Heritage Distilling Holding Company, Inc. Common Stock (CASK) S-1/AIPO registration (amended)

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 8, 2024.

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

__________________________________________

Amendment No. 5
to
FORM S-1
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

__________________________________________

HERITAGE DISTILLING HOLDING COMPANY, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

__________________________________________

9668 Bujacich Road
Gig Harbor, Washington 98332
(253) 509-0008

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

__________________________________________

Justin Stiefel
Chief Executive Officer
9668 Bujacich Road
Gig Harbor, Washington 98332
(253) 509-0008

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

__________________________________________

Copies to:

__________________________________________

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement is declared effective.

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, check the following box: ☒

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

The information in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following information about these risks, together with the other information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus, including our financial statements, the notes thereto and the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” before deciding to invest in our securities. The occurrence of any of the following risks could have a material and adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects, as well as our ability to accomplish our strategic objectives. As a result, the trading price of our securities could decline, and you could lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations and stock price.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Capital Needs

We have a history of losses, anticipate increasing our operating expenses in the future and may not achieve or maintain profitability in the future.

We have a history of operating losses, including operating losses of $4,524,562, $11,264,559 and $11,827,342 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and have incurred net losses in each year since our inception other than in 2021, the year in which we sold a controlling interest in our B S B — B rown S ugar B ourbon (“Flavored Bourbon”) brand. We had an accumulated deficit of $66,442,262 at June 30, 2024 (after taking into account all convertible note conversions and the recognition of the associated fair value changes), and there can be no assurance if or when we will produce sufficient revenue from our operations to support our costs. We must generate and sustain higher revenue levels in future periods to become profitable, and, even if we do, we may not be able to maintain or increase our profitability. We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future as we expend substantial financial and other resources on, among other things:

•        sales and marketing, including expanding our direct sales organization and marketing programs, particularly for larger customers and for expanding our Tribal Beverage Network efforts;

•        investments in our distillation and production team, and the development of new formulations and enhancements of our existing brands;

•        expansion of our ready-to-drink canned cocktails into national distribution;

•        hiring additional personnel to add to our production teams if we can successfully increase our wholesale sales; and

•        general administration, including legal, accounting and other expenses related to being a public company.

These expenditures may not result in additional revenue or the growth of our business. Accordingly, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to offset our expected cost increases and achieve and sustain profitability. If we fail to achieve and sustain profitability, the market price of our common stock could decline.

As we have incurred recurring operating losses and negative cash flows from operations since our inception, there is no assurance that we will be able to continue as a going concern absent additional financing, which we may not be able to obtain on favorable terms, or at all.

We have incurred operating losses since our inception and there can be no assurance if or when we will produce sufficient revenue from our operations to cover our costs. Even if profitability is achieved in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability consistently. We expect to continue to incur substantial losses and negative cash flow from operations for the foreseeable future. Our financial statements included in this prospectus have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern. However, we have concluded that, absent access to additional working capital, substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern exists and our auditors have referred to this in their audit report on our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract investors. Our future is dependent upon our ability to obtain financing and upon future profitable operations from the sale of our products and services.

Our ability to obtain additional financing will be subject to many factors, including market conditions, our operating performance and investor sentiment. If we are unable to raise additional capital when required or on acceptable terms, we may have to significantly delay or scale back our operations or obtain funds by entering into agreements on unattractive terms, which would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, stock price and our business relationships with third parties, at least until additional funding is obtained. If we do not have sufficient funds to continue operations, we could be required to seek bankruptcy protection or other alternatives, including selling some or all of our aging barreled spirits inventory or equipment. The sale of such assets could impact our operations and our ability to produce products for sale and diminish future revenue opportunities. Any of these actions would likely result in our stockholders losing some or all of their investment in us.

We do not have any credit facilities as a source of future funds, and if we need additional financing after this offering, there can be no assurance that we will be able to raise sufficient additional capital on acceptable terms, or at all. We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and public equity offerings, debt financing and strategic collaborations. If following this offering we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or convertible debt securities, the percentage ownership of our stockholders could be significantly diluted, and these newly-issued securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of existing stockholders. Debt financing, if obtained, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, which could increase our expenses and require that our assets secure such debt. Moreover, any debt we incur must be repaid regardless of our operating results.

Our future capital needs are uncertain, and we may need to raise additional funds to support those needs.

We believe the net proceeds from this offering and the cash generated from our current operations will enable us to fund our operations for a minimum of 12 months following the consummation of this offering. However, we may need to seek significant future financing, namely to:

•        develop or acquire additional brands or products;

•        expand our sales and marketing efforts to further commercialize our products and TBN-related services;

•        hire additional personnel;

•        add operational, financial and management information systems;

•        pay increased expenses as a result of operating as a public company; and

•        expand our research and development efforts to expand and improve our product offerings and to successfully launch new products;

Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including:

•        market acceptance of our products and services;

•        the cost and timing of establishing additional sales, marketing and distribution capabilities;

•        our ability to expand the TBN and to generate royalty revenues therefrom;

•        the cost of our research and development activities;

•        the success of our existing distribution and marketing arrangements and our ability to enter into additional arrangements in the future; and

•        how competing products and market developments in our industry impact our position in the market and how consumers view us and our products.

There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional funds on acceptable terms, or at all. Our ability to obtain additional financing will be subject to market conditions, our operating performance and investor sentiment, among other factors. If we raise additional funds by issuing equity or equity-linked securities, our stockholders may experience dilution. Future debt financing, if available, may involve covenants restricting our operations or our ability to incur additional debt. Any debt or equity financing may contain terms that are not favorable to us or our stockholders. If we do not have, or are not able to obtain, sufficient funds, we may have to

delay development or commercialization of our products. We also may have to reduce marketing, customer support or other resources devoted to our products or cease operations. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, operating results, and general business operations.

We may continue to have limited capital depending on the amount of net proceeds we receive from this offering, how our funds are managed and how well our products and services continue to be received in the marketplace.

There can be no assurance that we can timely realize our business plan, if at all, to reach sustainable revenues to cover future operational costs or new obligations that we may incur to expand our operations. Any material deviation from our business plan timetable could require us to seek additional capital. There can be no assurance that such capital would be available at reasonable cost, or that it would not materially dilute the investment of our stockholders if it were obtained.

Our senior secured lender may accelerate our indebtedness and foreclose on our assets.

In the past, we have not met certain financial covenants required pursuant to the terms of our loan agreement with our senior secured lender. These covenants include semi-annual minimum liquidity tests, semi-annual minimum interest coverage ratios and semi-annual minimum EBITDA ratios. In addition, in the past, we have missed certain reporting deadlines required pursuant to the terms of such loan agreement. While we have secured a waiver of those past covenant defaults, and have entered into a loan modification agreement that reduces our reporting requirements and our financial covenants, there is no guarantee that our senior secured lender will continue to waive future defaults, if any. If our senior secured lender were to declare a default and accelerate our indebtedness under those circumstances, or were to seize our assets, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for us to continue normal operations. Such a result would likely have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations and result in our stockholders losing some or all of their investment in us.

Sustained or increasing inflation could adversely impact our operations and our financial condition.

The inflation rate could remain high or increase in the foreseeable future. This could put cost pressure on our company faster than we can raise prices on our products. In such cases, we could lose money on products, or our margins or profits could decline. In other cases, consumers may choose to forgo making purchases that they do not deem to be essential, thereby impacting our growth plans. Likewise, labor pressures could continue to increase as employees become increasingly focused on their own standard of living, putting upward labor costs on our company before we have achieved some or all of our growth plans. Our management continues to focus on cost containment and is monitoring the risks associated with inflation and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. However, sustained or increasing inflation could adversely impact our operations, results of operations and financial condition.

Higher interest rates could adversely affect our ability to obtain debt financing and our operating results.

Interest rates rose substantially between March 2022 and July 2023, and there is uncertainty as to when and the rate at which interest rates will decline. If interest rates continue to rise or remain higher than we have experienced in recent history, there is a risk it will cost more for us to conduct our business or to get access to credit. There is also a risk that consumers may feel increased economic pressure and not be willing to spend on our goods or services. Management continues to focus on interest rates and their impact on our business, the cost of borrowing and the potential impacts on our future capital-raising efforts.

Small Business Association (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan repayment risk and timing.

In April 2022, we were advised we may have received a PPP loan over the amount we were qualified for in Round 1 of that program, and in April 2023, we received a similar notification for our Round 2 PPP loan. Those loans were part of the federal government’s relief package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The SBA had forgiven both loans as we had followed all rules associated with the use of proceeds under that program. It is possible that the SBA may determine that we must repay some of the amounts we received as PPP loans. If a demand is made by the SBA for some repayment, it is unclear at this time what the payment term length would be for such repayment and there is a risk that the SBA may require immediate payment or payment on a timeline that is shorter than we anticipate. Any demand for repayment could reduce our working capital and available cash in a way that adversely impacts on our ability to execute our business and operating plans. If the SBA demands that we repay

any amounts owed more than the amount of our available cash, it could force us to raise new capital under less than favorable terms that could be dilutive to stockholders, or to take on debt that could have higher borrowing costs. As of June 30, 2024, the total exposure for these two loans was $2,269,456, plus accrued interest of $95,815.

We could be materially adversely affected by health concerns such as, or similar to, the COVID-19 pandemic, food-borne illnesses, and negative publicity regarding food quality, illness, injury or other health concerns.

The United States and other countries have experienced, or may experience in the future, outbreaks of viruses, such as the current outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, norovirus, Avian Flu or “SARS,” or H1N1. If a virus is transmitted by human contact, our employees or customers may become infected, or may choose, or be advised, to avoid gathering in public places, any of which may adversely affect the customer traffic of our tasting rooms and our ability to adequately staff our tasting rooms, receive deliveries on a timely basis or perform functions at the corporate level. We also may be adversely affected if jurisdictions in which we, or the tribes in our TBN, have distilleries or tasting rooms impose mandatory closures, seek voluntary closures or impose restrictions on operations. Even if such measures are not implemented and a virus or other disease does not spread significantly, the perceived risk of infection or significant health risk may adversely affect our business.

A health pandemic (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) is a disease outbreak that spreads rapidly and widely by infection and affects many individuals in an area or population at the same time. Our tasting rooms are places where people can gather for human connection. Customers might avoid public gathering places in the event of a health pandemic, and local, regional or national governments might limit or ban public gatherings to halt or delay the spread of disease. The impact of a health pandemic on us might be disproportionately greater than on other food service locations that have lower customer traffic and that depend less on the gathering of people.

In addition, we cannot guarantee that our operational controls and employee training will be effective in preventing food-borne illnesses, food tampering and other food safety issues that may affect our tasting rooms. Food-borne illness or food tampering incidents could be caused by customers, employees or food suppliers and transporters and, therefore, could be outside of our control. Any negative publicity relating to health concerns or the perceived or specific outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, food tampering or other food safety issues attributed to one or more of our tasting rooms, or the tasting rooms of any of the tribes in our TBN, could result in a significant decrease in guest traffic in all of our tasting rooms or the tasting rooms of the tribes in our TBN, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Furthermore, similar publicity or occurrences with respect to other tasting rooms or restaurants could also decrease our guest traffic and have a similar material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

COVID-19 did not have a material impact on our operations, supply chain, liquidity or capital resources in 2023 as all state restrictions were lifted in 2022. However, future shutdowns related to additional or increased outbreaks could have a negative impact on our operations, including voluntary or mandatory temporary closures of our facilities or offices; interruptions in our supply chain, which could impact the cost or availability of raw materials; disruptions or restrictions on our ability to travel or to market and distribute our products; reduced consumer demand for our products or those of our customers due to bar and restaurant closures or reduced consumer traffic in bars, restaurants and other locations where our products or those of our customers are sold; and labor shortages. Because of our industry, we were deemed an “essential business” in the states in which we operate (Washington and Oregon), which allowed us to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the event of future shutdowns related to additional or increased outbreaks of COVID-19 or any other health crises, we expect that we would qualify for the same “essential business” designation, which would allow us to remain operational and limit the impact to our business of any such shutdowns.

Furthermore, our facilities and those of our customers and suppliers have been required to comply with additional regulations and may be required to comply with new regulations imposed by state and local governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including COVID-19 safety guidance for production and manufacturing facilities. Compliance with these measures, or new measures, may cause increases in the cost, or delays or a reduction in the volume of products produced at our facilities or those of the TBN partners of suppliers. The COVID-19

outbreak has also disrupted credit markets and may continue to disrupt or negatively impact credit markets, which could adversely affect the availability and cost of capital. Such impacts could limit our ability to fund our operations and satisfy our obligations.

The extent of the impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations from any future shutdowns is dependent on the length of time in which society, consumers, the supply chain and markets return to pre-shutdown “normal” levels of operations, if they do at all, and whether we qualify for “essential business” designation in the states in which we operate. The response to any future shutdowns may adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations in one or more ways not identified to date.

Our current working capital deficiency, incurrence of significant losses and required additional funding to meet our obligations and sustain our operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Furthermore, our independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph relating to our ability to continue as a going concern in its report on our audited consolidated financial statements included in this prospectus.

The report from our independent registered public accounting firm on our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 includes an explanatory paragraph stating that our working capital deficiency, incurrence of significant losses and need to raise additional funds to meet our obligations and sustain our operations raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. We expect to continue to incur substantial losses and negative cash flow from operations for the foreseeable future. Our financial statements included in this prospectus have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern. If, following this offering, we are unable to obtain sufficient funding to support our growth plans, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected, and we may be unable to continue as a going concern. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to liquidate our assets and may receive less than the value at which those assets are carried on our audited consolidated financial statements, and it is likely that investors will lose all or a part of their investment. Such action could also trigger a foreclosure by our senior secured lender, which would have a material adverse effect on our business operations. After this offering, future reports from our independent registered public accounting firm may also contain statements expressing doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. If, following this offering, we seek additional financing to fund our future business activities and there remains doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, investors or other financing sources may be unwilling to provide additional funding on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

We may be subject to litigation from vendors for unpaid invoices, which could materially affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

We have accrued sums of accounts payable for past services rendered by vendors that are overdue and, while those vendors have exhibited patience in waiting to get paid, there is a risk that one or more of them could initiate litigation against us in an attempt to force payment of the amounts owed. In such a case, the litigation could cause us to incur significant costs defending such action. A successful suit could also hurt our credit standing, making it more difficult or expensive for us to secure additional funding or lines of credit in the future. Any penalties or fines associated with such judgments could also change or increase the amounts we owe or change the timing of payments owed in a way that affects our projected cash flow or use of proceeds from this offering.

Our failure to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting could adversely affect our ability to present accurately our financial statements and could materially and adversely affect us, including our business, reputation, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

Our independent registered public accounting firm identified material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting in connection with the preparation of our financial statements and audit as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, which relate to a deficiency in the design and operation of our financial accounting and reporting controls. Specifically, the material weaknesses resulted from (i) a lack of segregation of duties within the financial accounting and reporting processes due to limited personnel and (ii) a lack of adequate and precise review

of account reconciliations and journal entries resulting in audit adjustments. A material weakness is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

We have begun to address and remediate such material weaknesses by hiring a Chief Financial Officer with significant accounting and public company financial reporting and compliance experience. While we intend to implement additional measures to remediate the material weaknesses, there is no guarantee that they can be remediated in a timely fashion or at all. Our failure to correct these material weaknesses could result in inaccurate financial statements and could also impair our ability to comply with the applicable financial reporting requirements on a timely basis. While we believe we have addressed any regulatory or financial reporting issues highlighted by our auditor, such compliance issues, should they materialize or persist, could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and may result in volatility in and a decline in the market price of our securities, as well as adverse directions from federal, state and local regulatory authorities.

Before closing this offering, we are not subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Following this offering, Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act will require that we include a report from management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 10-K. It may take us time to develop the requisite internal control framework. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective, or the level at which our controls are documented, designed or reviewed is not adequate, and may result in our independent registered public accounting firm issuing a report that is qualified. In addition, the reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation promptly.

Risks Related to Our Business Model

We face significant competition with an increasing number of products and market participants that could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial results.

Our industry is intensely competitive and highly fragmented. Our craft spirits compete with many other domestic and foreign premium whiskies and other spirits. Our products also compete with popularly-priced generic whiskies and with other alcoholic and, to a lesser degree, non-alcoholic beverages, for drinker acceptance and loyalty, shelf space and prominence in retail stores, presence and prominence on restaurant alcoholic beverage lists and for marketing focus by our distributors, many of which carry extensive portfolios of spirits and other alcoholic beverages. We compete on the basis of product taste and quality, brand image, price, service and ability to innovate in response to consumer preferences. This competition is driven by established companies and new entrants in our markets and categories. In the United States, spirits sales are relatively concentrated among a limited number of large suppliers, including Diageo plc (NYSE: DEO), Pernod Ricard SA, E & J Gallo Winery, Proximo Spirits, Sazerac Company, MGP, and Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ), among others. These and our other competitors may have more robust financial, technical, marketing and distribution networks and public relations resources than we have. As a result of this intense competition, combined with our growth goals, we have experienced and may continue to face upward pressure on our selling, marketing and promotional efforts and expenses. There can be no assurance that in the future we will be able to successfully compete with our competitors or that we will not face greater competition from other distilleries, producers and beverage manufacturers.

If we are unable to successfully compete with existing or new market participants, or if we do not effectively respond to competitive pressures, we could experience reductions in market share and margins that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial results.

We compete in an industry that is brand-conscious, so brand name recognition and acceptance of our products are critical to our success.

Our business is substantially dependent upon awareness and market acceptance of our products and brands by our targeted consumers. In addition, our business depends on the acceptance by our independent distributors of our brands as beverage brands that have the potential to provide incremental sales growth rather than reduce distributors’ existing beverage sales. Although we believe we have been successful in establishing our brands as recognizable brands in the regional Pacific Northwest premium craft spirits industry, we may be too early in the product life cycle of these brands to determine whether our products and brands will achieve and maintain satisfactory levels of acceptance by independent

distributors, retail customers and consumers. We believe the success of our brands will also be substantially dependent upon acceptance of our product name brands. Accordingly, any failure of our brands to maintain or increase acceptance or market penetration would likely have a material adverse effect on our revenues and financial results.

