About Four Dogs

Meet Linus, a lovable, goofy, stubborn yellow Labrador Retriever. His people are Jeff and Angelique Kline, 2 out of the Four “Dogs.” He also has 3 two legged brothers, 2 feline siblings and his baby sister, Lucy, a black Lab. Linus became part of our family in December 2010. We drove 5 hours to get him and on the way home he cuddled up with the kids in the back seat and their blankets. It reminded us of one of our favorite cartoon characters, and the name just fit! He loves his people, walks, his blanket, and playing in the snow. He makes friends wherever he goes and will tell you all about his day when he sees you. He will greet you with a shoe and lean on you till you think you are going to fall over.

Our Blue Label Vodka is dedicated to Linus. It is gluten-free and slow filtered, producing the finest of spirits. Come in and have a sample. You may be lucky enough to meet Linus, the oldest of our dogs. You are sure to love him as much as we do, and we think you will like our Vodka too!

Come meet our sweet Brandi, the inspiration for our Mountain Dog Whiskey! Brandi joined Mike & Susan’s family in early 2013 after Mike presented Susan with a poster sized certificate for “One Large Dog.” The certificate was hand drawn by Mike and a complete surprise for Susan on Christmas Day. After searching and searching for a giant mixed breed dog, Susan found Brandi, a St. Bernese (St. Bernard and Bernese Mountain Dog)! Guaranteed to be a giant breed dog! Mike and Susan brought her home as a little fluff ball. At the time it was still winter. Brandi was the easiest puppy to take care of except trying to get her to come inside the house was a challenge! She loved the snow so much she would go outside at 8 weeks old and just lay down and not want to get up! To this day, Brandi gets excited and will bounce when she sees snow outside and then collapse laying down in it making sure she gets snow all over her face as this is her favorite time of the year! Just like when she was a puppy it is almost impossible to get her to come inside from the snow even if she has icicles hanging from her! Brandi’s low energy and affectionate nature make her a perfect companion for cuddling and storytelling. It’s so heartwarming when she leans against her family as they share stories or enjoy each other’s company. She is a great listener and source of comfort. Brandi loves to go camping with friends and lay by a campfire too. If it isn’t snowing and cold outside, you will find her curled up inside on her bed enjoying the air conditioning in the summer months.  

Our Mountain Dog Whiskey that is handcrafted captures the essence of Brandi and the experiences she brings to our lives. Whether sitting by a fire, watching the snowfall, cuddling with loved ones, or simply relaxing, sipping on our Mountain Dog Whiskey can bring a sense of warmth and nostalgia. Cheers to Brandi and the joy she brings to Mike, Susan, and everyone who has the pleasure of knowing her!

Come “Shine with Us” and say hello to Miss Dixie Mae, the inspiration for Miss Mae’s Moonshine! After Mike met Linus, one of the other Four Dogs, he begged Susan for two years to get a chocolate Labrador. Then one day there was a very cute picture in the newspaper of a black Labrador puppy that Mike found, the very last one from the litter. Susan finally gave in, and Dixie Mae joined their family. I mean who could resist the cuteness of her sweet puppy face? Dixie Mae is always full of energy and enthusiasm, running around with her frisbee and tail wagging in excitement. She shines as she follows her humans everywhere they go with either her frisbee or her little white lamb and is always up for an adventure. Dixie even spent time pheasant hunting and loved her time with her companions that joined her on these adventures. When she isn’t running around with her frisbee or lamb, Dixie loves to curl up next to us on the couch or bed and snuggle. Dixie is so loving and sweet. We are blessed to have her in our lives.

We dedicated Miss Mae’s Moonshine to her because of the “shine” she brings to our lives.

*Photo credit to Emily Arauz de Cybyk

It’s Lucy! She is the youngest of the four dogs. She came to us after Angelique fell in love with Dixie, see the pattern here? She became part of the Kline family in December of 2017. Kind of a Christmas present to the family. She was the sweetest puppy. Even though her brother, Linus, didn’t want anything to do with her, she slowly melted his heart and now they are best friends. She has never met a stranger and can’t control her licker. She will beg you to play fetch with whatever she brings but especially loves to play ball. She is full of energy and brings so much joy to our lives and those of all she meets.

She is the inspiration for our Black Dog Bourbon. While sipping our Kentucky Straight Bourbon, distilled in the heart of bourbon country, you too will always be with friends, and the ball of ice in the Botton of your glass will remind you of Lucy.

Four Dogs Distilling is a small craft distillery located in Akron, Ohio. The dream of Four Dogs Distilling began in 2020 during the pandemic when 4 friends, Mike and Susan Chapman and Jeff and Angelique Kline, were camping the summer of 2020. Mike had been hobby stilling for a few years and had worked on several batches of “Shine” by this time. He would bring out the jars to pass around the fire and a good time was had by all, not to mention the shine was amazing! The Kline’s own 2 businesses, a catering company and a fundraising company, but during the pandemic lockdown, both businesses were suffering. Jeff and Mike started the discussion of starting a distillery. Angelique and Susan were on board and the process began. We all agreed the business should have something to do with animals so we dedicated it to our four loving dogs: Linus, Brandi, Miss Dixie Mae, and Lucy. Our logo is four D’s interlocking, and all our products are crafted with the utmost care and attention to detail. We hope you enjoy our products as much as we do. Cheers!