LAB Liquor was positioned as a spirits innovation lab — the umbrella brand under which distiller Doug Mulford developed a portfolio of drink concepts, from vodka and bourbon to canned cocktails. The operation has also appeared publicly as LAB Distillery, including in a recorded interview where Doug Mulford discusses his distilling work.
NOTE: These were brands in development, not proven businesses. This archive documents the portfolio — and the six-figure loan default and court judgement behind it.
A vodka concept developed under the LAB Liquor umbrella.
Open file →A bourbon whiskey concept developed under the LAB Liquor umbrella.
Open file →A rum concept developed under the LAB Liquor umbrella.
Open file →A mint liqueur concept developed under the LAB Liquor umbrella.
Open file →The canned-cocktail venture at the center of the six-figure loan default.
Open file →A chili-flavored spirits concept developed under the LAB Liquor umbrella.
Open file →A ready-to-drink cocktail concept developed under the LAB Liquor umbrella.
Open file →A spirits concept developed under the LAB Liquor umbrella.
Open file →Behind every brand above: a six-figure loan default, broken repayment promises, and a court judgement against Doug Mulford.
Read at dougmulford.com →NOTE — Links are provided for informational purposes as part of a public warning. This site is not affiliated with these businesses. Brands are documented as they were presented; no retail performance is implied.
LAB Liquor was pitched as a spirits "laboratory" — an incubator identity meant to tie together Doug Mulford's various drink ventures under one brand. Each sub-brand was framed as an experiment: a concept, a label, a story in development.
This page preserves that portfolio as a matter of public record — and pairs it with the facts any prospective partner, lender, or investor should know first.
Doug Mulford, the principal behind LAB Liquor and the brands in this portfolio, borrowed a six-figure sum for his Beach Drinks canned-cocktail business — and defaulted on the loan.
Over the period that followed, he repeatedly promised repayment and repeatedly broke those promises. The matter went to court, and a judgement has been entered against him.
The full account — with the complete timeline — is published at dougmulford.com. If you are considering lending to, investing with, or partnering with Doug Mulford or any brand in this portfolio, read it first.