A reduction in consumer demand for whisky, vodka, gin, RTDs and other spirits, which may result from a variety of factors, including demographic shifts and decreases in discretionary spending, could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial results.

We rely on consumers’ demand for our craft spirits. While over the past several years there have been modest increases in consumption of beverage alcohol in most of our product categories and geographic markets, there have been periods in the past in which there were substantial declines in the overall per capita consumption of beverage alcohol products in the U.S. and other markets in which we participate or plans to participate. Consumer preferences may shift due to a variety of factors, including changes in demographic or social trends, changes in discretionary income, public health policies and perceptions and changes in leisure, dining and beverage consumption patterns. Our success will require us to anticipate and respond effectively to shifts in consumer behavior and drinking tastes. If consumer preferences were to move away from our Heritage Distilling or other brands, our results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

A limited or general decline in consumer demand could occur in the future due to a variety of factors, including:

•        a general decline in economic or geopolitical conditions;

•        a general decline in the consumption of alcoholic beverage products in on-premises establishments, such as those that may result from smoking bans and stricter laws relating to driving while under the influence of alcohol and changes in public health policies, including those implemented to address the COVID-19 pandemic;

•        a generational or demographic shift in consumer preferences away from whiskies and other spirits to other alcoholic beverages or non-alcoholic beverages;

•        increased activity of anti-alcohol groups;

•        increased regulation placing restrictions on the purchase or consumption of alcoholic beverage products;

•        concern about the health consequences of consuming alcoholic beverage products; and

•        increased federal, state, provincial, and foreign excise, or other taxes on beverage alcohol products and increased restrictions on beverage alcohol advertising and marketing.

Demand for premium spirits brands, like ours, may be particularly susceptible to changing economic conditions and consumer tastes, preferences and spending habits, particularly among younger demographic groups, which may reduce our sales of these products and adversely affect our profitability. For instance, a reduction in the overall number of consumers over the legal drinking age, but who are relatively new to the market, may choose to consume less alcohol, or to stop consuming alcohol altogether. An unanticipated decline or change in consumer demand or preference could also materially impact on our ability to forecast future production requirements, which could, in turn, impair our ability to effectively adapt to changing consumer preferences. Any reduction in the demand for our spirits products would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial results.

Adverse public opinion about alcohol could reduce demand for our products.

In the past, anti-alcohol groups have advocated successfully for more stringent labeling requirements, higher taxes and other regulations designed to discourage alcohol consumption. More restrictive regulations, negative publicity regarding alcohol consumption and/or changes in consumer perceptions of the relative healthfulness or safety of beverage alcohol could decrease sales and consumption of alcohol and thus the demand for our products. This could, in turn, significantly decrease both our revenues and our revenue growth, causing a decline in our results of operations.

Due to the three-tier alcohol beverage distribution system in the United States, we are heavily reliant on our distributors that resell alcoholic beverages in all states in which we do business. Our inability to obtain distribution in some states, or a significant reduction in distributor demand for our products, would materially and adversely affect our sales and profitability.

Due to regulatory requirements in the United States, we sell a significant portion of our craft spirits to wholesalers for resale to retail accounts. A change in the relationship with any of our significant distributors could harm our business and reduce our sales. The laws and regulations of several states prohibit changes of distributors, except under certain limited circumstances, making it difficult to terminate or otherwise cease working with a distributor for poor performance without reasonable justification, as defined by applicable statutes. Any difficulty or inability to replace a distributor, poor performance of our major distributors or our inability to collect accounts receivable from our major distributors could harm our business. In addition, an expansion of the laws and regulations limiting the sale of our spirits would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial results. There can be no assurance that the distributors and accounts to which we sell our products will continue to purchase our products or provide our products with adequate levels of promotional support, which could increase competitive pressure to increase sales and marketing spending and could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial results.

Failure of third-party distributors upon which we rely could adversely affect our business.

We rely heavily on third-party distributors for the sale of our products to retailers, restaurants, bars, hotels, casinos, entertainment venues and other accounts. We expect sales to distributors to represent an increasingly substantial portion of our future net sales as we continue to grow our network of wholesale distributors. Consolidation among distributors or the loss of a significant distributor could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our distributors may also provide distribution services to competing brands, as well as larger, national or international brands, and may be to varying degrees influenced by their continued business relationships with other larger beverage, and specifically, craft spirits companies. Our independent distributors may be influenced by a large competitor if they rely on that competitor for a significant portion of their sales. There can be no assurance that our distributors will continue to effectively market and distribute our products. The loss of any distributor or the inability to replace a poorly-performing distributor in a timely fashion, or our inability to expand our distribution network into states in which we do not currently have distribution, could slow our growth and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, no assurance can be given that we will successfully attract new distributors as we increase our presence in their existing markets or expand into new markets.

We incur significant time and expense in attracting and maintaining key distributors.

Our marketing and sales strategy depends largely on our independent distributors’ availability and performance. We currently do not have, nor do we anticipate in the future that we will be able to establish, long-term contractual commitments or agreements from some of our distributors and some of our distributors may discontinue their relationship with us on short notice. Some distributors handle several competitive products. In addition, our products are a small part of our distributors’ business. We may not be able to maintain our current distribution relationships or establish and maintain successful relationships with distributors in new geographic distribution areas. Moreover, there is the additional possibility that we may have to incur additional costs to attract and maintain key distributors in one or more of our geographic distribution areas to profitably exploit our geographic markets.

The marketing efforts of our distributors are important for our success. If our brands prove to be less attractive to our existing distributors and/or if we fail to attract additional distributors, and/or our distributors do not market and promote our products above the products of our competitors, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

It is difficult to predict the timing and amount of our sales because our distributors and their accounts are not required to place minimum orders with us.

Our independent distributors and their accounts are not required to place a minimum of monthly or annual orders for our products. To reduce their inventory costs, independent distributors typically order products from us on a “just in time” basis in quantities and at such times based on the demand for the products in a particular distribution area. For products in higher demand, there is typically a minimum par level held in distributors’ warehouses, and only

once the inventory falls below that par level will a reorder be triggered. Accordingly, we cannot predict the timing or quantity of purchases by any of our independent distributors or whether any of our distributors will continue to purchase products from us in the same frequencies and volumes as they may have done in the past. Additionally, our larger distributors and partners may make orders that are larger than we have historically been required to fill. Shortages in inventory levels, supply of raw materials or other key supplies could negatively affect us.

The sales of our products could decrease significantly if we cannot secure and maintain listings in the control states.

In the control states, the state liquor commissions act in place of distributors and decide which products are to be purchased and offered for sale in their respective states, and at what prices they will be offered to consumers. Products selected for listing must generally reach certain volumes and/or profit levels to maintain their listings. Products are selected for purchase and sale through listing procedures that are generally made available to new products only at periodically-scheduled listing intervals. Products not selected for listings can only be purchased by consumers in the applicable control state through special orders, if at all. If, in the future, we are unable to maintain our current listings in the control states, or secure and maintain listings in those states for any additional products we may produce or acquire, sales of our products could decrease significantly.

The privatization of a control state could adversely impact our sales and our results of operations.

Once products are approved for sale by the state liquor commission in a control state, the products move through the normal state warehousing, wholesale, distribution and retail sales channels established under such a system. State owned, managed or regulated stores set the prices for the products and there are rules and regulations regarding shelf placement, samplings and retail sales to consumers and bars and restaurants. In these markets, the approval for shelf space and pricing is conducted through the state process. In some control states, there are increasing levels of discussion about privatization, either because of negative views toward state ownership of the liquor system, the need for states to generate cash through the one-time sale of assets, or due to other political pressures in those states. Once a state privatizes its liquor system it creates significant disruption during the transition period towards privatization as distributors need to set up new warehouses and sales teams and new delivery routes, and bars and restaurants who were required to focus on purchasing only from their local state liquor store now must navigate a new distribution system, sometimes with new pricing and new taxes. Likewise, if spirits sales move into private stores and major retail chains, new challenges are created for small or new brands like ours which then must compete for shelf space with larger, more established or better funded brands. If we are successful in growing our brand approval and sales in control states and one or more of those control states privatizes its liquor system, our sales, revenue and profitability derived from sales in those states may be disrupted.

Substantial disruption to production at our distilleries and distribution facilities, or at a facility with which we contract or partner for production, could occur.

A disruption in production at our distilleries or third-party production facilities could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, a disruption could occur at any of our other facilities or those of our suppliers, bottlers, co-packers or distributors. The disruption could occur for many reasons, including a full production schedule, fire, natural disasters, weather, water scarcity, manufacturing problems, disease, strikes, transportation or supply interruption, government regulation, cybersecurity attacks or terrorism. Alternative facilities with sufficient capacity or capabilities may not be available, may cost substantially more or may take a significant time to start production, each of which could negatively affect our business and financial performance.

Disruption within our supply chain, contract manufacturing or distribution channels could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The prices of ingredients, other raw materials, packaging materials, aluminum cans, glass bottles and other containers fluctuate depending on market conditions, governmental actions, climate change and other factors beyond our control, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Substantial increases in the prices of our ingredients, other raw materials, packaging materials, aluminum cans and other containers, to the extent they cannot be recouped through increases in the prices of finished beverage products, could increase our operating costs and reduce our profitability. Increases in the prices of our finished products resulting from a higher cost of ingredients, other raw

materials, packaging materials, aluminum cans and other containers could affect affordability in some markets and reduce our sales. In addition, some of our ingredients as well as some packaging containers, such as aluminum cans and glass bottles, are available from a limited number of suppliers. We and our suppliers and co-packers may not be able to maintain favorable arrangements and relationships with these suppliers, and our contingency plans may not be effective in preventing disruptions that may arise from shortages of any ingredients that are available from a limited number of suppliers. Adverse weather conditions may affect the supply of other agricultural commodities from which key ingredients for our products are derived. An increase in the cost, a sustained interruption in the supply, or a shortage of some of these ingredients, other raw materials, packaging materials, aluminum cans and other containers that may be caused by changes in or the enactment of new laws and regulations; a deterioration of our relationships with suppliers; supplier quality and reliability issues; trade disruptions; changes in supply chain; and increases in tariffs; or events such as natural disasters, widespread outbreaks of infectious diseases (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), power outages, labor strikes, political uncertainties or governmental instability, or the like could negatively impact our net operating revenues and profits.

Our reliance on distributors, retailers and brokers, or our inability to expand the TBN, could affect our ability to efficiently and profitably distribute and market our products, maintain our existing markets and expand our business into other geographic markets.

Our ability to maintain and expand our existing markets for our products, and to establish markets in new geographic distribution areas, is dependent on our ability to establish and maintain successful relationships with reliable distributors, retailers and brokers strategically positioned to serve those areas, and our ability to expand the reach of the TBN. Most of our distributors, retailers and brokers sell and distribute competing products and our products may represent a small portion of their business. This network’s success will depend on the performance of its distributors, retailers and brokers. There is a risk that the mentioned entities may not adequately perform their functions within the network by, without limitation, failing to distribute to sufficient retailers or positioning our products in localities that may not be receptive to our product. Our ability to incentivize and motivate distributors to manage and sell our products is affected by competition from other beverage companies who have greater resources than we do. To the extent that our distributors, retailers and brokers are distracted from selling our products or do not employ sufficient efforts in managing and selling our products, including re-stocking the retail shelves with our products, our sales and results of operations could be adversely affected. Furthermore, the financial position or market share of such third parties may deteriorate, which could adversely affect our distribution, marketing and sales activities.

We also expect to expand our business into other geographic markets by expanding our TBN network and entering new relationships or joint ventures with additional North American Indian tribes. While we believe we have a significant first mover advantage in our ability to attract and expand the interest of North American Indian tribes in establishing distilleries on tribal lands, it is possible that the interest of tribes in the construction or operation of distilleries will not develop as expected or will develop at a slower pace. To the extent we are unable to expand the TBN in a timely manner or at all, our sales and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our ability to maintain and expand our distribution network and attract additional distributors, retailers and brokers, and to expand the TBN will depend on many factors, some of which are outside our control. Some of these factors include:

•        the level of demand for our brands and products in a particular distribution area;

•        our ability to price our products at levels competitive with those of competing products; and

•        our ability to deliver products in quantity and at the time ordered by distributors, retailers and brokers.

We may not be able to successfully manage all or any of these factors in any of our current or prospective geographic areas of distribution. Our inability to achieve success regarding any of these factors in a geographic distribution area will have a material adverse effect on our relationships in that geographic area, thus limiting our ability to maintain or expand our market, which will likely adversely affect our revenues and financial results.

Our TBN efforts may not be successful.

Our business plan includes licensing our products, services and concepts to certain third parties, including tribal business entities or American Indian Tribes as part of the TBN. As planned, we would receive royalties associated with revenues earned through non-exclusive limited licenses for the right to use, sell and assign certain

of our patents, trademarks, brands, recipes and other protected assets. However, these efforts may not be successful. While the current plan does not envision us providing any capital to build out and operate these licensed locations, our involvement in these efforts will require the time and efforts of our employees and executives, which may detract from their time spent building our brand and value as a standalone entity. The risks associated with our TBN plan, which individually or in the aggregate, could harm our overall brand, reputation, perception in the market and financial position, include:

•        Sovereign Immunity and Choice of Venue — Tribes enjoy sovereign immunity for certain activities that take place on trust land. Since it is envisioned that these partnerships will occur on trust land, we intend to seek a waiver of sovereign immunity. There can be no assurance that such a waiver will be granted, or if it would be interpreted as enforceable later. Likewise, unless a Tribe grants us a waiver to seek relief in a federal or state court, there is a risk that a dispute must be heard in Tribal court, which may not provide us with a fair hearing.

•        Right of entry — In the event we secure a waiver of sovereign immunity or the right to seek a venue for hearing in federal or state courts, there is no guarantee that we will secure an adequate right of entry onto Tribal land to enforce our rights. Such rights could include recovery of intellectual property, personal property or other property, goods, equipment, stock or other tangible assets owed to us. Even if we secure a right of entry, there can be no assurance that we will be respected or enforced by proper authorities with jurisdiction over the matter.

•        Product Quality — There can be no assurance that our Tribal partners will adequately follow each of our prescribed procedures, recipes and protocols to ensure compliance with labeling standards or the quality of product that we otherwise insist on or they may not keep sufficiently detailed records for state and federal auditing purposes. Either event could cause products to be redistilled, dumped, impounded or disposed of in a way that adversely impacts our operating results and financial condition.

•        Failure to Produce — Our Tribal partners might fail to produce the amount of product required to meet demand, fulfill contracts or propose new products to distribution outlets. Further, equipment, raw ingredients and/or finished ingredients or goods may not be readily available for licensed partners at any given time, which could negatively impact the cash flow and deliverability of an operation, the licensed partners and/or our brand.

•        Cross Sales into Distribution Channels — Our Tribal partners might attempt to directly sell into the market in violation of our distribution agreements, or attempt to compete with us in distribution outside the context of a formal company-wide distribution plan, which could disrupt our contractual or legal obligations, undercut us in the market, flood the market with product or cause confusion within distribution channels.

•        Change of leadership — Tribal organizations have regular elections for leadership positions. It is almost certain that at some point during the negotiation, design, construction or operation of a location that a change in Tribal governance will conflict with the operation of the business to the detriment of us. This could result in our decision to seek early termination of a contract to avoid disruptions in other parts of our business or to protect the integrity of our brand and reputation if the relationship with a Tribal partner materially deteriorates.

•        Failure to resell the concept — The initial Tribes with which we work may not inspire other Tribes to join the TBN, thereby impacting the future number of TBN locations and future anticipated growth plans. Accordingly, an insufficient number of Tribal partners may decide to join the TBN, or such licensees may have an insufficient level of sales to justify or sustain continued operations.

•        Failure to take our management input into account — Tribal partners may not consider our desire or input with respect to production, branding, marketing, sales and distribution.

•        Failure to have adequate oversight over employees, personnel, product — As the actual employer of employees operating the new locations, Tribes may not consider our hiring input or guidance as it relates to customer service, technical and quality assurance, documentation and compliance, among other issues. In such an event, we would have little recourse to remove Tribal employees from key positions.

•        Failure to have access to the books and records — Tribal partners might withhold financial information from us such that we cannot adequately determine sales, costs and net revenues, among other financial metrics.

•        Interpretation of federal or state law; failure to follow the law — We are one of the first entities attempting to license spirits manufacturing. There is a risk that federal, state and/or local regulators may view this activity as a violation of applicable laws, rules or regulations, such that we and our licensed partners must adapt our business plans and strategies, or to abandon our TBN plans altogether. There is also a risk that a member tribe in our TBN may not follow the law.

•        Community backlash — Before, during or after our partnerships, Tribal or non-Tribal members might accuse us of engaging in activities that enhance or promote alcoholism and our impact on Indian communities. Such a campaign could tarnish our brand and put pressure on us or our Tribal partners to terminate our arrangements.

•        Failure to be perceived as authentically “local” — Some consumers may not view the idea of licensed distilleries as being authentically “local,” such that our brand reputation and products may be diminished in a particular region.

A non-profit or charitable partner could act in a way that damages our brand.

We currently partner with non-profits and charitable organizations to market some of our products to generate sales for our company and raise donations for charities. There is a risk one or more of these entities, or specific people within their groups, could misuse donations we provide them or act in a way not in conformity with the goals or mission of the partnership. This could cause reputational damage to us or to our brands, particularly to our brands, that may be associated with the non-profit efforts and may make it more difficult for us to secure future partners.

If we do not adequately manage our inventory levels, our operating results could be adversely affected.

