC.
About the Distillery
Restless Spirits is located at 109 E. 18th Avenue in North Kansas City, blending Irish heritage with American craftsmanship. The distillery produces gin, vodka, poitín, and several types of whiskies — from blended Irish variants to a local single malt — and is noted for pot-still distillation, cask finishes, and small-scale experiments.
History
The idea behind Restless Spirits is rooted in stories of Irish immigrants and their craft, with reference to the contributions that shaped Kansas City as early as the 1890s. From this heritage, the company has assembled a lineup that both honors imported Irish whiskeys and develops its own distillate locally. The website highlights an Irish-American identity and a desire to blend tradition with local barrel-aging methods in production.
Raw materials and production
Production includes a range of spirit types: gin, vodka, poitín, as well as both blended and single malt whiskies. The malt whisky is produced in traditional pot stills and distilled twice. In the blends, the house malt whisky is combined with fully aged imported Irish whiskey. For the gins, hand-picked botanicals are used, with Builders Botanical Gin explicitly described as having a citrus-forward composition. The distillery's approach combines traditional pot-still techniques with American barrel methods and small-scale, handmade production.
Aging and cask types
Cask management plays a clear role: some products are aged in bourbon casks, and several whiskies subsequently use finishes in other casks, for example an apple brandy finish on Sons of Erin 15-Year. Gullytown single malt is aged in both new charred oak and oak bourbon casks to combine the influence of two different cask regimes. In addition, there are cask finishes and experiments in the gin range.
Whiskeys
The range covers both classic and more niche products: several gins (Builders Botanical, Builders Heritage, barrel-finished gin), a vodka (Duffy's Run), a poitín (Padraig's Rebellion), and several whiskies — from the four-year-old Sons of Erin and Stone Breaker blends to a 15-year special edition and the Gullytown single malt. The products show a balance between Irish ingredients and locally produced American barrel work, with several barrel experiments and simple, named variants as core offerings.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Age | Cask & Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sons of Erin 15-Year Irish Whiskey™ | Irish Whiskey | 15 Year | Bourbon cask and Apple brandy cask; finish: A 15-year-old aged in bourbon casks, then finished in an apple brandy cask | A 15-year-old expression aged in bourbon casks and finished in an apple brandy finish; highlights green apples, honey, and pot-still texture. Nose: Delicate green apple notes; Palate: Honey-sweetness and rich pot-still texture; Finish: Long finish with lingering green apples | Current; Core range |
| Sons of Erin Irish Whiskey™ | Irish Whiskey | 4 Year | A four-year-old Irish whiskey, offered as part of the range with reference to Irish pot-still texture. | Current; Core range | |
| Stone Breaker Blended Whiskey™ | Blended Whiskey | A blend of four-year-old fully aged imported Irish whiskey and house malt whisky, where the local malt is double distilled in traditional pot stills. | Current; Core range | ||
| Cinnamon Stone Breaker Whiskey™ | Flavoured Whiskey | A spiced version of Stone Breaker with cinnamon and warm spices. | Current | ||
| Gullytown Whiskey™ | Single Malt | New charred oak and Oak bourbon cask; finish: One of two finishes, Gullytown is aged in both new charred oak and oak bourbon cask and One of two finishes for Gullytown single malt | Kansas City's single malt, aged in two different cask regimes (new charred oak and oak bourbon cask) to combine character from both casks. | Current; Core range | |
| Duffy's Run Vodka™ | Vodka | A vodka in the lineup described as a 'hard-working' spirit, inspired by the history of Duffy’s Cut. | Current; Core range | ||
| Builders Botanical Gin™ | Gin | A handcrafted botanical gin with a described 'refreshing citrus blend'. | Current; Core range | ||
| Builders Heritage Dry Gin™ | Gin | A dry gin in the Builders family, marketed for classic cocktails such as martini or G&T. | Current | ||
| Builders Barrel Finished Gin™ | Gin | Barrel finish; finish: Barrel-finished gin | A gin that is finished in a wood barrel to give a different character than traditional gin. | Current | |
| Padraig's Rebellion Poitin™ | Poitin | A powerful, traditionally inspired poitín dedicated to Padraig Pearse and the Irish rebellion tradition. | Current |
The styles and flavor profiles of the whiskies
From the documented lineup, several recurring flavor notes emerge: the Sons of Erin 15-Year highlights green apples and honey sweetness; the gins note citrus flavors; and the Stone Breaker variant with cinnamon points toward warm spices. These elements — fresh fruit, honey sweetness, citrus, and spicy warmth — recur across different products and relate to both cask finishes and botanical choices.
Visiting the Distillery
Public visits are welcome by advance booking: tours are held on Saturdays between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM and require reservation by phone or online booking link. The distillery has regular hours Tuesday–Thursday and Friday–Saturday, and the venue can be rented for events and meetings. During the tour, visitors can sample selected products.
The stated hours are Sun–Mon: Closed; Tue–Thu: 2–7 PM; Fri–Sat: 2–9 PM. Tours: Saturdays 3:00–7:00 PM by reservation.
Philosophy and craft
Restless Spirits combines an explicit respect for Irish tradition with an American approach to barrels and aging. The company emphasizes handcrafted production, carefully selected raw materials, and maintaining a craft DNA inspired by earlier generations.