Fundraising FoxApologue
Chicago, US · Founded 2016 · 1 known investors
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Apologue Cocktail Co. produces liqueurs and ready-to-serve bottled cocktails made from natural, non-GMO ingredients, and operates Hoste Pilsen, a combined production facility, event venue, and gathering space. Its brands include Apologue Liqueurs and Hoste Cocktails, which sells products like the Gold Fashioned, The Martini, and Mezcal Negroni.
Also known as Apologue · Apologue Cocktail Co. · Apologue Liqueurs · Apologue Spirited Liqueurs · Explore Apologue
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
How we know: Cleveland Avenue's portfolio page · the VCSheet dataset · Not right? Tell us
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$145K disclosed across 1 round · 2018
▶$145KraisedMar 2018 · 7 investors · ManufacturingRule 506(b)
- Jordan TepperExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $950K
- Amount sold
- $145K
- First sale
- Mar 2018
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Illinois, 2016
- Federal exemptions
- 04, 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Apologue Cocktail Co., which operates online as Explore Apologue, is a Chicago, Illinois cocktail company positioned around the combination of cocktails, community and culture. Its portfolio is organized into brands: Apologue Liqueurs, a line of liqueurs marketed as cocktail modifiers made from entirely natural, non-GMO ingredients; Hoste Cocktails, a ready-to-serve bottled cocktail line whose products include the Gold Fashioned, The Martini and a more recently released Mezcal Negroni; and Hoste Pilsen, described as the flagship home of both Hoste Cocktails and Apologue Liqueurs.
Hoste Pilsen functions simultaneously as a production facility, an event venue and a community gathering space, giving the company both manufacturing capacity and a consumer-facing physical location. A third-party company profile classifies the business under distilleries (NAICS 31214) with keywords spanning hospitality, cocktails, wine and spirits, and food and beverage, lists a founding year of 2017, and places headcount in the 1-10 range with employees noted in marketing and HR functions. The same profile associates additional cocktail brands with the company and names Jordan Tepper as a co-founder.
Founding story
Jordan Tepper is identified as a co-founder of the company, which a third-party profile dates to 2017.
Business model
The company develops and produces branded alcoholic beverages - liqueurs and pre-batched bottled cocktails - and operates its own production facility that doubles as an event venue and gathering space, combining product manufacturing with a consumer-facing hospitality location.
Revenue comes from sales of bottled liqueurs and ready-to-serve cocktails, including direct online sales through an e-commerce storefront, alongside its Hoste Pilsen facility, which serves as an event venue.
Traction
Third-party company data estimates annual revenue of approximately $684,440 and revenue per employee of about $86,000, with headcount of 1-10; the company describes its Gold Fashioned bottled cocktail as award-winning and has expanded the Hoste Cocktails line with a Mezcal Negroni release.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
A small-scale operator in the distilled spirits and ready-to-drink cocktail segment, with a headcount in the 1-10 range and estimated annual revenue reported by a third-party data provider at roughly $684,000.
Positions its liqueurs as made from entirely natural, non-GMO ingredients and describes them as versatile cocktail modifiers; its bottled cocktail line is described as award-winning, and it combines production, events and community space in a single flagship site.
Technology
The company's digital operations run on a Squarespace Commerce storefront with Cloudflare CDN, Google Workspace email, Adobe Fonts and standard web libraries and security features such as reCAPTCHA and HSTS.
Go-to-market
Sells through a branded e-commerce presence built on Squarespace Commerce, supported by brand-specific websites for its liqueur and cocktail lines, and uses its Hoste Pilsen venue for events and community engagement.
Consumers interested in cocktails and spirits, including those who prioritize natural, non-GMO ingredients, buyers of ready-to-serve bottled cocktails, and event/venue guests.
Geography
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States, with its flagship Hoste Pilsen facility serving as the production and event base.
History
A third-party company profile gives a founding year of 2017. The company subsequently built a multi-brand portfolio spanning Apologue Liqueurs and Hoste Cocktails, established Hoste Pilsen as its flagship production and event site, and released a Mezcal Negroni as a newer addition to the bottled cocktail range.
Compiled by commissioned research from 12 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Related companies · 3
Companies working in the same space as Apologue.
Timeline · 5
launches, deals, and filingsThe company's Hoste Cocktails brand lists a newly released Mezcal Negroni alongside its Gold Fashioned and The Martini bottled cocktails.
ecoSPIRITS, Hoste Cocktails and Apologue Liqueurs launched Chicago's first partner-operated ecoPLANT, installed at the company's Pilsen production and event space, packaging Hoste house spirits and cocktails into reusable 1.75L ecoTOTEs for distribution to bars in the region. Launch accounts include Big Star's three locations, The Publican at O'Hare International Airport, The Salt Shed and Moneygun.
Hoste opened a 15,000-square-foot production and event space in Chicago, where all of its cocktails are now produced on site.
Hoste, the company's premium bottled cocktail line, received a "Double Gold" award at the San Francisco World Spirits Championships.
Bon Appétit named Apologue Liqueurs a "Top Regional Spirit."
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structure▸Research sources · 12
primary sources listed
- Exploreapologueexploreapologue.com · web
12 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Apologue do?
- Chicago-based cocktail company making liqueurs and bottled ready-to-serve cocktails, and operating the Hoste Pilsen venue.
- Who are Apologue's investors?
- Apologue's investors include Cleveland Avenue.
- How much funding has Apologue raised?
- Apologue has disclosed $145K raised across 1 round.
- Where is Apologue headquartered?
- Apologue is headquartered in Chicago, US.