We need to maintain adequate inventory levels to be able to deliver products to distributors on a timely basis. Our inventory supply depends on our ability to correctly estimate demand for our products. Our ability to estimate demand for our products is imprecise, particularly for new products, seasonal promotions and new markets. If we materially underestimate demand for our products or are unable to maintain sufficient inventory of raw materials, we might not be able to satisfy demand on a short-term basis. If we overestimate distributor or retailer demand for our products, we may end up with too much inventory, resulting in higher storage costs, increased trade spending and the risk of inventory spoilage. If we fail to manage our inventory to meet demand, we could damage our relationships with our distributors and retailers and could delay or lose sales opportunities, which would unfavorably impact our future sales and adversely affect our operating results. In addition, if the inventory of our products held by our distributors and retailers is too high, they will not place orders for additional products, which would also unfavorably impact our sales and adversely affect our operating results.

We may not be able to replicate the flavor profiles of our products.

We may develop a following for one or more products in which we might not be able to replicate the recipe or flavor profile. Our super premium aged whiskeys, rums and brandies take time to age, and we follow specific steps in our recipes. There is a chance a particular step is not taken properly or is missed entirely. In this case, it might be years before we find the impact of such actions on the final product and by that time, we may not be able to use that product for our intended purposes, which could impact our business plans and/or revenue targets. It could also mean a product we were planning to age to meet future plans might not be available, which could impact future revenues or value.

There is a long lead time for the production of our products due to the aging process for spirits.

There is a significant lead time required for us to age products to scale up for increased demand. As our footprint and sales grow, it may be difficult for us to produce and adequately age certain of our products to meet or sustain demand. Likewise, if we find suppliers of adequate supplies in the marketplace, there is no guarantee such supplies will remain available, or that if they are available, that the price for such items will be commercially reasonable.

We have a minority ownership interest in another brand, the value of which may never be realized or monetized.

While we have a minority interest in Flavored Bourbon LLC (“FBLLC”), the owner of the Flavored Bourbon brand, there is no guarantee that such brand will ever grow in value or retain its current value. The management team of FBLLC could fail in their efforts to grow the Flavored Bourbon brand and our investment in such a brand may never be monetized. The majority owners of FBLLC, or FBLLC’s management team, could fail to adhere to their contractual obligations to us as they relate to future distributions or payments, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. If an investor invests in us assuming a certain return or share in proceeds from the growth or sale of such brand, such investor may never realize such returns, or the value of such investor’s investment in us could decrease materially.

In addition, a well-known actor and celebrity is a co-owner of FBLLC and has been publicly and prominently involved in marketing the Flavored Bourbon brand to consumers. If any celebrity associated with the brand falls ill and cannot fully recover, or he or she fully recovers and chooses to disengage from continuing to market the Flavored Bourbon brand, it could severely impact the planned growth for the brand and cause the anticipated future value to never be realized. It could also impact the ability of the Flavored Bourbon brand to be monetized. If an investor invests in us assuming a certain return or share in proceeds from the growth or sale of such brand because of the co-ownership and marketing support of such actor, such investor may never realize such returns, or the value of such investor’s investment in us could decrease materially.

In addition, if any celebrity associated with the brand is accused of making comments or engaging in any activity that is offensive, dangerous or illegal, it could materially impact the value of the Flavored Bourbon brand and an investor’s expectation of returns from the possible sale of such brand.

Some of our future earnings from any sale of FBLLC have been pledged as inducements to secure past financings, which could reduce or eliminate our receipt of gains from the future sale of FBLLC for the benefit of our company or our investors.

As an inducement to obtain financing in 2022 and 2023 through the sale of convertible notes, we agreed to pay to the investors in such financings a portion of the proceeds we may receive from the sale of FBLLC or the Flavored Bourbon brand in the amount of 150% of their subscription amounts. For additional information regarding such payment obligation, see Note 5 to our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2024 included elsewhere in this prospectus. As a result of such payment obligation, purchasers of our common stock in this offering who may anticipate a certain return, or expect to share in our proceeds, from the growth or sale of FBLLC or the Flavored Bourbon brand may never realize such returns, or the value of such purchasers’ investment in us could decrease materially after required payments to our creditors are made.

Our interest in FBLLC or any future brand or entity in which we invest could be subject to dilution if there is a capital call in which we do not participate.

As a minority owner in FBLLC, we do not control the budget, spending or planning associated with the Flavored Bourbon brand, nor do we control whether there is a capital call, nor the terms of any offering that would result from a capital call. A capital call by FBLLC for which we do not have the resources to participate in full, or at all, could lead to dilution of our ownership in the Flavored Bourbon brand. A capital call by FBLLC could also have terms that put us in a less favorable financial position regarding any future potential earnings of the brand if we do not or cannot participate in such capital call. Conversely, if we choose to participate in a capital call, there is no guarantee of success or a return on such an investment. If an investor invests in us assuming a certain return or share in proceeds from the growth or sale of the Flavored Bourbon brand because of our current ownership level in FBLLC, such investor may never realize such returns, or the value of such investor’s investment in us could decrease materially. In the first quarter 2024, FBLLC completed approximately $10 million of a planned $12 million capital call to fund growth in its operations and marketing. It is assumed the final $2 million will be raised via this facility by the end of 2024 and there should be no expectation that we will participate in the remainder of that offering this year.

An interruption of our operations or a catastrophic event at our facilities or the facilities of a partner or supplier could negatively affect our business.

Although we maintain insurance coverage for various property damage and loss events, an interruption in or loss of operations at any of our distilleries or other production facilities could reduce or postpone production of our products, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, or financial condition. To the extent that our premium or value-added products rely on unique or proprietary processes or techniques, replacing lost production by purchasing from outside suppliers would be difficult.

Part of our business plan contemplates our customers storing barreled inventory of aged premium whiskeys, rums and brandies at our barrel storage facility in Gig Harbor, Washington. If a catastrophic event were to occur at this facility or at our warehouses, our customers’ products or business could be adversely affected. The loss of a significant amount of aged inventory at these facilities through fire, natural disaster or otherwise could result in customer claims against us, liability for customer losses, and a reduction of warehouse services revenue.

We also store a substantial amount of our own inventory at our distribution warehouses in Gig Harbor, Washington and Eugene, Oregon. In addition, we store finished goods and merchandise at all of our retail locations. Some of our raw inputs are stored at supplier warehouses until we are ready to receive them. At times we have raw goods, work-in-progress inventory, or finished goods at third-party production or co-packing facilities, or in transit between any number of locations. If a catastrophic event were to occur at any of these locations or while in transit or storage, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be adversely affected. The loss of a significant amount of our aged inventory at these facilities through fire, natural disaster or otherwise could result in a reduction in supply of the affected product or products and could affect our long-term performance of affected brands.

Likewise, the facility of a TBN partner or supplier producing or storing product, inventory or aging inventory could suffer an uninsured or underinsured loss that impacts our business. This could result in a reduction in supply of the affected product or products and could materially adversely affect the long-term performance of certain of our brands.

The formulas, recipes and proportions used in the production of our products may differ materially from those we have assumed for purposes of our business plan.

The assumed formulas, recipes and proportions in our business plan, and the resulting product yields, revenues and profits, could greatly differ from what we assumed. As a result, our financial projections could change dramatically overall and on a per-bottle or per-unit basis. Such changes could result in significant reductions in the assumptions for sales, profits and distributions for stockholders, thereby negatively impacting potential returns for investors or putting the investors’ investments at risk.

We may be disparaged publicly or in the press for not being authentically “craft”.

Having multiple distillery locations, increasing the scale of our operations, collaborating with larger partners to achieve our goals, licensing our brand to third parties for production, or becoming a publicly-traded company could, individually or in the aggregate, impact how and whether consumers, competitors, regulators and the media, among others, perceive us as a “craft” distiller. In addition, because we are permitted to, and often do, source intermediate and finished spirits materials in bulk, such as whiskeys and neutral grain spirits, for blending, flavoring, bottling, mixing or aging, a public accusation or pronouncement by a third party or the press of such a practice as not “craft” could cause us to come under intense scrutiny in the market such that we lose our perception as a “craft” distiller, which could result in consumer backlash, negative news stories, the removal of our products from bars, restaurants and retail stores and the dropping of our products by distributors and wholesalers. Any such scenario would likely cause significant hardship for us and could cause an investment in us to lose all or some of its value.

We are subject to seasonality related to sales of our products.

Our business is subject to substantial seasonal fluctuations. Historically, a significant portion of our net sales and net earnings has been realized during the period from June through August and in November and December. Accordingly, our operating results may vary significantly from quarter to quarter. Our operating results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of any other results. If for any reason our sales were to be substantially below seasonal norms, our annual revenues and earnings could be materially and adversely affected.

If our inventory is lost due to theft, fire or other damage or becomes obsolete, our results of operations would be negatively impacted.

We expect our inventory levels to fluctuate to meet customer delivery requirements for our products. We are always at risk of loss of that inventory due to theft, fire or other damage, and any such loss, whether insured against or not, could cause us to fail to meet our orders and harm our sales and operating results. Also, our inventory may become obsolete as we introduce new products, cease to produce old products or modify the design of our products’ packaging, which would increase our operating losses and negatively impact our results of operations.

Weather conditions may have a material adverse effect on our sales or on the price of raw materials used to produce spirits.

We operate in an industry in which performance is affected by the weather. Extreme changes in weather conditions may result in lower consumption of craft spirits and other alcoholic beverages. Unusually cold spells in winter or high temperatures in the summer can result in temporary shifts in customer preferences and impact demand for the alcoholic beverages we produce and distribute. Similar weather conditions in the future may have a material adverse effect on our sales, which could affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, inclement weather may affect the availability of grain used to produce raw spirit, which could result in a rise in raw spirit pricing that could negatively affect margins and sales.

Climate change, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address climate change, may negatively affect our business, operations or financial performance, and water scarcity or poor quality could negatively impact our production costs and capacity.

Our business depends upon agricultural activity and natural resources. There has been much public discussion related to concerns that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may have an adverse impact on global temperatures, weather patterns and the frequency and severity of extreme weather and natural disasters. Severe weather events and climate change may negatively affect agricultural productivity in the regions from which we presently source our agricultural raw materials. Decreased availability of our raw materials may increase the cost of goods for our products. Severe weather events, or changes in the frequency or intensity of weather events, can also disrupt our supply chain, which may affect production operations, insurance cost and coverage, as well as delivery of our products to wholesalers, retailers and consumers.

Water is essential in our product production and is a limited resource in some of the regions in which we operate. If climate patterns change and droughts become more severe in any of the regions in which we operate, there may be a scarcity of water or poor water quality which may affect our production costs or impose capacity constraints. Such events could adversely affect the results of operations and financial condition.

During the fermentation process required to make spirits, carbon dioxide is produced and vented into the atmosphere. Currently there are no regulations in the industry requiring capture of carbon dioxide. If a government decided to implement such requirements, it might not be technically feasible for us to comply, or to comply in a way that allows us to operate profitably. Failure to implement any such rules could result in temporary or permanent loss of licenses, fines, penalties or other negative outcomes for us.

The equipment we use and intend to purchase in the future to make our products or offer our services may not perform as planned or designed.

The equipment we use and intend to purchase in the future to make our products or offer our services may not perform as planned or designed. Such failures could significantly extend the time required to make batches of products for sale. As such, our reputation could suffer, thereby impacting future sales and revenues.

Further, given that we will be engaged in a manufacturing process, it is likely that equipment will break down or wear out, including after the lapse of a warranty period related to such equipment, which could require us to expend unanticipated resources to repair or replace such equipment, thereby delaying, reducing or otherwise impacting our anticipated revenues.

Temperature issues in fermentation vessels, bacteria or other contamination could negatively affect the fermentation process for our products.

Our products require proper fermentation of grains or fruits. Temperature issues in fermentation vessels could negatively affect the fermentation process, as could bacteria or other contamination. As such, faulty fermentation or contamination could force us to discard batches of fermenting product before it can be distilled. This would not only cost us in wasted fermenting products that must be disposed of, but would also extend the sales cycle for the affected products, thereby delaying, reducing or otherwise impacting our anticipated revenues.

We operate in highly-competitive industries, and competitive pressures could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The alcoholic beverages production and distribution industries in our region are intensely competitive. The principal competitive factors in these industries include product range, pricing, distribution capabilities and responsiveness to consumer preferences, with varying emphasis on these factors depending on the market and the product. The alcoholic beverage industry competes with respect to brand recognition, product quality, brand loyalty, customer service and price. Our failure to maintain and enhance our competitive position could materially and adversely affect our business and prospects for business. Wholesaler, retailer and consumer purchasing decisions are influenced by, among other things, the perceived absolute or relative overall value of our products, including our quality or pricing, compared to competitor’s products. Unit volume and dollar sales could also be affected by pricing, purchasing, financing, operational, advertising or promotional decisions made by wholesalers, state and provincial agencies, and retailers which could affect their supply of, or consumer demand for, our products. We could also experience higher than expected selling, general and administrative expenses if we find it necessary to increase the number of our personnel or our advertising or marketing expenditures to maintain our competitive position or for other reasons.

Our failure to manage growth effectively or prepare for product scalability could have an adverse effect on our employee efficiency, product quality, working capital levels and results of operations.

Any significant growth in the market for our products or our entry into new markets may require an expansion of our employee base for managerial, operational, financial, and other purposes. During any period of growth, we may face problems related to our operational and financial systems and controls, including quality control and delivery and service capacities. We would also need to continue to expand, train and manage our employee base. Continued future growth will impose significant added responsibilities upon the members of management to identify, recruit, maintain, integrate and motivate new employees.

Aside from increased difficulties in the management of human resources, we may also encounter working capital issues, as we will need increased liquidity to finance the marketing of the products we sell and the hiring of additional employees. For effective growth management, we must continue to improve our operations, management, and financial systems and controls. Our failure to manage growth effectively may lead to operational and financial inefficiencies that will have a negative effect on our profitability. We cannot assure investors that we will be able to timely and effectively meet that demand and maintain the quality standards required by our existing and potential customers.

We may not be successful in introducing new products and services.

Our success in developing, introducing, selling and supporting new and enhanced products or services depends upon a variety of factors, including timely and efficient completion of service and product design, development and approval, and timely and efficient implementation of product and service offerings. Because new product and service commitments may be made well in advance of sales, new product or service decisions must anticipate changes in the industries served. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in selecting, developing, and marketing new products and services or in enhancing our planned products or services. Failure to do so successfully may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Further, new product and service introductions or enhancements by our competitors, or their use of other novel technologies, could cause a decline in sales or a loss of market acceptance of our planned products and services. Specifically, our competitors may attempt to install systems or introduce products or services that directly compete with our planned products or service offerings with newer technology or at prices we cannot meet. Depending on our customer arrangements then in effect, we could lose customers as a result.

Our management team may not be able to successfully implement our business strategies.

If our management team is unable to execute our business strategies, then our development, including the establishment of revenues and our sales and marketing activities, would be materially and adversely affected. In addition, we may encounter difficulties in effectively managing the budgeting, forecasting and other process control issues presented by any future growth. We may seek to augment or replace members of our management team, or we may lose key members of our management team, and we may not be able to attract new management talent with sufficient skill and experience.

If we are unable to retain key executives and other key affiliates, our growth could be significantly inhibited and our business harmed with a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success is, to a certain extent, attributable to the management, sales and marketing, and operational and technical expertise of certain key personnel. Justin Stiefel, our Chief Executive Officer, and Jennifer Stiefel, our President, perform key functions in the operation of our business. The loss of either officer could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We do not maintain key-person insurance for members of our management team beyond those two executive officers because it is cost prohibitive to do so at this point. If we lose the services of any senior management, we may not be able to locate suitable or qualified replacements and may incur additional expenses to recruit and train new personnel, which could severely disrupt our business and prospects.

Our success in the future may depend on our ability to establish and maintain strategic alliances, and any failure on our part to establish and maintain such relationships would adversely affect our market penetration and revenue growth.

Due to the regulated nature of the alcoholic beverage industry, we must establish strategic relationships with third parties. Our ability to establish strategic relationships will depend on many factors, many of which are outside our control, such as the competitive position of our product and marketing plan relative to our competitors. We may not be able to establish other strategic relationships in the future. In addition, any strategic alliances that we establish may subject us to several risks, including risks associated with sharing proprietary information, loss of control of operations that are material to developed business and profit-sharing arrangements. Moreover, strategic alliances may be expensive to implement and subject us to the risk that the third party will not perform its obligations under the relationship, which may subject us to losses over which we have no control or expensive termination arrangements. As a result, even if our strategic alliances with third parties are successful, our business may be adversely affected by factors outside of our control.

Our strategy may include acquiring companies or brands, which may result in unsuitable acquisitions or failure to successfully integrate acquired companies or brands, which could lead to reduced profitability.

We may embark on a growth strategy through acquisitions of companies or operations that complement our existing product lines, customers or other capabilities, such as our recent acquisition of Thinking Tree Spirits. We may be unsuccessful in identifying suitable acquisition candidates or may be unable to consummate desired acquisitions. To the extent any acquisitions are completed, we may be unsuccessful in integrating acquired companies or their operations, or if integration is more difficult than anticipated, we may experience disruptions that could have a material adverse impact on future profitability. Some of the risks that may affect our ability to integrate, or realize any anticipated benefits from, acquisitions include:

•        unexpected losses of key employees or customers of the acquired company;

•        difficulties integrating the acquired company’s products, services, standards, processes, procedures and controls;

•        difficulties coordinating new product and process development;

•        difficulties hiring additional management and other critical personnel;

•        difficulties increasing the scope, geographic diversity and complexity of our operations;

•        difficulties consolidating facilities or transferring processes and know-how;

•        difficulties reducing costs of the acquired company’s business;

•        diversion of management’s attention from our management; and

•        adverse impacts on retaining existing business relationships with customers.

