WINDON DISTILLING COMPANY // LYON RUM: FOUNDED 12/12/12, SAINT MICHAELS, MARYLAND. DISTILLING REMARKABLE, CANE-TO-GLASS, AMERICAN RUM. TASTING ROOM + SPIRIT SHOP OPEN DAILY.
LYON RUM is the flagship spirit of Windon Distilling Company, a cane-to-glass craft distillery located in Saint Michaels, Maryland, an Eastern Shore town in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay.
Founded in 2012, the distillery launched with a signature line of rums: LYON RUM is hand-crafted from start to finish, made from intentionally-sourced raw ingredients. Fermented from 100% Louisiana cane sugar & molasses, double-distilled in small pot stills, barreled, infused, and bottled by our team in the Old Mill. Our goal is to create a distinct & remarkable rums & rum liqueurs, while working to redefine the category of New American Rum and elevate the perception and appreciation of cane-based spirits.
Our Spirit Shop & Tasting Room (Suite #6) is open daily @ 11am, for complimentary samples. Also on site, located in Suite #8, the *new* Golden Hour {Rum Room} is our covert cocktail bar, private tasting room & stunning event space. Open every Saturday from 12-6pm, *most* Friday evenings, *some* Thursday afternoons, and by reservation. Contact us to plan your visit.
JAIME WINDON, FOUNDER/PRESIDENT, WINDON DISTILLING CO // LYON RUM
Founder Jaime Windon has a lifelong habit of saying yes to crazy ideas and falling head-over-heels in love with new things. Her curiosity and love of learning took her all over the US, where she spent many years working in the hospitality industry as a bartender, before cavorting around the globe as a journalist and photographer. Traveling through Europe, India and the Caribbean, and living in London & Kenya, broadened her knowledge of, and affinity for, obscure and rare flavors. Jaime loves twists on classics, will gladly tell you how to make a flawless Rum Old Fashioned (the inspiration for LYON Rock & Rum), a Rum Negroni, or the perfect Classic Daiquiri. She believes that there is a rum for all occasions, and loves introducing remarkable and innovative American rum to everyone she meets.
Intrigued by the resurgence of small-scale craft distilling, and always fueled by the desire to create something new & notable, Jaime is proud to have had a hand in reviving the illustrious history of Maryland distilling. She currently oversees operations & sales at the distillery, and works constantly to promote and grow the craft spirits industry. These days you can find her in the Golden Hour slinging drinks and cracking jokes.
A founding member and inaugural president of the Maryland Distillers Guild, Jaime serves as the current chair of the Government Affairs Committee. She was recently appointed chair of the Advisory Commission on Maryland Alcohol Manufacturing by Governor Wes Moore. Nationally, she serves as Vice President on the American Craft Spirits Association Board of Directors and the National Small Business Association Leadership Council. In recent years she served on the DISCUS Craft Advisory Council, the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce, and completed two terms as a town commissioner in Saint Michaels.
The LYON RUM production team is currently comprised of a passionate crew of rum lovers, rum makers, & rum runners. Our collaborative goal is to create incredible, one-of-a-kind spirits – spreading the RUM LOVE by delighting, educating, entertaining & welcoming visitors to our Booze Factory.
{ OUR TEAM }
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- Brett Steigerwaldt, Head Distiller
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- Jessi Windon Collins, VP Sales, Rum Runner
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- Erika, Rum Runner, Rumtender + Distiller
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- Nic McMorris, Distiller/Lead Fermentation
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- Helen, Bottling
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- Willoughby, Shop, Markets, Events
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- Crystal, Shop, Markets, Events
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- Sarah, Spirit Shop Rumtender
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- Amanda, Markets & Events
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- Marisol, Spirit Shop
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- Jade, Markets, Shop, Distilling Team
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- THE RUM RUNNER VAN
LYON RUM AWARDED GOLD & SILVER MEDALS:
BEST IN CLASS RUM 2025 AMERICAN CRAFT SPIRITS ASSOCIATION, SAILORS RESERVE RUM
LYON RUM was named the Best Craft Rum Distillery in the USA TODAY 10Best contest 4x: 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020
OUR 5YR VIDEO [2017]
RB WOLFENSBERGER & MEGHAN BROWN, OWNERS OF GRAY WOLF SPIRITS.
In 2016, Gray Wolf Spirits – owned by husband & wife team RB Wolfensberger & Meghan Brown – launched their own distinct line of spirits, which they produce on-site, alongside LYON RUM. You can find Gray Wolf Spirits at liquor stores throughout MD & DC, and at an ever-growing list of farmers’ markets, festivals & events throughout Maryland. Click here for more information.