About Eastern Kille Distillery
Eastern Kille's Rockford distillery and kitchen sits on a 16-acre wooded property along Childsdale Avenue, just south of downtown Rockford. The building has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects for its design, and it has three distinct spaces: a dining room with ceilings around 30 feet high and a handcrafted trellis bar, a covered patio behind a glass wall facing the trees, and a backyard with fire pits, café lights and a bar built into a shipping container.
The spirits are made grain to glass and aged through Michigan's changing seasons. Guided distillery tours follow the process from raw grain to finished spirit with the people who make it and end with a guided tasting; tours are booked through their website, and fall 2026 dates were posted for late October. Late fall brings releases, including a holiday release social for its Steenstra's Old Fashioned on Nov. 7, a 10-year single barrel bourbon on Nov. 14, an eggnog on Nov. 25 and a cask-strength 10-year rye on Dec. 5, 2026.
The seasonal kitchen turns out artisanal pizzas and shared plates to go with a full cocktail program, and the calendar adds cocktail classes and brunches. Seating is first come, first served; parties of seven or fewer can join the online waitlist, and groups of eight or more should call. Third Nature Brewing is next door if your group wants beer too.
Great Lakes Lavender Farm is about 20 minutes east. It isn't open for visits, but online orders can be picked up there on Wednesdays and Fridays, and Eastern Kille opens at 4 PM on those days for dinner afterward.
What to do
- Take a guided distillery tour that ends with a tasting
- Sit by the fire pits in the backyard
- Order a pizza and a cocktail on the glass-walled covered patio
- Pick up a limited bourbon or rye release in November or December
- Walk next door to Third Nature Brewing
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Open year-round; spirit releases through November and December 2026
- Hours
- Mon–Thu 4–9 PM, Fri 4–11 PM, Sat noon–11 PM, Sun noon–8 PM (posted on their website, October 2026)
Good to know
- Age
- 21 or older to taste or drink alcohol
- Reservations
- Walk-in; online waitlist for 7 or fewer, groups of 8+ call
Tips for your visit
- Join the online waitlist before you arrive on busy evenings
- Groups of eight or more should call 616-209-8583
- Release days sell limited bottles on site, so come early
- Plan a designated driver if you're tasting spirits
Pair it with a lavender farm
Great Lakes Lavender Farm · about 20 minutes away
Great Lakes Lavender Farm is about 20 minutes east; it isn't open for visits, but a Wednesday or Friday order pickup there fits before dinner here.
Getting there
Questions
Does Eastern Kille offer distillery tours?
Yes. Guided tours follow the grain-to-glass process and end with a guided tasting; book through their website.
Do they take reservations?
Seating is first come, first served. Parties of seven or fewer can join the online waitlist, and groups of eight or more should call.
Is there food?
Yes. The Rockford kitchen serves artisanal pizzas and seasonal shared plates.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of Rockford, Lowell & Grand Rapids, Michigan
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