Our recent acquisition of Thinking Tree Spirits could present several challenges or potential liabilities that could adversely affect our business, including the following:

•        we may not be able to fully integrate the acquired brands or products into our platform;

•        we may not be able to recover the cost of the investment in a way that makes the acquisition profitable or a good decision;

•        we may suffer reputational harm in the communities in which Thinking Tree Spirits is located from people who object to a local business being acquired;

•        we may not have been given all relevant information during our due diligence process, which could have affected our decision to proceed with the acquisition or could have allowed us to renegotiate the purchase price or other terms;

•        we are obligated by certain earn-out provisions of our purchase contract to issue to the sellers of Thinking Tree Spirits additional shares of our common stock over the next three years if the Thinking Tree Spirits brands grow in revenue over that period, which could lead to dilution for all other shareholders; and

•        as the purchaser in the acquisition, we may be subject to litigation related to certain acts of Thinking Tree Spirits or its management that occurred prior to the acquisition, including wrongful termination or age discrimination claims, securities fraud, whistleblower issues or other matters, known or unknown to us at the time.

Certain former Thinking Tree Spirits shareholders opposed our acquisition of that company and filed a notice exercising dissenters’ rights, which exposes us to uncertain costs and risks.

In July 2024, three Thinking Tree Spirits shareholders provided Thinking Tree Spirits a notice of dissent to our proposed acquisition of Thinking Tree Spirits on the terms set forth in our acquisition agreement for that company. In July 2024, such former shareholders notified Thinking Tree Spirits and us of their intention to commence litigation to seek damages against Thinking Tree Spirits and us if we do not pay such former shareholders an amount in cash that they allege is the fair value of the shares of capital stock they held in Thinking Tree Spirits as required by Oregon law. The amount the dissenting shareholders alleged was the fair value of their shares exceeds the amount we believe was the actual fair value of such shares. If we cannot reach a negotiated agreement with the dissenting former shareholders on the fair market value of the shares they held in Thinking Tree Spirits, such dissenting shareholders may pursue litigation under Oregon state law seeking a judicially determined value. The statutory time period has passed for any other party to assert dissenters’ rights.

In the event a litigation is commenced, we intend to deny the allegations of the purported value of the Thinking Tree Spirits shares and to vigorously defend the suits. However, the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain and it is possible that the plaintiffs in any such litigation will prevail no matter how vigorously we defend ourselves. In such case, the judicially-determined value of the shares of the dissenting shareholders could exceed the per share value of the consideration we paid for Thinking Tree Spirits, which could result in the payment of significant compensatory damages by our company. Any such adverse decision in such actions could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and liquidity and on our business and results of operations. In addition, regardless of the outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us because of defense costs, diversion of management resources and other factors. Further, in the event there is litigation that becomes public, such litigation could cause harm to our brand and our reputation, thereby impacting the value of our shares of common stock held by our stockholders. Finally, in the event we reach a negotiated settlement with the dissenting shareholders or there is an adverse decision in any litigation that is commenced, it is likely that some cash will be required to be paid to the plaintiffs. Any cash payments will reduce the available cash we have to run our company and to invest in our business and our growth, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and liquidity and on our business and results of operations.

We may enter partnerships, co-branding arrangements, licensing agreements, co-location, joint branding or other collaborative arrangements with other brands, producers, partners or celebrities which could distract from our core business plans, create new risks for our company or otherwise dilute our efforts at growing the value of our company or our brands.

To grow our sales, increase revenue, open new channels of distribution or increase the presence of our company or a brand, we may enter in several arrangements or agreements, including but not limited to partnerships, co-branding arrangements, licensing agreements, co-location, joint branding or other collaborative arrangements, with other brands, producers, partners or celebrities. Examples of some of these arrangements could include:

•        Co-branded or jointly branded products — There is a risk that the co-branding does not work or does not make sense to the consumer, which would depress sales and could result in a loss of the effort, time and money spent on developing such products. There is also a risk the other brand owner with whom we partnered on the effort may not be able to fulfill its agreements, thereby resulting in lower sales, revenue and profitability compared to expectations heading into such arrangements. There is a risk the other brand owner cannot pay its bills, becomes insolvent, files for bankruptcy, is foreclosed upon or otherwise must cease operations, in which case we could have a co-branded product without a corresponding co-branding partner. In such a case, it may also be that we lose the right to continue using the co-branded designs, recipes or trademarks because of a change in operation. There is also a risk that the entity with whom we have co-branded, or one of its employees, managers, executives, directors, or prominent shareholders, does or says something to cause harm to the co-branded product and our brand by association.

•        Licensing Agreements — There is a risk that if we license to others one or more of our brands, trademarks or patents, the licensee might not pay us the licensing fees or royalties due to us for a variety of reasons. The licensee might attempt to modify or use such licensed items in an inappropriate way inconsistent with our company, the brand, or the terms of the license. There is a risk the licensee, or one of its employees, managers, executives, directors, or prominent shareholders, does or says something to cause harm to the licensed product and our brand by association.

•        Co-location — We may decide to co-locate or co-brand retail spaces with other distillers or producers, either in their space or in our space to increase the variety of our offerings, attract new consumers to our space or get our brand and products in front of consumers in areas of the country where we do not have a physical presence. There is a risk that the co-location does not work or does not make sense to the consumer, which would depress sales and could result in a loss of the effort, time and money spent on developing such co-location presence. There is also a risk the other brand owner with whom we partnered in the effort may not be able to fulfill its agreements, thereby resulting in lower sales, revenue and profitability compared to expectations heading into such an arrangement. There is a risk the staff of the co-location partner does not represent our brand properly to consumers, or creates confusion about the brand or the products, or otherwise encourage consumers to skip purchasing our brands in favor of trying and purchasing their own brands. Likewise, there is a risk the co-location partner accuses our retail employees of not representing the co-located brand properly to consumers, or creating confusion about the brand or the products, or otherwise is accused of encouraging consumers to skip purchasing those brands in favor of trying and purchasing our own brands. There is a risk the other brand owner cannot pay their debts, becomes insolvent, files for bankruptcy, is foreclosed upon or otherwise must cease operations, in which case we could have a co-located presence without a corresponding co-location partner to fulfill its terms of the agreement. In such a case, it may also be that we lose the right to continue using the co-located space to market and sell our products. There is also a risk that the entity with which we have co-located, or one of its employees, managers, executives, directors, or prominent shareholders, does or says something to cause harm to the co-located product and our brand by association.

•        Other collaborative arrangements with brands, producers, partners, or celebrities — We may enter into collaborative agreements with other brands, producers, partners, or celebrities. There is a risk that those collaborative partners might not fulfill their obligations under the agreements, or they may not pay fees or royalties due to us. They may use licenses from us in an inappropriate way inconsistent with our company, our brands, or the terms of the license. There is a risk they could do or say something to cause harm to our brand or the collaboration effort by association.

Any one or more of the above risks, if they materialize, could result in lower sales, less revenue than anticipated, less profit than anticipated or a reduction in the value of our brands or reputation or value, which could have a material adverse effect on our business or operating results.

From time to time, we may become subject to litigation specifically directed at the alcoholic beverage industry, as well as litigation arising in the ordinary course of business.

Companies operating in the alcoholic beverage industry may, from time to time, be exposed to class action or other private or governmental litigation and claims relating to product liability, alcohol marketing, advertising or distribution practices, alcohol abuse problems or other health consequences arising from the excessive consumption of or other misuse of alcohol, including underage drinking. Various groups and governmental agencies have, from time to time, publicly expressed concern over problems related to harmful use of alcohol, including drinking and driving, underage drinking and health consequences from the use or misuse of alcohol, and efforts have been made attempting to tie the consumption of alcohol to certain diseases, including various cancers. These campaigns could result in an increased risk of litigation against us and other companies in our industry. Lawsuits have been brought against beverage alcohol companies alleging problems related to alcohol abuse, negative health consequences from drinking, problems from alleged marketing or sales practices and underage drinking. While these lawsuits have been largely unsuccessful in the past, others may succeed in the future.

From time to time, we may also be party to other litigation in the ordinary course of our operations, including in connection with commercial disputes, enforcement or other regulatory actions by tax, customs, competition, environmental, anti-corruption and other relevant regulatory authorities, or, following this transaction, securities-related class action lawsuits, particularly following any significant decline in the price of our securities. Any such litigation or other actions may be expensive to defend and result in damages, penalties or fines as well as reputational damage to us and our spirits brands and may impact the ability of management to focus on other business matters. Furthermore, any adverse judgments may result in an increase in future insurance premiums, and any judgments for which we are not fully insured may result in a significant financial loss and may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial results.

We may not be able to maintain our production, co-branded or co-packed spirits products or win any such agreements in the future.

We have previously secured, and continue to bid on, contract production, co-branded or co-packed spirits products. However, there is no guarantee that we can maintain those contracts, or that any products produced pursuant to such contracts will have success in the market, or that we can continue to secure additional similar projects. The loss of any such current or future projects could significantly impact our cash flow, finances and equipment utilization rates.

We have affiliations with products associated with more established brands and celebrities.

More established brands with which we partner, for which we produce products or with which we are otherwise engaged in business could become the subject of public criticism for the actions, or lack thereof, related to issues in the public sphere. This could include the actions of executives, employees or spokespersons associated with such brands, or public positions related to social or political matters. Such items could negatively impact the perception of our brand by association.

We are also endorsed by certain celebrities, and we have an ownership interest in brands associated with celebrities. There is a risk that actions taken by such celebrities could negatively impact our brand or the perception of our goods and services. Any brands in which we have an ownership interest that are associated with public figures could have a diminished value due to certain actions taken by such public figures.

We may be subject to claims for personal injuries at our facilities.

We offer tours of our facility and, pursuant to our My Batch program, allow customers to assist the distillers and other employees in the use of our equipment to make products for the customers’ specific purchase under our supervision. We also allow the public entry into other areas of our facilities, including our tasting rooms, and sometimes we make our spaces available for private events.

Because of the processes, equipment, products and chemicals we have on-site, employees, customers, delivery persons, vendors, suppliers, contractors or other persons could be injured or killed in the event of an accident. Any such result could force us to limit or curtail all or some of our operations or sales, thereby negatively impacting our financial performance significantly. Such an incident may also cause us to be subject to significant liability that may not be covered by insurance. In addition, such an event would likely result in litigation that could be costly and could distract our management from operations.

We may be subject to vandalism or theft of our products or equipment.

We may be subject to vandalism or theft of our products or equipment, including, but not limited to, theft by our employees or “shrinkage.” Loss of a product or equipment could take a long time to replace, causing disruptions in our cash flow and overall financial position. Such events may not be covered by insurance, in whole or in part. If covered by insurance, the cost of our deductible could be high. Any such event could pose a material challenge to our ability to maintain operations. Further, if loss is the result of employee theft or shrinkage of products, federal or state agency audits may result in a penalty for loss of product outside of allowed norms.

A failure of one or more of our key IT systems, networks, processes, associated sites or service providers could have a material adverse impact on our business operations, and if the failure is prolonged, our financial condition.

We rely on IT systems, networks and services, including internet sites, data hosting and processing facilities and tools, hardware (including laptops and mobile devices), software and technical applications and platforms, some of which are managed, hosted, provided and used by third parties or their vendors, to assist us in the management of our business. The various uses of these IT systems, networks and services include, but are not limited to: hosting our internal network and communication systems; supply and demand planning; production; shipping products to customers; hosting our distillery websites and marketing products to consumers; collecting and storing customer, consumer, employee, stockholder, and other data; processing transactions; summarizing and reporting results of operations; hosting, processing and sharing confidential and proprietary research, business plans and financial information; complying with regulatory, legal or tax requirements; providing data security; and handling other processes necessary to manage our business.

Increased IT security threats and more sophisticated cybercrimes and cyberattacks, including computer viruses and other malicious codes, ransomware, unauthorized access attempts, denial of service attacks, phishing, social engineering, hacking and other types of attacks pose a potential risk to the security of our IT systems, networks and services, as well as the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of our data, and we have in the past, and may in the future, experience cyberattacks and other unauthorized access attempts to our IT systems. Because the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access are constantly changing and often are not recognized until launched against a target, we or our vendors may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement sufficient preventative or remedial measures. If we are unable to efficiently and effectively maintain and upgrade our system safeguards, we may incur unexpected costs and certain of our systems may become more vulnerable to unauthorized access. In the event of a ransomware or other cyber-attack, the integrity and safety of our data could be at risk, or we may incur unforeseen costs impacting our financial position. If the IT systems, networks or service providers we rely upon fail to function properly, or if we suffer a loss or disclosure of business or other sensitive information due to any number of causes ranging from catastrophic events, power outages, security breaches, unauthorized use or usage errors by employees, vendors or other third parties and other security issues, we may be subject to legal claims and proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy and security of personal information (also known as personal data), litigation, governmental investigations and proceedings and regulatory penalties, and we may suffer interruptions in our ability to manage our operations and reputational, competitive or business harm, which may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial results. In addition, such events could result in unauthorized disclosure of material confidential information, and we may suffer financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated confidential information belonging to us or to our employees, stockholders, customers, suppliers, consumers or others. In any of these events, we could also be required to spend significant financial and other resources to remedy the damage caused by a security breach or technological failure and the reputational damage resulting therefrom, to pay for investigations, forensic analyses, legal advice, public relations advice or other services, or to repair or replace networks and IT systems. Even though we maintain cyber risk insurance, this insurance may not be sufficient to cover all our losses from any future breaches or failures of our IT systems, networks and services.

We are testing the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our marketing, branding and other efforts, which could create several risks for our operations.

We are testing various AI tools and efforts to achieve multiple objectives, including but not limited to, creating new creative material to support our brands and marketing efforts, creating new designs for packaging and marketing, creating content for social media and other uses, streamlining the placement of paid advertising via streaming services or social media to maximize efficacy, speed up development of such efforts or to cut costs associated with these efforts. Such efforts may not yield the results we want or provide a satisfactory return on investment,

In addition, some of companies offering AI tools we use or may use in the future, which may be free or may be accessible in beta testing mode, may begin to charge us for their services or increase their fees to use such tools. These costs or cost increases could become unaffordable for us or not fit within our budget parameters. If we have become reliant upon such tools and we can no longer afford to use them, our revenue and profitability may be affected in a negative way. If the loss of such tools results in fewer sales and less revenue, our business operations may be negatively impacted, which could adversely affect the value of our common stock.

It is also possible that some of the AI tools we become reliant upon may be acquired by third parties that will restrict their use, making it either not economically feasible for us to continue using them, or not give us access to the tools at all. In this case, we may be required to hire new employees or consultants, find new outside vendors, or change strategies or tactics to meet our planned objectives, sales targets, revenue and profitability. If the use of such AI tools drives new revenue, increases our sales or profitability, or lowers our costs, the resulting loss of access to them could have an overall negative impact on our business.

Recent court cases have determined that AI-generated content may not qualify for copyright protection. As such, a product, good, service, design, element or some other item we create using AI tools and put into commerce to market or sell a brand, service or product may not qualify for such protection, which could weaken our intellectual property portfolio and allow competitors to use such elements for their own or competing purposes. This could lead to product or brand confusion in the marketplace with little to no way for us to enforce intellectual property rights we might otherwise rely upon.

The AI tools we may come to rely upon may create third-party liability for our company.

The use of AI for business-related activities is still in its very early days and the use of AI is still unproven. In some cases, we may use AI tools to create new branding, marketing materials, strategies, content, or documents to achieve our goals or objectives. Because AI tools work with everchanging inputs in the background and we have no visibility to how the AI tools are performing their work, there is a risk that a product produced by an AI tool for us infringes on another person’s, brand’s or entity’s intellectual property, or that the finished product was also provided by the AI tool to other persons, brands, entities or businesses who may or may not be in competition with us. The use of similar finished products in marketing, branding, advertising, strategies, or tactics could cause confusion in the marketplace or open us up to accusation of plagiarism or the violation of another’s intellectual property rights. Such accusations, if proven true, could cause disruptions for us, cause us to have to change tactics or strategies resulting in fewer sales and less revenue, or subject us to liability for monetary compensation.

There is also a risk that the work product coming from AI tools we use may result in a finished product that is based on the biases of the inputs of the creators, programmers or engineers of such AI tools. Further, such biases could be built into how the algorithms driving such AI are constructed, altering the outputs in a way that makes our use of the finished work product less effective or not consistent with our company or our brand objectives.

There is a risk that competitors, members of the public or others who want to hurt our company or our brand, begin to post on social media about our company or our brands that causes a backlash among consumers, or use AI to create false narratives about our company. There is also a risk that social media influencers, pundits or public personalities who may be viewed as controversial attempt to align themselves with our company or our brands that causes a backlash among consumers.

AI tools are being used to create fake video clips and fake images. Some AI tools can also allow users to create videos in which it appears someone is doing or saying something that never took place. These videos are becoming very difficult, if not impossible, to identify as fake. There is a risk that someone could create videos or clips purporting to show one of our employees, executives, directors, contractors, suppliers, vendors, partners, influencers

or other party or affiliate associated with our company saying something offensive, hurtful, defamatory, or otherwise designed in such a way as to harm our reputation or the reputation of our brands. In such cases, the resulting public backlash or boycotts of our products, the potential for cancelled partnerships, or the removal of our products or brands from distribution, bars, restaurants, retail shelves or other locations where they are sold and served, could cause us to lose sales and revenue and impact our operations or business prospects. Such actions could also cause reputational harm to our company and our brands that cannot be overcome, thereby impacting our ability to conduct business or to generate sales or profits, and ultimately negatively impact the value of our common stock.

There is also a risk that social media influencers, pundits or public personalities who may be viewed as controversial by some group or community attempt to align themselves with our company or our brands that causes a backlash among consumers or specific groups or communities. These people, acting on their own or in concert with others, could feel they are making positive posts about us or our brands, but communities or groups with opposing viewpoints from those posting about us could attempt to create a backlash against our company or our brands due to the appearance of the association with such people. If we or our brands were to get swept up in a backlash or boycott of our products, goods or services simply because of the public comments made by others, even if we are not involved and do not condone or sanction such comments, our sales, revenue and profits could be impacted, and it could ultimately negatively impact the value of our common stock.

