BLACK BAND was founded by Peoria native and Principal Distiller Chris Ober in 2016.
BLACK BAND Distillery is a small batch, craft distillery located in the heart of Peoria's Warehouse District. We source our grain from organic farmers producing exceptionally high-quality grain right here in the mid-west. We are also dedicated to investing locally through community engagement and by partnering with local businesses.
Peoria was once known as the Whiskey Capital of the World. Unfortunately, prohibition brought that thriving industry to a screeching halt, for 13 long years. Peoria's loss was massive. Not only economically, but culturally as well. As has been tradition in the past for mourners to wear a black arm band after suffering the loss of a loved one, our name is meant to memorialize that cultural loss that Peoria endured. A large part of our mission and identity as a brand is to commemorate and remember that loss.
To pay tribute to that heritage, we are dedicated to producing high-quality, hand-crafted spirits, from grain to glass. We take great care in every step of production, from milling our grains in house to refining our fermentation techniques. We are also constantly striving to perfect our distillation cuts, and we are diligent in keeping a close eye on the conditions that our barrels are aging in. Finally, we take great pride in selecting barrels for bottling only when we believe they have reached their peak expression.
We hope you will join us for a tour of the distillery, or to enjoy a craft cocktail at The Bar at BLACK BAND. But most importantly, we invite you to experience our award-winning spirits for yourself. Our hope, our goal, is that you walk away with a better understanding of not only the historical path we are following, but also a true appreciation of the new traditions that we are creating. After more than 90 years after prohibition was repealed, we are honored to be the first craft distillery in Peoria, Illinois.
A Brief History of BLACK BAND Distillery
FOUNDATIONAL TIMELINE
2006
Founder & Distiller Chris Ober began by reading all mater of publications on the history of distillation in Peoria as well as various distillation & fermentation processes.
2011
Chris attends courses on distillation from Kothe Distillationstechnik.
2014
Chris furthers his education with one-on-one apprenticeship with Master Distiller, Robert Birnecker in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago.
2017
Historic distillery buildings are acquired & design begins.
2018
Construction begins on our historic warehouse distillery.
2019
Chris attends SIEBEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY for Craft Distilling Operations & Technology.
2020
COVID delays opening.
2020
Whiskey production starts onsite in Peoria for the first time in decades.
2021
BLACK BAND opens in Peoria in Spring 2021.
A Brief History of Alcohol in Peoria
LIBATIONS IN THE WHISKEY CITY
1837: First brewery established in the village of Peoria by Andrew Eitle, a native of Germany.
1843: Almiran Cole became first distiller of corn for profit, two years before Peoria was incorporated as a city.
1860: There were nine distilleries and six breweries in Peoria.
1862: President Lincoln places a 20-cent tax on a gallon of whiskey to help pay for Civil War costs. The tax would grow to up to $2 per gallon after the war.
1865: Peoria boasted 14 distilleries and seven breweries.
1867: John Gipps builds a small brewery in Peoria.
1875: The Woolner brothers establish the first of many large distilleries in Peoria.
1887: JB Greenhut forms the Whiskey Trust in Peoria. “The Octopus” lasts until 1895.
1899: Greenhut commissions the “Fritz” Treibel statue, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, in the Peoria Courthouse square.
1902: Carrie Nation brings her temperance message to Peoria.
1919: Prohibition arrives with the passage of the 18th Amendment.
1933: Hiram Walker builds a new plant in Peoria following the end of Prohibition.
1938: The Pabst plant in Peoria Heights is second only to Milwaukee in beer production for the company.
1953: Gipps Brewing is sold, ending decades of beer production in Peoria.
1982: Both Hiram Walker and Pabst close plants in the Peoria area.
