Another U.S. liquor brand files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

A.M. Scott Distillery, an Ohio-based craft liquor company, is the latest U.S. spirits brand to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.​

What brand filed?

• The filing involves A.M. Scott Distillery LLC, which operates Scotty’s Bottle Parlor in the Troy/Dayton area of Ohio.​

• The company produces vodka, whiskey, gin, and bourbon and began operations in 2022, with its first full collection released in 2023.​

Bankruptcy details

• A.M. Scott Distillery filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio (Dayton), case number 3:25-bk-32562.​

• The filing date is December 22, 2025, and the company is listed as a debtor in possession, meaning it aims to keep operating while it restructures its debts.​

Reasons and context

• The business has faced financial strain alongside legal troubles involving its founder, Anthony Michael Scott, who has been indicted on felony charges unrelated to the bankruptcy filing, according to local reporting.​

• A.M. Scott joins a growing list of U.S. distilleries and liquor brands, such as Westward Whiskey and Boston Harbor Distillery, that have turned to Chapter 11 in the past two years amid industry-wide cost pressures and softer demand.​

Several U.S. liquor and craft spirits companies sought Chapter 11 protection in 2025, mostly to restructure rather than liquidate.​

Notable Chapter 11 filings in 2025

• A.M. Scott Distillery (Ohio) – Craft producer of vodka, gin, and bourbon; filed voluntary Chapter 11 on December 22, 2025, in the Southern District of Ohio, aiming to keep operating while restructuring debts.​

• Luca Mariano Distillery (Kentucky) – U.S. whiskey distillery that entered Chapter 11 in late November 2025 to reorganize its liabilities while continuing limited operations at its visitor facilities.​

• Dented Brick Distillery (Utah) – Salt Lake City craft distiller (vodka, gin, whiskey) whose parent company, Salt Lake City Distillery LLC, filed Chapter 11 on July 10, 2025, listing up to 50,000 dollars in assets and up to 10 million dollars in debts.​

• Devils River Distillery LLC / Devils River Whiskey (Texas) – San Antonio-based whiskey brand that filed Chapter 11 on May 1, 2025, to reorganize under Subchapter V while continuing distribution of its bourbon and rye portfolio.​​

• House Spirits Distillery LLC (Westward Whiskey, Oregon) – Maker of Westward Whiskey that filed voluntary Chapter 11 under Subchapter V on April 6, 2025, in the District of Delaware, citing overexpansion and a softer U.S. spirits market.​

• Boston Harbor Distillery (Massachusetts) – Craft distillery producing whiskey, rum, gin, and liqueurs that filed for Chapter 11 protection on March 31, 2025, to reorganize rather than shut down.​

• JJ Pfister Distilling Co. (California) – Sacramento spirits producer that closed its distillery and tasting room in late 2024 and then filed Chapter 11 in May 2025 to handle creditor claims and market its assets.​

Context for 2025 filings

• Trade pressures, excess capacity after a post-pandemic boom, and softer demand for traditional spirits relative to RTDs and non-alcoholic options have been cited as drivers behind these restructurings.​

• Many of these companies are using Chapter 11 to stay open while renegotiating debt, rather than immediately liquidating, although some (like JJ Pfister) have already ceased production or tasting-room operations.​