Our failure to adequately maintain and protect the personal information of our customers or our employees in compliance with evolving legal requirements could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We collect, use, store, disclose or transfer (collectively, “process”) personal information, including from employees and customers, in connection with the operation of our business. A wide variety of local and international laws as well as regulations and industry guidelines apply to the privacy and collecting, storing, use, processing, disclosure and protection of personal information and may be inconsistent among countries or conflict with other rules. Data protection and privacy laws and regulations are changing, subject to differing interpretations and being tested in courts and may result in increasing regulatory and public scrutiny and escalating levels of enforcement and sanctions.

A variety of data protection legislation apply in the United States at both the federal and state level, including new laws that may impact our operations. For example, the State of California has enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”), which generally requires companies that collect, use, share and otherwise process “personal information” (which is broadly defined) of California residents to make disclosures about their data collection, use, and sharing practices, allows consumers to opt-out of certain data sharing with third parties or the sale of personal information, allows consumers to exercise certain rights with respect to any personal information collected and provides a new cause of action for data breaches. In addition, a new privacy law, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), which significantly modifies the CCPA, was approved by ballot initiative during the November 3, 2020 general election. There remains significant uncertainty regarding the timing and implementation of the CPRA, which may require us to incur additional expenditures to ensure compliance. Additionally, the Federal Trade Commission, and many state attorneys general are interpreting federal and state consumer protection laws to impose standards for the online collection, use, dissemination, and security of data. The burdens imposed by the CCPA and other similar laws that have been or may be enacted at the federal and state level may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies and to incur additional expenditures to comply.

Compliance with these and any other applicable privacy and data protection laws and regulations is a rigorous and time-intensive process, and we may be required to put in place additional mechanisms ensuring compliance with the new privacy and data protection laws and regulations. Our actual or alleged failure to comply with any applicable privacy and data protection laws and regulations, industry standards or contractual obligations, or to protect such information and data that we processes, could result in litigation, regulatory investigations, and enforcement actions against us, including fines, orders, public censure, claims for damages by employees, customers and other affected individuals, public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups, damage to our reputation and competitive position and loss of goodwill (both in relation to existing customers and prospective customers) any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Additionally, if third parties that we work with, such as vendors or developers, violate applicable laws or our policies, such violations may also place personal information at risk and have an adverse effect on our business. Even the perception of privacy concerns, whether or not valid, may harm our reputation, subject us to regulatory scrutiny and investigations, and inhibit adoption of our spirits and other products by existing and potential customers.

Contamination of our products and/or counterfeit or confusingly similar products could harm the image and integrity of, or decrease customer support for, our brands and decrease our sales.

The success of our brands depends upon the positive image that consumers have of them. Contamination, whether arising accidentally or through deliberate third-party action, or other events that harm the integrity or consumer support for our brands, could affect the demand for our products. Contaminants in raw materials purchased from third parties and used in the production of our products or defects in the distillation and fermentation processes could lead to low beverage quality as well as illness among, or injury to, consumers of our products and could result in reduced sales of the affected brand or all of our brands. Also, to the extent that third parties sell products that are either counterfeit versions of our brands or brands that look like our brands, consumers of our brands could confuse our products with products that they consider inferior. This could cause them to refrain from purchasing our brands in the future and in turn could impair our brand equity and adversely affect our sales and operations.

We could be faced with risks associated with cyberattacks by non-state actors or countries since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel, recent attacks by Iran, and the resulting responses by Israel.

Increased IT security threats and more sophisticated cybercrimes and cyberattacks, including computer viruses and other malicious codes, ransomware, unauthorized access attempts, denial of service attacks, phishing, social engineering, hacking and other types of attacks pose a potential risk to the security of our IT systems, networks and services, as well as the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data, and we have in the past, and may in the future, experience cyberattacks and other unauthorized access attempts to our IT systems. These attempts could increase as state and non-state actors look to disrupt companies in the U.S. Specifically as it relates to potential attacks from Russia, Hamas, Iran or aligned groups, we cannot choose which countries, non-state actors or private groups to defend against. Our focus is on maintaining the integrity of our systems regardless of the source of the threat.

From a physical threat perspective, we do not have, and do not plan to have, employees in Ukraine or Israel nor in regions in their vicinity. Likewise, we do not currently, nor do we plan to, source materials or inputs from, or make investments in, those regions. To the extent there may be future sourcing, hiring or investment decisions in or near those regions, our board of directors would need to evaluate the risks and approve such action given the heightened risks associated with those regions currently. Likewise, from an IT or cybersecurity threat perspective, our board will need to receive regular reports from our IT team, including an assessment of attempted attacks, new methods of attack and defense, and updates regarding the state-of-the-art techniques provided by our vendors to help fend off such attacks. In addition, we anticipate that if we are to maintain or secure insurance coverage to compensate us for losses from any such attacks, that coverage and the steps required to ensure the coverage stays in place will be overseen by at least one committee of our board in the normal course of business.

The techniques used to obtain unauthorized system access are constantly changing and often are not recognized until launched against a target. As such, we or our vendors may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement sufficient preventative or remedial measures. If we are unable to efficiently and effectively maintain and upgrade our system safeguards, we may incur unexpected costs and certain of our systems may become more vulnerable to unauthorized access. In the event of a ransomware or other cyber-attack, the integrity and safety of our data could be at risk, or we may incur unforeseen costs impacting our financial position. If the IT systems, networks or service providers we rely upon fail to function properly, or if we suffer a loss or disclosure of business or other sensitive information due to any number of causes, ranging from catastrophic events, power outages, security breaches, unauthorized use or usage errors by employees, vendors or other third parties and other security issues, we may be subject to legal claims and proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy and security of personal information (also known as personal data), litigation, governmental investigations and proceedings and regulatory penalties, and we may suffer interruptions in our ability to manage our operations and reputational, competitive or business harm, which may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial results. In addition, such events could result in unauthorized disclosure of material confidential information, and we may suffer financial and reputational damage because of lost or misappropriated confidential information belonging to us or to our employees, stockholders, customers, suppliers, consumers or others. In any of these events, we could also be required to spend significant financial and other resources to remedy the damage caused by a security breach or

technological failure and the reputational damage resulting therefrom, to pay for investigations, forensic analyses, legal advice, public relations advice or other services, or to repair or replace networks and IT systems. Even though we maintain cyber risk insurance, this insurance may not be sufficient to cover all of our losses from any future breaches or failures of our IT systems, networks and services.

Global conflicts could increase our costs, which could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

Management continues to monitor the changing landscape of global conflicts and their potential impacts on our business. First among these concerns is the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has caused disruption in the grain, natural gas and fertilizer markets, and the result of which is uncertainty in pricing for those commodities. Because we rely on grains for part of our raw material inputs, these disruptions could increase our supply costs. However, as we source all of our grain from local or known domestic suppliers, management believes the impact of the Ukraine war has not been significant based on our history and relationship with the existing farmers and growers. The other potential conflict we monitor is the threatening military activity between China and Taiwan. Historically we have sourced our glass bottles from suppliers in China and we have recently migrated this production to Taiwan. Although we now have what we consider an adequate supply of our glass bottles at the current utilization rate, considering the potential disruption in Taiwan, we have started to evaluate new producers who can produce glass bottles in other countries. Finally, most recently the attacks on Israel and the resulting and potentially escalating tensions in the region could feed uncertainty in the oil markets, which could impact prices for fuel, transportation, freight and other related items, impacting costs directly and indirectly leading to more inflation.

Risks Related to our Intellectual Property

It is difficult and costly to protect our proprietary rights.

Our commercial success will depend in part on obtaining and maintaining trademark protection and trade secret protection of our products and brands, as well as successfully defending these trademarks against third-party challenges. We will only be able to protect our intellectual property related to our trademarks and brands to the extent that we have rights under valid and enforceable trademarks or trade secrets that cover our products and brands. Changes in either the trademark laws or in interpretations of trademark laws in the U.S. and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property. Accordingly, we cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed or enforced in our issued trademarks or in third-party patents. The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain because legal means afford only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep our competitive advantage.

We may face intellectual property infringement claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend, and could result in our loss of significant rights and the assessment of treble damages.

From time-to-time we may face intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or invalidity/non-infringement claims from third parties. Some of these claims may lead to litigation. The outcome of any such litigation can never be guaranteed, and an adverse outcome could affect us negatively. For example, were a third party to succeed on an infringement claim against us, we may be required to pay substantial damages (including up to treble damages if such infringement were found to be willful). In addition, we could face an injunction barring us from conducting the allegedly infringing activity. The outcome of the litigation could require us to enter into a license agreement that may not be acceptable, commercially reasonable, or on practical terms, or we may be precluded from obtaining a license at all. It is also possible that an adverse finding of infringement against us may require us to dedicate substantial resources and time to developing non-infringing alternatives, which may or may not be possible.

Finally, we may initiate claims to assert or defend our own intellectual property against third parties. Any intellectual property litigation, irrespective of whether we are the plaintiff or the defendant, and regardless of the outcome, is expensive and time-consuming, and could divert our management’s attention from our business and negatively affect our operating results or financial condition.

We may be subject to claims by third parties asserting that our employees or we have misappropriated our intellectual property, or claiming ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.

Although we try to ensure that we and our employees and independent contractors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees or independent contractors have used or disclosed intellectual property in violation of others’ rights. These claims may cover a range of matters, such as challenges to our trademarks, as well as claims that our employees or independent contractors are using trade secrets or other proprietary information of any such employee’s former employer or independent contractors. As a result, we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property. If we fail in prosecuting or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in prosecuting or defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.

Our new Special Operations Salute and Salute Series lines of spirits may be subject to claims of misuse or unapproved use of certain imagery or terms associated with the U.S. military. We may come under attack for not having authentic military or first responder roots for a particular line or design under this product line.

Although we try to ensure that we do not infringe on any third-party trademark, or use unapproved logos or images in our marketing, certain branches of the U.S. military may object to our brand positioning of our Special Operations Salute, Salute Series or related spirits lines or to our use of certain terms, marks, images or logos. While we have successfully navigated this issue over the past seven years with our 1st Special Forces Group Whiskey honoring the 1st Special Forces Group at Joint Base Lewis McChord, another branch of the military may take issue with our brand positioning related to that branch or to a particular product or its packaging. Likewise, there is no guarantee that the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (the “TTB”) will approve our label designs for any such branch or that after approval by the TTB that such approval may later be rescinded. Such results would require us to rethink our branding or designs for one or more branches or products. Any successful challenge to our effort around this line of products could diminish our ultimate future growth opportunities from this product concept.

Likewise, people who have served in specific branches or units of the military or as first responders tend to be very protective and parochial about their history. If we develop a product, line or image in which we do not have a company founder or employee with specific ties to a branch, unit or group, we could be attacked in public or in social media by members of such group that think we are trying to position ourselves in this brand at the expense of others, even though we will endeavor to advance this line with honor and respect and in partnership with select non-profits that will benefit from the sales of products under this line. Successful attacks on our brand or efforts in this way could diminish the value of our efforts, the value of the brand and ultimately sales to the public.

Risks Related to Regulation

We are subject to extensive government regulation and are required to obtain and renew various permits and licenses; changes in or violations of laws or regulations or failure to obtain or renew permits and licenses could materially adversely affect our business and profitability.

Our business of marketing and distributing craft spirits and other alcoholic beverages in the United States is subject to regulation by national and local governmental agencies. These regulations and laws address such matters as licensing and permit requirements, regarding the production, storage and import of alcoholic products; competition and anti-trust matters; trade and pricing practices; taxes; distribution methods and relationships; required labeling and packaging; advertising; sales promotion; and relations with wholesalers and retailers. Loss of production capacity due to regulatory issues can negatively affect our sales and increase our operating costs as we attempt to increase production at other facilities during that time to offset the lost production. It is possible that we could have similar issues in the future that will adversely impact our sales and operating costs. Additionally, new or revised regulations or requirements or increases in excise taxes, customs duties, income taxes, or sales taxes could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, we are subject to numerous environmental and occupational, health and safety laws and regulations in the countries in which we plan to operate. We may incur significant costs to maintain compliance with evolving environmental and occupational, health and safety requirements, to comply with more stringent enforcement of existing applicable requirements or to defend against challenges or investigations, even those without merit. Future legal or regulatory challenges to the industry in which we operate, or our business practices and arrangements could give rise to liability and fines, or cause us to change our practices or arrangements, which could have a material adverse effect on us or our revenues and profitability.

Governmental regulation and supervision as well as future changes in laws, regulations or government policy (or in the interpretation of existing laws or regulations) that affect us, our competitors or our industry generally, strongly influence our viability and how we operate our business. Complying with existing laws, regulations and government policy is burdensome, and future changes may increase our operational and administrative expenses and limit our revenues.

Additionally, governmental regulatory and tax authorities have a high degree of discretion and may at times exercise this discretion in a manner contrary to law or established practice. Our business would be materially and adversely affected if there were any adverse changes in relevant laws or regulations or in their interpretation or enforcement. Our ability to introduce new products and services may also be affected if we cannot predict how existing or future laws, regulations or policies would apply to such products or services.

We are subject to regulatory overview by the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and state liquor control agencies.

We are required to secure certain label and formula approvals for the products we make. Such approvals are made at the discretion of the TTB. The TTB could deny our applications for labels and/or formulas entirely or force us to change them so that the result would be different from that which we currently sell or plan to sell. The TTB could also force us to change labels it has already approved and that we have already begun to sell or could revoke approval for existing formulas and/or labels. Any such delays in formula and/or label approval could cause delays in bringing products to market and could force us to limit or curtail all or some operations or sales, thereby negatively impacting our financial performance significantly.

Similarly, one or more state liquor control agencies may not approve a product for sale even though we have received federal approval to produce and sell the product.

Our regulatory licenses may be suspended or revoked, or we may fail to secure or retain required permits or licenses.

Samples or servings provided through our tasting room or at other events in which we participate could be provided to minors. The result of such an event could be a fine or penalty applied against us by a state or federal enforcement agency. Further, such penalty could result in a temporary or permanent suspension of our license to operate, which would negatively impact our financial results.

We also might not be able to secure or keep permits and/or licenses required to open and operate our business, including but not limited to building and trades permits, Conditional Use/Special Use Permits or other zoning permits, health permits, food permits, our federal TTB license, federal Food and Drug Administration license, state liquor licenses or other licenses or permits. Any such suspension or losses could negatively impact our financial results.

We are subject to various insurance and bonding requirements.

We are required by the TTB to secure and maintain insurance for various aspects of our operations. We may not be able to secure all of the insurance our business requires or, once we obtain the required insurance, such insurance could be cancelled or terminated. We may also only be able to secure insurance at rates that we deem to be commercially unreasonable.

We are also required by the TTB to provide bonds for the distilled spirits products we make, store, bottle and prepare for sale. Such bonds could be revoked, or the cost of bonding might become materially more expensive than we currently anticipate. As production and storage grows, there is a chance we may not be able to secure an increase in our bonding adequate to cover federal obligations, or our operations could exceed our bonded authority.

This could require us to halt our operations until such increased bonding is secured, if at all. Further, as a condition of obtaining a bond, a bonding company could require that we set aside dedicated funds to backstop the bond. Such a requirement would hamper our ability to use funds for revenue generating purposes, thereby changing our plans for growth. In any of these situations, we would be forced to limit or curtail all or some of our operations, thereby negatively impacting our financial performance significantly.

We are subject to certain record-keeping requirements to which we may not properly adhere.

We are required to track the source of products we make, produce and/or bottle, including raw ingredients used, mashing, fermentation, distillation, storage, aging, blending, bottling, removal from bond and sales. Historically, we may not have accurately captured, or in the future may not accurately capture, all of such data. Moreover, in the event of an audit, state or federal revenue officers may interpret our data differently than we do, which could lead to a finding that we either underpaid or overpaid federal excise and state sales taxes.

As we open new locations, the staff at those locations may not properly track and record all data. The failure to adequately track production could put some products at risk from a labeling or valuation standpoint or cause the TTB to impound certain of our products from future sales. Failure to properly track and report the required data could also result in fines and/or penalties levied against us, or the suspension or rescission of our permits or licenses. Suspension or rescission of a permit or license would put us at risk of not being able to continue operations.

We operate in a highly-regulated industry subject to state and federal regulation, and it is possible that state or federal legislative or regulatory bodies could change or amend laws that impact us.

We operate in a highly-regulated industry subject to state and federal regulation, and it is possible that state or federal legislative or regulatory bodies could change or amend laws that impact us. Such changes could include, but are not limited to:

•        the amount of product we can produce annually;

•        regulations on the manufacturing, storage, transportation and sale of our distilled spirits;

•        license rates we must pay to the state;

•        tax rates on products we make and sell;

•        how, where and when we can advertise our products;

•        how products are classified; and

•        labeling and formulation approvals.

In addition, it is possible that legislative bodies could amend or revoke the statutes that allow us to operate, in whole or in part. In such an event, we may be forced to cease operations, which would materially affect our value and any investment made in us.

The failure of Congress to pass federal spending bills could impact our ability to secure federal permits that are critical to our business and our growth plans.

The chance that continued inaction in Congress to secure final passage of annual spending bills puts us at risk of a government shutdown, which could impact our ability to secure certain federal permits through the TTB, including transfer in bond permits, and formula or label approvals. Likewise, tribal partners we are working with to open Heritage-branded distilleries and tasting rooms will rely on securing their own TTB permits. Any government shutdown could slow down progress on the development, opening or operating of those locations.

We may become subject to audits by government agencies that find the mis-collection or mis-payment of taxes or fees.

We may become subject to audits by government agencies that could find the mis-collection or mis-payment of taxes or fees. Such an event could require us to allocate financial resources and personnel into areas to which we are not currently planning to allocate and to subject us to fines, interest and penalties in addition to the taxes or fees that may be owed. In the past, we have not timely filed and paid certain taxes, but no fines or penalties have been assessed for such late filings to date. However, a governmental entity could attempt to institute fines and/or assess other penalties for our past late tax filings and payments. Such an action could also include a suspension or termination of one or more of our permits or licenses.

Our products could be subject to a voluntary or involuntary recall.

