FEW Spirits is a grain-to-glass distillery in Evanston, Illinois, that began production in June 2011.1,2,3 Heaven Hill bought its owner, Samson & Surrey, in February 2022, and founder Paul Hletko's departure was reported in January 2026.4,5
Patent attorney Paul Hletko got Evanston's laws changed so he could make spirits there, starting with a new class of liquor license for micro-distillers.1,2,3 The name partly refers to the initials of Frances Elizabeth Willard, president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, once based in Evanston.
Grain-to-glass means FEW does its own fermentation and distillation, and it used grain from within 100 miles.1,2,3 In 2013 it asked Evanston for a $250,000 loan to buy another still and bottling equipment.3,6 It later added three new 30-barrel fermenters, the tanks where the mash ferments, and a new column still.3,6 It first kept all its barrels at the distillery, then added an aging facility about a mile away.7
By 2016 Hletko had sold a substantial stake to a nationwide sales and marketing firm and kept a controlling interest.8 Heaven Hill bought Samson & Surrey, the firm that owned FEW, in February 2022 and said production would continue at each site.4,5 Heaven Hill said Hletko left the business on 31 December; The Spirits Business reported his departure in January 2026.5
Every bottle in Peated with a vintage year.
Bottles in Peated distilled at FEW Spirits, by release year.
| Year distilled | Bottles |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 1 |
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