Competitor wins bid for bankrupt Wisconsin distillery

MIDDLETON, Wis. (AP) -- Wisconsin's largest distillery is on the path to new ownership after filing for bankruptcy last month.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that local competitor Dancing Goat Distillery in Cambridge submitted the winning bid of nearly $2.5 million at a bankruptcy auction last week for Death's Door Distillery in Middleton, a suburb just six miles west of Madison.

Dancing Goat partner Travis Hasse says Death's Door aligned well because it's a Wisconsin brand with a good Wisconsin story. He says a closing will likely be held in early January.

Death's Door filed for bankruptcy in November after sales plateaued and the company faced $6 million in debt to more than 100 creditors.

The bankrupt company's 25,000-square-foot distillery isn't part of the sale since Death's Door leases the property.