Our products could be subject to a voluntary or involuntary recall for any number of reasons. In such an event, we may be forced to repurchase products we have already sold, cover other costs associated with the product or the recall, cease the sale of product already in the sales pipeline, or destroy product still in our control or that we are still processing. Any such product recalls could negatively impact our financial performance and impugn our reputation with consumers.

Our agreements with partners may be perceived as de facto franchise relationships.

Our agreements with partners, including American Indian Tribes or other licensees, allowing such partner to operate a Heritage-branded location could be interpreted by a state or federal court or administrative body as being a de facto franchise relationship, in which case we may need to revise the terms of our licensing arrangement with such partner, thereby altering our anticipated return and risk profile. If an agreement with a partner is determined to be a de facto franchise relationship, we may be required to file franchise documents with state and the federal governments for approval and we will be liable for fines or penalties for not pre-filing such franchise documents.

Direct to consumer shipping could become more regulated or be curtailed or terminated through government regulation or enforcement.

We currently use a three-tier compliant third-party retailer that resells, ships and handles fulfillment for certain of our products directly to consumers in 45 states and the District of Columbia. There are several risks associated with direct-to-consumer shipping, including that one or more states could decide such activities do not comport with their specific laws or regulations. In addition, there is a risk the third-party fulfillment firm could be forced to curtail or cease operations by virtue of a federal or state demand or reinterpretation of statute or rule, or that such firm could exit the market on its own free will. In any of these cases, the loss of direct-to-consumer shipping would likely lead to fewer sales, less revenue, and less profitability for our company, which could impact the value of our common stock. The loss of such sales and revenue could also negatively impact our operating plan as we would have less operating cash flow to work with, which could force us to alter our growth and marketing plans. There is also a risk that a third-party delivery company that is delivering the product to a consumer leaves the package where an individual under the age of 21 can gain access to it, or that such company delivers it to a location and fail to verify the person’s age. In such case, a state or local enforcement entity could attempt to claim we are partially culpable in the delivery to a person who is not 21 years of age. If that person were to consume the product and engage in an activity dangerous to themselves or others that causes death or serious bodily injury, a claim could be made against us as being part of the transaction. We could fail to successfully defend any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management or negatively impact the reputation of our company.

We are subject to state-specific regulatory risks related to our location in Eugene, Oregon.

There are several risks associated with our locations in Eugene, Oregon, including but not limited to:

•        The legislature or voters in Oregon may elect to privatize the state’s current monopoly-owned retail and distribution system, which would likely materially alter the way in which spirits are distributed and priced in the state and would also change the way we have to market to secure shelf space in stores and in restaurants and bars in order to gain or maintain market share.

•        The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (the “OLCC”) may not approve some or all of our products for listing and sale in the state or in our tasting rooms located in Oregon.

•        The OLCC could deny our request to open additional tasting rooms in the state of Oregon, thereby stranding equipment and capital and materially impacting our plan to generate more retail sales in our own locations.

Risks Related to this Offering and Ownership of Our Common Stock

The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.

Prior to this offering, there was no public market for the shares of our common stock. The offering price for the shares sold in this offering will be determined by negotiation between the underwriters and us. Neither we nor the underwriters can assure you that the initial public offering price will bear any relationship to the market price at which our common stock may trade after our initial public offering. Shares of companies offered in an initial public offering often trade at a discount to the initial offering price due to underwriting discounts and commissions and related offering expenses. As a result, the trading price of our common stock is likely to be volatile, which may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the public offering price. Our prices of our common stock could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a variety of factors, which include:

•        actual or anticipated fluctuations in our financial condition and operating results;

•        announcements of new product offerings or technological innovations by us or our competitors;

•        announcements by our customers, partners or suppliers relating directly or indirectly to our products, services or technologies;

•        overall conditions in our industry and market;

•        addition or loss of significant customers;

•        changes in laws or regulations applicable to our products;

•        actual or anticipated changes in our growth rate relative to our competitors;

•        announcements by us or our competitors of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, capital commitments or achievement of significant milestones;

•        additions or departures of key personnel;

•        competition from existing products or new products that may emerge;

•        fluctuations in the valuation of companies perceived by investors to be comparable to us;

•        disputes or other developments related to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters or our ability to obtain intellectual property protection for our technologies;

•        announcement or expectation of additional financing efforts;

•        sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders;

•        stock price and volume fluctuations attributable to inconsistent trading volume levels of our shares;

•        reports, guidance and ratings issued by securities or industry analysts; and

•        general economic and market conditions.

If any of the foregoing occurs, it would cause our stock prices or trading volume to decline. Stock markets in general and the market for companies in our industry in particular have experienced price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions such as recessions, interest rate changes or international currency fluctuations, may negatively impact the market price of our common stock You may not realize any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment.

We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert our management’s attention.

The market price of our securities may be volatile, and in the past companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their securities have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business.

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may invest or spend the proceeds in ways with which you disagree or that may not yield a return.

While we set forth our anticipated use for the net proceeds from this offering and our concurrent private placement of the Common Warrants in the section titled “Use of Proceeds,” our management will have broad discretion on how to use and spend any proceeds that we receive from this offering and our concurrent private placement and may use the proceeds in ways that differ from the anticipated uses set forth in this prospectus. Investors in this offering will need to rely upon the judgment of our management with respect to the use of proceeds with only limited information concerning management’s specific intentions. It is possible that we may decide in the future not to use the proceeds of this offering and our concurrent private placement in the manner described in this offering. Our management may spend a portion or all of the net proceeds from this offering and our concurrent private placement in ways that holders of our common stock may not desire or that may not yield a significant return or any return at all. Investors will receive no notice or vote regarding any such change and may not agree with our decision on how to use such proceeds. If we fail to utilize the proceeds we receive from this offering and our concurrent private placement effectively, our business and financial condition could be harmed, and we may need to seek additional financing sooner than expected. Pending their use, we may also invest the net proceeds from this offering and our concurrent private placement in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

There is no existing market for our common stock, and we do not know if one will develop to provide you with adequate liquidity.

Prior to this offering, there was no public market for our common stock. Although we have applied to have our common stock listed on Nasdaq, an active trading market for our common stock may never develop or be sustained following this offering. You may not be able to sell your shares quickly or at the market price if trading in our common stock is not active. The initial public offering price for the shares of common stock offered will be determined by negotiations between us and the underwriters and may not be indicative of the prices of our common stock that will prevail in the trading market. You may not be able to sell your shares of our common stock at or above the price you paid in the offering. As a result, you could lose all or part of your investment. Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock and may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or acquire companies or products by using our shares of common stock as consideration.

Our directors, executive officers and principal stockholders will continue to have substantial control over our company after this offering, which could limit your ability to influence the outcome of key transactions, including a change of control.

Upon completion of this offering, our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders and their affiliates will beneficially own 1,679,718 shares of our outstanding common stock, or approximately 32.59% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, assuming the sale of 1,500,000 shares in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and the underwriters’ over-allotment option is not exercised. As a result, these stockholders will be able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring stockholder approval, including the election of directors and the approval of mergers, acquisitions or other extraordinary transactions. They may also have interests that differ from yours and may vote in a way with which you disagree, and which may be adverse to your interests. This concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying, preventing or deterring a change of control of our company, could deprive our stockholders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their common stock as part of a sale of our company and might ultimately affect the market price of our common stock.

Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq could result in de-listing of our common stock.

If, after listing, we fail to satisfy the continued listing requirements of Nasdaq, such as the corporate governance requirements or the minimum closing bid price requirement, Nasdaq may take steps to de-list our common stock. Such a de-listing would likely have a negative effect on the price of our common stock and would impair your ability to sell or purchase our common stock when you wish to do so. In the event of a de-listing, we would take actions to try to restore our compliance with the Nasdaq marketplace rules, but our common stock may not be listed again, and such actions may not stabilize the market price or improve the liquidity of our common stock, prevent our common stock from dropping below the Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement or prevent future non-compliance with the Nasdaq marketplace rules.

If our shares become subject to the penny stock rules, it would become more difficult to trade our shares.

The SEC has adopted rules that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. If we do not obtain or retain a listing on Nasdaq and if the price of our common stock is less than $5.00, our common stock will be deemed a penny stock. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may reduce the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, so stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.

The concurrent offering of shares of our common stock by certain existing stockholders of our company could adversely affect the market for our common stock.

The registration statement we filed with the SEC to register under the Securities Act the shares of our common stock offered hereby included a second prospectus (the “Resale Prospectus”) pursuant to which certain of our stockholders may offer and sell to the public from time to time up to an aggregate of 313,187 shares of our common stock. Unless otherwise bound by an executed lockup agreement, such stockholders are not bound by any agreement that prohibits sales of such shares of common stock concurrently with the commencement of our initial public offering of common stock pursuant to this prospectus. The sales of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus and the Resale Prospectus may result in two offerings taking place concurrently, which could adversely affect the price and liquidity of, and demand for, our common stock.

Future sales of shares by existing stockholders could cause our stock price to decline.

If our existing stockholders sell, or indicate an intent to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline significantly and could decline below the initial public offering price. After giving effect to this offering and the exchange of certain indebtedness for equity upon the closing of this offering, we will have outstanding 5,153,405 shares of common stock, assuming no exercise of outstanding options and warrants or the Common Warrants. Of these shares, approximately 2,859,872 shares will be held by our non-affiliated stockholders and, together with 1,500,000 shares of common stock offered hereby, plus any shares sold pursuant to the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares, will be immediately freely tradable, without restriction, in the public market. Pursuant to a resale registration statement that will become effective concurrently with this offering, we are registering under the Securities Act the resale of an additional 313,187 shares of common stock held by our non-affiliated stockholders, which will allow such shares to be freely tradeable so long as the related prospectus remains current. If our non-affiliated stockholders sell substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or if the public perceives that such sales could occur, this could have an adverse impact on the market price of our common stock, even if there is no relationship between such sales and the performance of our business. Following this offering, we also intend to register for resale the shares of common stock underlying the

We will incur significant costs from operating as a public company, and our management expects to devote substantial time to public company compliance programs.

As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses due to our compliance with regulations and disclosure obligations applicable to us, including compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq. Stockholder activism, the current political environment and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which may lead to additional compliance costs and impact, in ways we cannot currently anticipate, the way we operate our business. Our management and other personnel will devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance programs and monitoring of public company reporting obligations and as a result of the new corporate governance and executive compensation related rules, regulations and guidelines prompted by the Dodd-Frank Act and further regulations and disclosure obligations expected in the future, we will likely need to devote additional time and costs to comply with such compliance programs and rules. These rules and regulations will cause us to incur significant legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costlier.

To comply with the requirements of being a public company, we may need to undertake various actions, including implementing new internal controls and procedures and hiring new accounting or internal audit staff. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are continuing to develop and refine our disclosure controls and other procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that information required to be disclosed in reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), is accumulated and communicated to our principal executive and financial officers. Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate and weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls when we become subject to this requirement could negatively impact the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that we may be required to include in our periodic reports we will file with the SEC under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, harm our operating results, cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations or result in a restatement of our prior period financial statements. If we are not able to demonstrate compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, that our internal control over financial reporting is perceived as inadequate or that we are unable to produce timely or accurate financial statements, investors may lose confidence in our operating results and the price of our common stock could decline. In addition, if we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to remain listed on Nasdaq.

Our management team has limited experience managing a public company.

Most members of our management team have limited experience managing a publicly-traded company, interacting with public company investors and complying with the increasingly complex laws pertaining to public companies. Our management team may not successfully or efficiently manage our transition to being a public company subject to significant regulatory oversight and reporting obligations under the federal securities laws and the continuous scrutiny of securities analysts and investors. These new obligations and constituents will require significant attention from our senior management and could divert their attention away from the day-to-day management of our business, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.

Because we have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards for an emerging growth company our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates.

We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards under Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act. This election allows us to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates, and thus investors may have difficulty evaluating or comparing our business, performance or prospects in comparison to other public companies, which may have a negative impact on the value and liquidity of our common stock.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are contained principally in the sections titled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business,” but are also contained elsewhere in this prospectus. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “objective,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue” and “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance or condition and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievement to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:

•        our ability to hire additional personnel and to manage the growth of our business;

•        our ability to continue as a going concern;

•        our reliance on our brand name, reputation and product quality;

•        our ability to adequately address increased demands that may be placed on our management, operational and production capabilities.

•        the effectiveness of our advertising and promotional activities and investments;

•        our reliance on celebrities to endorse our products and market our brands;

•        general competitive conditions, including actions our competitors may take to grow their businesses;

•        fluctuations in consumer demand for craft spirits;

•        overall decline in the health of the economy and consumer discretionary spending;

•        the occurrence of adverse weather events, natural disasters, public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, or other unforeseen circumstances that may cause delays to or interruptions in our operations;

•        risks associated with disruptions in our supply chain for raw and processed materials, including glass bottles, barrels, spirits additives and agents, water and other supplies;

•        the impact of COVID-19 on our customers, suppliers, business operations and financial results;

•        disrupted or delayed service by the distributors we rely on for the distribution of our products;

•        our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy, including continuing our expansion in our TBN and direct-to-consumer sales channels;

•        quarterly and seasonal fluctuations in our operating results;

•        anticipated accounting recognition associated with reports generated for us by outside valuation experts as they relate to the treatment of and accounting for the exchange of certain convertible promissory notes into common stock and prepaid warrants;

•        our success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, our officers, key employees or directors;

•        our ability to protect our trademarks and other intellectual property rights, including our brands and reputation;

•        our ability to comply with laws and regulations affecting our business, including those relating to the manufacture, sale and distribution of spirits and other alcoholic beverages;

•        the risks associated with the legislative, judicial, accounting, regulatory, political and economic risks and conditions;

•        claims, demands and lawsuits to which we are, and may in the future, be subject and the risk that our insurance or indemnities coverage may not be sufficient;

•        our ability to operate, update or implement our IT systems;

•        our ability to successfully pursue strategic acquisitions and integrate acquired businesses, products, services or brands;

•        our ability to implement additional finance and accounting systems, procedures and controls to satisfy public company reporting requirements;

•        our potential ability to obtain additional financing when and if needed;

•        the potential liquidity and trading of our securities; and

•        the future trading prices of our common stock and the impact of securities analysts’ reports on these prices.

You should read this prospectus, including the section titled “Risk Factors,” and the documents that we reference elsewhere in this prospectus and have filed as exhibits to the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, completely and with the understanding that our actual results may differ materially from what we expect as expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. Considering the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all.

These forward-looking statements represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this prospectus regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our common stock. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this prospectus. All subsequent forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to herein.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that we will receive net proceeds of approximately $6,752,000 (net of commissions and unaccrued offering expenses) from the sale of the 1,500,000 shares of common stock offered in this offering, or approximately $7,787,000 (net of commissions and unaccrued offering expenses) if the underwriters exercise their option to purchase additional shares in full, based on an assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. In addition, we estimate that we will receive net proceeds of approximately $2,300,000 (net of placement agent fees) from the sale of the 500,000 Common Warrants in our concurrent private placement based on an assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share of common stock in this offering, the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

Each $1.00 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $5.00 per share of common stock in this offering would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering, and our concurrent private placement, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions, estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, by approximately $1,380,000, assuming that the number of shares of common stock offered by us in this offering and the number of Common Warrants we offer in our concurrent private placement, each as set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same. We may also increase or decrease the number of shares of common stock or Common Warrants we are offering. An increase (decrease) of 100,000 in the number of shares of common stock or Common Warrants we are offering would increase (decrease) the net proceeds to us from this offering and our concurrent private placement, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions, the estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, by approximately $460,000 assuming the initial public offering price stays the same.

The following table sets forth a breakdown of our estimated use of our net proceeds from this offering and our concurrent private placement as we currently expect to use them.

Due to the uncertainties inherent in our operations and business, it is difficult to estimate with certainty the exact amounts of the net proceeds from this offering that may be used for any specific purposes. The amounts and timing of our actual expenditures will depend upon numerous factors, including our sales and marketing efforts, the demand for our products and services, our operating costs and the other factors described under “Risk Factors” in this prospectus. Accordingly, our management will have flexibility in applying the net proceeds from this offering. An investor will not have the opportunity to evaluate the economic, financial or other information on which we base our decisions on how to use the net proceeds.

If the underwriters exercise the over-allotment option in full, we intend to use such additional net proceeds (up to $1,035,000) for working capital and other general corporate purposes.

As set forth above, we expect to use approximately $2,375,000, or approximately 26.2%, of the net proceeds of this offering for the partial repayment of our secured term loan from Silverview Credit Partners L.P. (the “Silverview Loan”). The Silverview Loan was incurred in March and September 2021 with an aggregate borrowing capacity of $15,000,000, currently accrues interest at the rate of 15% per annum, which rate will increase to 16.5% per annum following the closing of this offering, and matures on October 25, 2026. On June 30, 2024, the principal

balance of the Silverview Loan was $12,250,000. For additional information regarding the Silverview Loan, see “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Liquidity and Capital Resources” and Note 6 to our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2024 included elsewhere in this prospectus.

Until we use the net proceeds of this offering and our concurrent private placement in our business, such funds will be managed through a treasury management program under the supervision of our Acting Chief Financial Officer and invested in short-term, interest-bearing investments, which may include interest-bearing bank accounts, money market funds, certificates of deposit and U.S. government securities.

DIVIDEND POLICY

We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings to support our operations and finance the growth and development of our business. Any future determination related to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, business prospects, the requirements of current or then-existing debt instruments and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant.

CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth our cash and cash equivalents and capitalization as of June 30, 2024:

•        on an actual basis;

•        on a pro forma basis to give effect to:

(i)     the reclassification subsequent to June 30, 2024 of $18,067,088 in convertible note debt into equity in the form of 3,312,148 shares of common stock and 507,394 prepaid warrants to purchase common stock, effective upon the consummation of this offering;

(ii)    the issuance of 250,632 shares of common stock in exchange for the relinquishment of warrants to purchase an aggregate of 439,428 shares of common stock upon consummation of this offering, including warrants to purchase an aggregate of 30,762 shares of common stock for nominal consideration upon the consummation of a public offering of common stock that were issued in 2012 for services rendered, a warrant that would have been exerciseable to purchase 399,500 shares of common stock upon consummation of this offering on a cashless basis that was issued in 2015 as part of a private placement of our common stock, and warrants to purchase an aggregate of 9,166 shares of common stock on a cashless basis that were issued in 2017 as part of a private placement of convertible promissory notes;

(iii)   the reclassification subsequent to June 30, 2024 of $13,978,467 in convertible note debt and $20,378 in related warrant liability as of June 30, 2024 into equity in the form of 2,399,090 shares of common stock and 546,927 prepaid warrants to purchase common stock, effective upon the consummation of this offering;

(iv)   the reclassification in April 2024 of $884,182 of fair value of warrant liabilities to equity upon establishing a fixed exercise price of certain outstanding warrants (see Note 10 to our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statement for the six months ended June 30, 2024 included elsewhere in this prospectus);

(v)    additional proceeds of $250,000 in July 2024 from an accounts receivable factoring agreement that was subsequently exchanged for Series A Preferred Stock;

(vi)   our sale subsequent to June 30, 2024 of 218,051 additional shares of Series A Preferred Stock (and related warrants), for which we received $1,350,000 of cash proceeds and $110,600 in the form of 50 barrels of premium aged whiskey and we cancelled $719,919 of outstanding indebtedness under accounts receivable factoring agreements, including $410,667 that was outstanding at June 30, 2024, $250,000 related to the factoring agreement we entered into in July 2024 (referenced in (v) above), and $59,252 related to accrued fees associated with such factoring agreements subsequent to June 30, 2024;

(vii)  the net exercise subsequent to June 30, 2024 of 65,891 prepaid warrants into common stock;

(viii) the exchange in September 2024 of outstanding warrants to purchase 510,315 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $6.00 per share for 93,789 new shares of Series A Preferred Stock. The warrants for the 510,315 shares of common stock were issued between July 25, 2024 and September 20, 2024 in connection with our private placement of Series A Preferred Stock and were determined to have a fair value of $937,959 using the Black-Scholes method and related assumptions described in Note 16 to our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2024 included elsewhere in this prospectus; and

(ix)   the exchange prior to the consummation of this offering of 2,816,291 shares of common stock for warrants to purchase an equal number of shares of common stock with an exercise price of $.001 per share; and

•        on a pro forma as adjusted basis to give further effect to:

(i)      our issuance and sale of 1,500,000 shares of common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, for estimated net cash proceeds of $6,752,000 after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated unaccrued offering expenses paid and payable by us but assuming no exercise of the warrants granted to the Representative of the underwriters;

(ii)    our issuance and sale of Common Warrants to purchase 500,000 shares of common stock in our concurrent private placement at an assumed offering price of $4.99 per Common Warrant, which is based on the midpoint of the price range for our common stock in this offering set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, for estimated net cash proceeds of $2,300,000 after deducting the placement agent fees payable by us but assuming no exercise of the Common Warrants; and

(iii)   the use of $2,375,000 of the net proceeds of this offering for the repayment of indebtedness.

The pro forma and pro forma as adjusted information below is illustrative only and our capitalization following the completion of this offering is subject to adjustment based on the initial public offering price of our common stock and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read the following table in conjunction with “Use of Proceeds,” “Selected Financial Information,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” “Description of Capital Stock” and other financial information contained in this prospectus, including the financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus.

____________

(1)      Pro forma cash includes actual cash as of June 30, 2024 plus $1,350,000 in proceeds from the sale of shares of Series A Preferred Stock and $250,000 in proceeds from an accounts receivable factoring agreement subsequent to June 30, 2024, which was subsequently exchanged for Series A Preferred Stock. Further, pro forma as adjusted cash reflects net proceeds of $9,051,598 from this offering of common stock and the concurrent offering of Common Warrants net of underwriter and placement agent fees and commissions and cash offering expenses related to both offerings, and takes into account the repayment of $2,375,000 of principal and accrued interest related to the Silverview Loan.

A $1.00 increase or decrease in the assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share of common stock, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, would increase or decrease, as applicable, each of cash, paid-in capital, total stockholders’ (deficit) equity and total capitalization by approximately $1,840,000, assuming the number of shares of common stock and the number of Common Warrants offered by us, as stated on the cover page of this prospectus, remains unchanged and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us. Similarly, each increase or decrease of 100,000 in the number of shares of common stock or number of Common Warrants we are offering would increase or decrease, as applicable, each of cash, paid-in capital, total stockholders’ (deficit) equity and total capitalization by approximately $460,000, assuming the assumed initial public offering price of $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, remains the same and after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this prospectus and the section of this prospectus entitled “Information about Heritage.” In addition to historical consolidated financial information, the following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. Unless the context otherwise requires, for the purposes of this section, “Heritage,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or the “Company” refer to Heritage Distilling Holding Company, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Business Overview

We are a craft distiller producing, marketing and selling a diverse line of award-winning craft spirits, including whiskeys, vodkas, gins, rums, and “ready-to-drink” canned cocktails. We recognize that taste and innovation are key criteria for consumer choices in spirits and innovate new products for trial in our company-owned distilleries and tasting rooms. We believe we have developed differentiated products that are responsive to consumer desires for rewarding and novel taste experiences.

We compete in the craft spirits segment, which is the most rapidly-growing segment of the overall $288 billion spirits market. According to the American Craft Spirits Association, a craft distillery is defined generally as a distillery that produces fewer than 750,000 gallons annually and holds an ownership interest of 51% or more of a distilled spirits plant that is licensed by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. According to the Craft Spirits Global Market Report 2023 of Grand View Research, the craft spirits segment had revenues of more than $21.4 billion in 2023 and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”) of 29.4% between 2024 and 2030. We believe we are well positioned to grow more than the growth rate of the market by increasing our marketing efforts, increasing the size of our sales teams and broadening our wholesale distribution.

Out of the more than 2,600 craft producers in North America, we have been recognized with more awards for our products from the American Distilling Institute, the leading independent spirits association in the U.S., than any other North American craft distiller for each of the last ten years. Plus, numerous other Best of Class, Double Gold and Gold medals from multiple national and international spirits competitions. We are one of the largest craft spirits producers on the West Coast based on revenues and are developing a national reach in the U.S. through traditional sales channels (wholesale, on-premises and e-commerce) and our unique and recently-developed Tribal Beverage Network (“TBN”) sales channel. Based upon our revenues and our continued track record of winning industry awards in an increasingly competitive environment, we believe we are one of the leading craft spirits producers in the United States.

We sell our products through wholesale distribution, directly to consumers through our five owned and operated distilleries and tasting rooms located in Washington and Oregon and by shipping directly to consumers on-line where legal. Currently, we sell products primarily in the Pacific Northwest with limited distribution in other states throughout the U.S. In addition, in collaboration with Native American tribes, we have recently developed a new sales, manufacturing and distribution channel on tribal lands that we expect will increase and broaden the recognition of our brand as that network expands nationally.

Our growth strategy is based on three primary areas. First, we are focused on growing our direct-to-consumer (“DtC”) sales via shipping to legal purchasers to their homes where allowed. We currently use a three-tier compliant, third-party platform to conduct these sales and deliveries in 46 states in which approximately 96.8% of the U.S. population reside. This allows us to develop a relationship directly with the consumer through higher-margin sales while collecting valuable data about our best performing products. We can then use this data to target the consumer based on location, age, key demographics and product types. With the data collected, we can also retarget and resell to them generating more revenue.

Our DtC sales also support our second growth area, which entails growing our wholesale volume with our distributors through key national accounts both on-premises and off-premises. By building brand recognition for key products in selected regions or states through DtC sales, we can better support the wholesale launch, marketing and product pull-through of those products in partnership with wholesalers in those targeted states. While DtC sales result in singular high-margin sales, growing volume through wholesale distribution is the most efficient way to drive large-scale growth across retail chains.

Third, we are focused on expanded growth of our collaboration with Native American tribes through the TBN model we created. In concert with tribal partners, this sales channel includes Heritage-branded micro production hubs, Heritage-branded stores and tasting rooms and the sale of our products and new tribally-branded products. In the typical TBN collaboration, the tribes will own these businesses and we will receive a royalty on gross sales through licenses we grant to use our brands, products, recipes, programs, IP, new product development, on-going compliance support and the other support we provide. The TBN is expected to form a network of regional production hubs that will support product trials and sampling, and will generate sales of finished, intermediate and bulk spirits depending on location, equipment and market. Importantly, because these premium spirits will be produced locally, we believe the TBN will promote the positioning of our brands as local and regional. We expect that, as the brands grow and the TBN footprint expands, there will be an important synergy with increased adoption and growth through our wholesale channels in the regions where the TBN locations are driving trial and awareness. Similarly, as demand for our products grows through our wholesale channels, there should be a positive effect on the demand for our products through the tribal distilleries.

Key Factors Affecting Our Operating Results

Management believes that our performance and future success depend on many factors that present significant opportunities, but also pose challenges, including the following:

Pricing, Product Cost and Margins

To date, most of our revenue has been generated by retail sales of our spirits in our retail tasting rooms and through our eCommerce platform. Having completed the construction of our existing production facilities and contracted with established distributors, we now intend to focus our production capacity, record of success in developing award-winning products, and a portion of the net proceeds from this offering on the growth of our wholesale channel. Going forward, we expect to sell our products in a variety of vertical industry markets in partnership with our distributors across states and geographic regions. Pricing may vary by region due to market-specific dynamics and various layers of taxes applied by the states at the different steps of distribution and retail sales. As a result, our financial performance will depend, in part, on the mix of our sales in different markets during a given period and our ability to scale efficiently.

We have experienced inflation in some of our raw inputs, particularly in grains, bottles, cans and barrels. Some of these price increases began to moderate beginning in the second half of 2021, such as in grain. Grain prices increased due to supply chain issues associated with the war in Ukraine and the increased input cost of fertilizers tied to high natural gas prices. Grain prices have moderated as some additional sources of supply opened up and the market price for grain has come down from its recent historic highs. Aluminum prices for cans and bottles increased in 2021 and early 2022, but began to decline in the second half of 2022, and we were able to achieve more favorable pricing based on larger order quantities in late 2022. While glass bottle prices also increased, we were able to lock in pricing for two years at favorable prices in 2021. In 2023, our suppliers indicated their price increases were moderating and their supply chains were returning to normal. During the uncertain periods in 2021 and 2022, we elected to take possession of glass bottle quantities designed to last two years at favorable prices, insulating these costs to a measurable degree moving into 2024. The cost of oak barrels necessary for the aging of spirits escalated by approximately 30% since the beginning of 2022 due to the growing demand for barrels needed to age whiskey and constraints in the raw oak market. While constraints in the freight market caused historically high shipping rates, those shipping rates were returning to their previous levels until the recent bankruptcy announcement by one of the largest freight companies in the U.S. That bankruptcy, when combined with high diesel prices and a lack of licensed drivers, continues to cause uncertainty in the freight markets. Likewise, employees are facing financial stress as inflation hits them at home, and their desire for more compensation creates higher cost pressures on overall operations absent finding offsetting cost efficiencies. In addition, the annual minimum wage increases for hourly retail and production staff in the states in which we operate are higher than other parts of the U.S. Unlike singular commodity spikes in the recent past due to an isolated incident, or short-term supply chain issues, the confluences of these factors created pressure across all parts of our operations, requiring us to manage each aspect carefully. Finally, we have begun to see

a change in the buying habits of consumers who are looking for “experiences” rather than buying “things,” and we believe consumers are electing to buy fewer but more premium items. As a result, we must re-examine how we engage with consumers at retail and online to ensure we stay relevant.

Continued Investment and Innovation

Our performance is dependent on our ability to continue to develop products that resonate with consumers. It is essential that we continually identify and respond to rapidly-evolving consumer trends, develop and introduce innovative new products, enhance our existing products, and generate consumer demand for our products. Management believes that investment in beverage product innovation will contribute to long-term revenue growth, especially in the premium and ultra-premium segments.

Key Components of Results of Operations

Net Sales

Our net sales consist primarily of the sale of spirits and services domestically in the United States. Customers consist primarily of wholesale distributors and direct consumers. Substantially all revenue is recognized from products transferred at a point in time when control is transferred, and contract performance obligations are met. Service revenue represents fees for distinct value-added services that we provide to third parties, including production, bottling, marketing, consulting and other services, including for the TBN, aimed at growing and improving brands and sales. Service revenue is recognized over the period in which the service is provided.

Cost of Sales

We recognize the cost of sales in the same manner that the related revenue is recognized. Our cost of sales consists of product costs, including manufacturing costs, duties and other applicable importing costs, shipping and handling costs, packaging, warranty replacement costs, fulfillment costs, warehousing costs, and certain allocated costs related to management, facilities and personnel-related expenses associated with supply chain logistics.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Our gross profit is the difference between our revenues and cost of sales. Gross margin percentage is obtained by dividing gross profit by our revenue. Our gross profit and gross margin are, or may be, influenced by several factors, including:

•        Market conditions that may impact our pricing;

•        Our cost structure for manufacturing operations, including contract manufacturers, relative to volume, and our product support obligations;

•        Our capacity utilization and overhead cost absorption rates;

•        Our ability to maintain our costs on the components that go into the manufacture of our products; and

•        Seasonal sales offerings or product promotions in conjunction with plans created with our distributors or retail channels.

We expect our gross margins to fluctuate over time, depending on the factors described above.

Sales and Marketing

Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of employee-related costs for individuals working in our sales and marketing departments, our tasting room general managers and Cask Club directors, our hourly tasting room sales associates, the executives to whom all general managers report, and the executives whose primary function is sales or marketing, and rent and associated costs for running each tasting room. The expenses include our personnel responsible for managing our e-commerce platform, wages, commissions and bonuses for our outside sales team members who market and sell our products to distributors and retail end users and the associated costs of such sales. Sales and marketing expenses also include the costs of sports and venue sponsorships, radio, television, social media, influencers, direct mail and other traditional marketing costs, costs related to trade shows and events and an allocated portion of overhead costs. We expect our sales and marketing costs will increase as we expand our headcount, open new locations in partnership with tribes, expand our wholesale distribution footprint and initiate new marketing campaigns.

General and Administrative

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of personnel-related expenses associated with our executive, finance, legal, insurance, information technology and human resources functions, as well as professional fees for legal, audit, accounting and other consulting services, and an allocated portion of overhead costs. We expect our general and administrative expenses will increase on an absolute dollar basis as a result of operating as a public company, including expenses necessary to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to companies listed on a national securities exchange and related to compliance and reporting obligations pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC, as well as increased expenses for general and director and officer insurance, investor relations, and other administrative and professional services. In addition, we expect to incur additional costs as we hire additional personnel and enhance our infrastructure to support the anticipated growth of our business.

As of June 30, 2024, we had outstanding restricted stock units (“RSUs”) that, upon vesting, will settle into an aggregate of 11,064 shares based upon the grant date with a fair value of $157.89 and 232,025 shares based upon the grant date with a fair value of $4.00. We expect to recognize an aggregate of $2,674,995, of previously-unrecognized compensation expense for RSU awards upon the settling of those RSUs on the expiration the lock-up agreements to be entered into in connection with this offering. Included above are an aggregate of 232,025 RSUs to employees, directors and consultants that the Board of Directors approved in May 2024, with a fair grant value of $4.00 per unit. These RSUs contain a double trigger and, upon grant, were deemed to have met their time-based service requirements for vesting. They will settle on the expiration of the lock-up agreements that will be entered into in connection with this offering.

Interest Expense

Interest expenses include cash interest accrued on our secured debt, cash interest and non-cash interest paid or accrued on our notes payable, interest on leased equipment or assets, and costs and interest on credit cards.

Change in Fair Value of Convertible Notes and Warrant Liabilities

We elected the fair value option for the convertible notes we issued in 2022 and 2023 (the “Convertible Notes”) and the warrants that were issued in connection with the Convertible Notes under ASC Topic 825, Financial Instruments, with changes in fair value reported in our consolidated statements of operations as a component of other income (expense). We believe the fair value option better reflects the underlying economics of the Convertible Notes and the related warrants given their embedded conversion or exercise features. As a result, the Convertible Notes and the related warrants were recorded at fair value upon issuance and were subsequently, and will continue to be, remeasured at each reporting date until settled or converted. Accordingly, the Convertible Notes and the related warrants are recognized initially and subsequently (through and including their exchange for common stock, or in the case of the warrants, the fixing of their exercise price) at fair value, inclusive of their respective accrued interest at their stated interest rates, which are included in convertible notes on our consolidated balance sheets. The changes in the fair value of the Convertible Notes and related warrants are recorded as “changes in fair value” as a component of other income (expenses) in our consolidated statements of operations. The changes in fair value related to the accrued interest components of the Convertible Notes are also included within the single line of change in fair value of convertible notes on our consolidated statements of operations.

Changes in Fair Value of Investment in Flavored Bourbon, LLC

As of June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had a 12.2% and 15.1% ownership interest in Flavored Bourbon, LLC, respectively, and did not record any impairment charges related to our investment in Flavored Bourbon, LLC for the year ended December 31, 2023. In January 2024, Flavored Bourbon LLC conducted a capital call, looking to raise $12 million from current and new investors at the same valuation as its last raise. We chose not to participate in the raise, but still retained our rights to full recovery of our capital account of $25.3 million, with the Company being guaranteed a pay out of this $25.3 million, which we must be paid in the event the brand is sold to a third party, or we can block such sale. As of June 30, 2024, a total of $9,791,360 of the $12 million had been raised, with the remainder targeted to be raised by the end of 2024. We retain a 12.2% ownership interest in this entity plus a 2.5% override in the waterfall of distributions. As a result of the January 2024 capital call, in accordance with adjusting for observable price changes for similar investments of the same issuer pursuant to

ASC 321 as noted above, we performed a qualitative assessment of our Investment in Flavored Bourbon, LLC. On the basis of our analysis we determined that the fair value of our Investment in Flavored Bourbon, LLC, should be adjusted to $14,285,000, with the resulting increase in fair value of $3,421,000 recorded as gain on increase in value of Flavored Bourbon, LLC on our condensed consolidated statement of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

Changes in Fair Value of Convertible Notes

As of June 30, 2024, the fair value of the Convertible Notes that were issued in 2022 and 2023 and were exchanged in October and November 2023 for a fixed number of shares of common stock and prepaid warrants, was revalued to $18,067,088, which reflected the impact of the then-anticipated pricing of this offering of $5.00 per share in the valuation calculation methodology, resulting in a $18,216,803 decrease in the fair value of such notes. We anticipate that upon the effectiveness of this offering, the June 30, 2024 fair value of the Convertible Notes will be increased and reclassified from a liability to equity in the amount of $19,097,710 (representing the 3,312,148 shares of common stock and 507,394 prepaid warrants for which the Convertible Notes were exchanged multiplied by the price per share of our common stock in this offering, currently anticipated at $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), with the remaining $1,030,622 anticipated to be recorded as a loss for the increase of the fair value of those Convertible Notes for the period from June 30, 2024 to the date of the closing of this offering. The June 30, 2024 fair value could be adjusted further depending on the date of consummation of this offering, which is the date on which the contingent treatment of the liability associated with such convertible notes is relieved.

As of June 30, 2024, the fair value of the convertible notes issued in 2024 and related warrant liabilities, which notes and warrants were exchanged for 2,399,090 shares of common stock and 546,927 prepaid warrants in April 2024, was $13,978,467 and $20,378, respectively, which reflected the impact of the then-anticipated pricing in this offering of $5.00 per share in the valuation calculation methodology. We anticipate that upon the effectiveness of this offering, the June 30, 2024 fair value of such convertible promissory notes and related warrant liabilities will be increased and reclassified from a liability to equity in the aggregate amount of $14,730,085 (representing the 2,399,090 shares of common stock and 546,927 prepaid warrants for which the Convertible Notes were exchanged multiplied by the price per share of our common stock in this offering, currently anticipated at $5.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus), with the remaining $751,618 anticipated to be recorded as a loss for the increase of the fair value of those convertible notes and related warrant liabilities for the period from June 30, 2024 to the date of the closing of this offering. The June 30, 2024 fair value could be adjusted further depending on the date of consummation of this offering, which is the date on which the contingent treatment of the liability associated with such convertible notes is relieved.

As the exchange of the Convertible Notes to common stock was conditioned upon the closing of an initial public offering of our common stock prior to a specified date, the aggregate fair value of the Convertible Notes will continue to be reflected as a liability on our consolidated balance sheet until the closing of this offering, at which time the Convertible Notes will be reclassified from convertible notes payable to equity as the remaining contingency to the exchange of the Convertible Notes to common stock will have been satisfied. With the satisfaction of that remaining contingency, the exchange of the convertible notes payable for common stock will qualify for equity classification, as depicted on our pro forma capitalization table under the caption “Capitalization”. See also Notes 5 and 16 to our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2024 included elsewhere in this prospectus.

Changes in Fair Value of Warrant Liabilities

We issued certain warrants for the purchase of shares of our common stock in connection with certain Convertible Notes and classified such warrants as a liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet pursuant to ASC Topic 480 because, when issued, the warrants were to settle by issuing a variable number of shares of our common stock based on the then-unknown price per share of our common stock in this offering. The warrant liabilities were initially recorded at fair value on the issuance date of each warrant and are subsequently remeasured to fair value at each reporting date. Changes in the fair value of the warrant liabilities are recognized as a component of other income (expense) in the consolidated statements of operations. As originally drafted, changes in the fair value of the warrant liabilities are recognized until the warrants are exercised, expire or qualify for equity classification.

In April 2024, certain of such warrants and the related Convertible Notes were exchanged (contingent upon the consummation of this offering) for common stock. The remaining warrants, which will remain outstanding subsequent to the closing of this offering, were amended to fix the exercise price at $6.00 per share effective upon the closing of this offering, thereby removing the floating price optionality. The fixing of the exercise price will allow us to reclassify the warrant liabilities as equity on a pro forma basis, per ASC Topic 420. That recognition is depicted on our pro forma capitalization table under the caption “Capitalization.” See also Notes 5 and 16 to our unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2024 included elsewhere in this prospectus.

Income Taxes

Our income tax provision consists of an estimate for U.S. federal and state income taxes based on enacted rates, as adjusted for allowable credits, deductions, uncertain tax positions, changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities and changes in tax law.

Comparison of the Results of Operations for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2024 and 2023

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.

Net Sales

Net sales were approximately $3,548,000 and $3,437,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, an increase of approximately $111,000, or 3.2%, period over period. The increase in net sales resulted primarily from:

•        an increase in product sales of approximately $492,000, or 22.5%, to approximately $2,676,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to approximately $2,184,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023, due mainly to the launch of the Special Operations Services product line in November 2023. This increase would have been greater except for the closure of our Ballard, Washington retail location in late March 2023, which generated almost a full quarter of retail tasting room revenue in 2023, while the six months ended June 30, 2024 included none of that revenue.

•        a decrease of approximately $381,000, or 30.4%, in services sales, to approximately $873,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared to approximately $1,254,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 resulting primarily from the termination of a modest third-party bottling contract in January 2024.

We note that total sales for the six months ended June 30, 2024 would have been higher than total sales in the six months ended June 30, 2023 had we not closed our Ballard, Washington tasting room in March of 2023 in connection with our decision not to renew the lease for that facility, which we believe demonstrates that 2023 was a year of stabilization in anticipation of new product launches and new wholesale markets opening in 2024 to begin our growth.

The approximately $492,000 net increase in products sales, period over period, included:

•        The approximately $513,000 increase in retail products sales was primarily a result of the launch of our Special Operations Salute line in November 2023. This increase would have been greater except for the closure of our Ballard, Washington retail location in late March 2023, which generated almost a full quarter of retail tasting room revenue in 2023, while the six months ended June 30, 2024 included none of that revenue.

•        The approximately $41,000 decrease in third-party products sales was primarily a result of our production of bulk spirits under contract for third parties and royalties from spirits sales under the new TBN model.

The approximately $381,000 decrease in net sales of services period over period included:

•        The approximately $442,000 decrease in third-party production resulted from the ending of a modest third-party bottling contract as of January 31, 2024. The bulk of our revenue in this category included production services revenue related to a contract we had to produce a gin for a large international spirit brand owner; contract bottling services; and third-party barrel storage revenues. We expect our barrel storage revenue to continue to increase as more third-party barrels are put into our warehouse. We terminated our gin production contract in early January 2024 as we shifted our focus toward applying our resources in higher-margin activities under our own core brands and programs and reducing risks associated with hourly labor in certain markets.

•        The approximately $63,000 increase in retail services included Cask Club sales increasing $28,000 and Cocktail orders in the tasting rooms increasing $45,000.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales were approximately $2,392,000 and $2,763,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, a decrease of approximately $371,000, or 13.4%, period over period. The reduction in cost of sales resulted primarily from an approximately $372,000 decrease in services cost of sales, to approximately $81,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared approximately $453,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023.

The approximately $1,000 increase in net products cost of sales period over period included: a decrease in product cost of approximately $170,000 to approximately $1,139,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024, from approximately $1,309,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and an increase in unabsorbed overhead of approximately $171,000 to approximately $1,172,000 as of June 30, 2024 from approximately $1,001,000 as of June 30, 2023. We began analyzing unabsorbed overhead as a separate component of cost of sales in 2022.

The approximately $1,000 increase in net products cost of sales period over period is further detailed as follows:

•        The larger realized increase in third-party production costs indicates low margins on those efforts, which is the principal reason why management is moving us away from those efforts starting in 2024 as we execute on our plan to open more TBN locations and look to realize significant gains in both topline revenue and high-margin DtC sales of our Special Operations Salute whiskey and expanded wholesale distribution of our core products in key states. Management is also working with our wholesale sales team to move us out of the low-margin well vodka business in favor of higher-margin premium whiskey products.

•        The approximately $46,000 in one-time aggregate hand sanitizer cost of sales for the six months ended June 30, 2023 was due to a vendor invoice from 2020 that we did not receive until early 2023 when the vendor audited its billings for prior years. There was no similar expense in the six months ended June 30, 2024 and we do not anticipate any future expenses associated with hand sanitizer moving forward.

•        Our unabsorbed overhead, which is a measure of our capacity relative to our current utilization, increased by approximately $171,000 to approximately $1,172,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared to approximately $1,001,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023, indicating an increase in our underutilization of current production capacity. We expect that our unabsorbed overhead will decrease over time as our production volumes increase with increased sales, as our overhead expenses will be more fully allocated to increased levels of production.

Gross Profit

Gross profit was approximately $1,156,000 and $675,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, an increase of approximately $481,000, or 71%, period over period, and included:

•        Gross margin was approximately 32.6% and 19.6% for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, based upon total net sales of approximately $3,549,000 and $3,438,000, respectively. As we add more Special Operations Salute sales via online channels, we expect to see our overall gross margin increase. Likewise, as we add more states into our wholesale distribution channel focused solely on high-margin items, rather than any low-margin well vodka in those states, we expect to see additional margin increases. Also, as we add more cases of production through our system, we expect the unabsorbed overhead costs will be reduced as each additive case of new sales volume begins to carry incremental overhead costs as part of the normal manufacturing cost accounting, which should increase our overall margins. Finally, our third-party production contracts were very low margin for us, which is why management made the decision to end those contracts at the end of January 2024. Moving forward, management will focus on higher-margin activities, which we expect will increase our overall margins.

Sales and Marketing Expenses

Sales and marketing expenses were approximately $2,488,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared to approximately $3,094,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023. This approximately $606,000 decrease included:

•        The approximately $432,000 decrease in personnel expense was primarily a result of a decrease of five full-time marketing and retail administration staff in May 2023.

•        The approximately $38,000 decrease in leases and rentals expenses was primarily due to the closure of our Ballard, Washington retail location in March 2023.

•        The approximately $244,000 decrease in sales and marketing expenses included: an increase in digital advertising production expense, which was offset by decreases in sponsorships and print advertising as we shifted to a new third-party e-commerce platform; two large sports sponsorships that were put under contract before COVID-19 shutdowns went into effect, which contracts were reinstated in 2022 and 2023, could not be cancelled and are not being renewed for 2024 or beyond.

•        The approximately $105,000 increase in other sales and marketing expenses included increases in: professional fees for contracted Chief Revenue Officer services and e-commerce distribution services and travel; software for an improved point-of-sale software upgrade; location utilities and insurance; and a net increase in other sales and marketing expenses.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses were approximately $3,194,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to approximately $4,700,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023. This approximately $1,056,000 decrease included:

•        The approximately $80,000 increase in personnel expense was primarily a result of reducing staff in March 2023. This was net of other general and administrative expense reductions that took place during the period because of a strategic reduction in headcount in other parts of our business.

•        The approximately $144,000 decrease in recruiting and retention expenses included recruiting expenses related to hiring a Senior VP of Sales in the first quarter of 2023 and expense related to hiring a Chief Financial Officer in the second quarter of 2023.

•        The approximately $10,000 increase in leases and rentals was primarily the result of our Capitol Hill lease terminating May 2023. This increase was offset by; our Ballard tasting room closing, resulting in our move of lease cost from the retail and marketing category to G&A expenses beginning in April 2023 and then this lease terminating April 2024, also a portion of our warehouse location was moved from retail and marketing category to G&A expenses beginning May 2023.

•        The approximately $117,000 decrease in depreciation expense was primarily the result of accelerating depreciation in 2023 to write off the remaining assets of our Ballard tasting room, which was closed in March 2023.

•        The approximately $276,000 decrease in other general and administrative expenses included accumulative smaller changes in utilities, travel, insurance and other expenses.

•        The approximately $1,059,000 decrease in professional fees expense included:

•        A majority of our professional fees expense in the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 were incurred as a result of general preparedness of our financial reporting and capital structure for an SEC filing event, including for this offering, and previously, for the proposed SPAC transaction discussed below (which was terminated in May 2023). Accordingly, within that context, most of our professional fees expense and changes in expense levels between the respective year-over-year periods were as follows:

•        The approximately $912,000 decrease in accounting and valuation services expenses included a decrease of approximately $576,000 to approximately $69,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024 compared to approximately $645,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023, in professional fees for financial statement preparation and review expenses; additional $104,000 related to the SPAC transaction; $40,000 for contract chief financial officer services that ended in April 2023 and a decrease in general accounting and financial services of approximately $192,000.

•        The approximately $326,000 decrease in legal fees was primarily the result of legal work in the six months ended June 30, 2024 related to this offering compared to legal work in the six months ended June 30, 2023 related to the merger agreement for the proposed SPAC transaction and work associated with the preparation of related filings with the SEC.

•        The approximately $215,000 increase in other professional fees was primarily the result of the $180,000 media expense catch up in June 30, 2024 that was previously in deferred.

Beginning in 2022, we began exploring funding options, including preparations for the possible merger into a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). While the costs directly associated with this activity were capitalized and deferred to the balance sheet to be recognized as a cost of the transaction upon a successful completion or other disposition, we also incurred certain other expenses related to preparing for the transaction that did not directly qualify for capitalization and deferral, such as the preparation of audited consolidated financial statements, and certain expenses for valuation and other financial services. In May 2023, we abandoned work on the proposed SPAC transaction, and as of December 31, 2023, we expensed the approximately $424,000 of related costs that had previously been capitalized and deferred to the balance sheet. See “Recent Developments” for further information.

Interest Expense

Interest expense increased by approximately $30,000 to approximately $1,236,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to approximately $1,206,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The increase was partly due to a loan agent fee for Silverwood of $25,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2024, while no such fee was recorded for the six months ended June 30, 2023. For the six months ended June 30, 2024, interest expense of 1% (or $11,000) was accrued on the PPP loan, while no such accrual was recorded for the six months ended June 30, 2023. For the six months ended June 30, 2024, fees totaling $11,000 were accrued on a Factoring Agreement not paid at June 15, 2024, which were classified as an interest expense.

Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023 was immaterial, primarily as we were in a net loss position for those periods.

Comparison of the Results of Operations for the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

The following table summarizes our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Net Sales

Net sales were approximately $7,971,000 and $8,310,000 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, a decrease of approximately $339,000 or 4.1%, period over period. The decrease in net sales resulted primarily from an approximately $246,000, or 8.0%, decrease in services sales, to approximately $2,835,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to approximately $3,081,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, and also included a decrease in product sales of approximately $93,000, or 1.8%, to approximately $5,136,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to approximately $5,229,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was partly due to the closure of one of our six tasting room locations (in Ballard, WA) in mid-March 2023 in connection with our decision not to renew the lease for such tasting room.

We note that total sales for 2023 would have been higher than sales in 2022 had we not closed the Ballard tasting room in connection with our decision not to renew the lease demonstrating that 2023 was a year of stabilization in anticipation of new product launches and new wholesale markets opening in 2024 to begin our growth.

The approximately $93,000 net decrease in products sales, period over period, included:

•        The approximately $291,000 decrease in retail products sales was primarily a result of the impact of increased revenues in 2022 resulting from a “blow out” sale of the remaining inventories of our popular flavored bourbon product that utilized the original recipe in old packaging.

In addition, in 2022, we had access to outdoor retail zones where we could serve customers food and drinks. Those spaces were open in 2022 under emergency COVID-19 guidelines that ended in December 2022. The termination of the emergency guidelines reduced our seating capacity by about 40% in 2023 as we no longer had access to this expanded outdoor seating and the increased table space, which adversely affected our sales opportunities that came with that expanded space. Finally, as discussed above, we closed one of our six retail tasting rooms in mid-March 2023. Some associated refunds to customers associated with Cask Club membership fees in that closed location meant for a brief period in the second quarter of 2023 we had negative sales for that closed location because of refunds being issued with no additional revenue associated with the closed location.

The approximately $183,000 increase in third party products sales was primarily a result of producing bulk spirits under contract for third parties and royalties from spirits sales under the new TBN model.

The approximately $246,000 decrease in net sales of services period over period included:

•        The approximately $78,000 decrease in third-party production resulted from the ending of a modest third-party bottling contract. The bulk of our revenue in this category included increased production services revenue related to a contract we have to produce a world-class gin for a large international spirit brand owner; increased contract bottling services; and increased third-party barrel storage revenues. We expect our barrel storage revenue to continue to increase as more third-party barrels are put into our warehouse. Our gin production contract will expire in early 2024 as we shift our focus toward putting our resources into higher margin activities under our own core brands and programs and reducing risks associated with hourly labor in certain markets.

•        The approximately $255,000 decrease in retail services sales was primarily due to decreases in Cask Club and My Batch sales; tastings sales; and other retail services revenue, primarily associated with the closure of our Ballard, WA tasting room in mid-March 2023, with offsetting increases in retail cocktail sales;

•        The approximately $87,000 increase in consulting and other revenues included increases in consulting revenues from TBN-related services as we have signed more tribes to join the TBN program, in which case the upfront consulting fees prior to opening will offset our costs associated with getting such locations up and running; and increases in royalties primarily from the TBN product sales.

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales were approximately $5,820,000 and $6,097,000 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, a decrease of approximately $277,000, or 4.5%, period over period. The reduction in cost of sales resulted primarily from an approximately $282,000 decrease in products cost of sales, to approximately $4,963,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared approximately $5,245,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022.

The approximately $282,000 decrease in net products cost of sales period over period included: a increase in product cost of approximately $191,000 to approximately $2,751,000 for the year ended 2023, from approximately $2,560,000 for the year ended 2022 and a decrease in unabsorbed overhead of approximately $473,000 to approximately $2,212,000 as of December 31, 2023 from approximately $2,685,000 as of December 31, 2022. We began analyzing unabsorbed overhead as a separate component of cost of sales in 2022.

The approximately $282,000 decrease in net products sales cost of sales period over period is further detailed as follows: