16 Best Distilleries In The US

Distilleries are the birthplace of alcohol. It doesn't matter if your spirit of choice is clear or dark; every liquor behind bar shelves and beyond was crafted in a distillery. Distilleries are like science labs for booze, as the work done inside is essentially advanced chemistry, and master distillers are always conducting experiments to try new things. Nowadays, alcohol enthusiasts can make trips destined around visiting their favorite distilleries and sometimes, if they're lucky, getting to taste straight from the barrel. 

The amount of distilleries in the U.S. alone is astonishing. From Prohibition-era whiskey distilleries to West Coast vodka makers, the 50 states have no shortage of distilleries for booze lovers. Even better, many locations allow visitors to explore, learn, and taste. We decided to create the ultimate travel guide for those with a passion for spirits by pinning down 16 of the best distilleries in the U.S. that you can visit. It will likely inspire your next trip or at least your next cocktail.

Maverick Distilling is proudly Texan. The brand was founded by a San Antonio native and relative to Samuel A. Maverick, a prolific historical figure who was one signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. The distillery is located in a restored bank building near the Alamo and the original Maverick family property. Maverick distills it all — barrel-aged gin, rye whiskey, and even agave spirits that they can't legally refer to as tequila. The brand is likely best known for its line of award-winning bourbons, although it's home to a brewery as well. 

Visitors to Maverick's distillery can do a walk-in tour and tasting experience for $15 or schedule a VIP experience for $50 per person that includes a glass to take home and a barrel tasting experience. Maverick also welcomes patrons to dine and drink in their distillery, which provides more than an ample setting for dinner or a cocktail hour. 

Frey Ranch is a well-known whiskey distillery that has its hands in every step of the process. The whiskey brand does everything on its 1,500-acre farm in Fallon, Nevada, from growing its grains to bottling the finished product. The distillery has been open since 2006, but the Frey family farm has been located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range since the mid-1800s, and those mountains provide the distillery's water source. 

Frey Ranch is worth a visit for the scenic views alone. The tasting room provides complementary tours every 30 minutes on Saturdays for customers to get an up-close look at the distilling process, which makes the visit even more memorable. Plus, it's the ideal location for sampling Frey Ranch's bourbon, rye, single barrel, and cask strength varieties. "This place was well worth the hour-and-a-half drive out from Reno," one Yelp user wrote in a review of the Frey Ranch tour. "You won't regret it." 

Another Midwestern distillery worth visiting has been a staple in Columbus, Ohio since it was first founded in 2008. It's a distillery that's proud of its roots — Middle West partners with local farms and local makers to have an Ohio flare to all of its products. As far as spirits, Middle West has an impressive lineup, especially for whiskey lovers. The brand produces its own bourbon, gin, vodka, and more, including a few unique flavored spirits, right in its distillery. 

Middle West visitors can visit the spirits bar with food and cocktails for a laid-back experience. The distillery also offers one-hour tours for $10 per person that ends with an optional tasting flight for those visitors who are looking to learn as much as possible about the brand. It's another great location for private events or tours for an even more intimate look at how the craftsmen make the magic happen. 

Barr Hill has been around since 2011, when a beekeeper and a distiller joined forcesto establish a line of spirits based on the magic of raw honey. Barr Hill, located in Montpelier, Vermont, has been producing vodka and gin bottles at its distillery on Gin Lane since 2016. The picturesque location is worth a visit for many reasons, including the various activities always going on at the distillery. 

Barr Hill's property is home to the distillery, cocktail bar, gift shop, and more. It's common to stop by the place on a warm-weather weekend and see food trucks and live music adding to the carefree vibe. The distillery offers one-hour tours for $20, where participants get to taste the spirits and raw honey and dip a bottle into melted beeswax, which are experiences unique to the location. You will likely be tempted to stop by the store to purchase raw honey or Bar Hill's barrel-aged Tom Cat gin to take home and remember your trip by. 

Crater Lake Spirits in Bend is one of Oregon's oldest and largest distilleries since it was established in 1996. Tumalo Distillery, the birthplace of the brand, is where Crater Lake produces its line of spirits like vodka, gin, whiskey, and more. Crater Lake also has a tasting room in downtown Bend, but a trip to the nucleus of the operation is one of the best ways to spend time in town. 

Crater Lake offers tours, tastings, and themed events at its Tumalo Distillery. The tours are shorter than some other distilleries — usually lasting about 20 minutes — but it gives customers plenty of time to learn more through a tasting. "We've been big fans for a while but took the opportunity to stop by when we were in the area. The tour was short but interesting and the samples were delicious. Took home a few bottles with us," one Trip Advisor user wrote in a review. 

Wicked Dolphin has been distilling rum in Cape Coral, Florida, since 2012. The family-run distillery is proud to source 100% of its ingredients from Florida, which is why they use sugarcane grown in the state in every batch. The styles and flavors of rum from Wicked Dolphin are expansive, including the brand's "Rumshine," which is its own fruity take on moonshine. Wicked Dolphin has even introduced a vodka that they distill at its home plant. 

Wicked Dolphin tours are not only informative, walking visitors through every aspect of the distilling process, but they are also totally free (even though you should make a reservation in advance). The distillery offers tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, along with complimentary tastings of its spirits. The location is open other days of the week too, which is a prime time to go if you want to skip a tour and just sit down for a drink.

No visit to Portland, Maine, is complete without a visit to Maine Craft Distilling. The production house is where the brand makes its beloved line of spirits, from cinnamon vodka to its famous Blueshine and ready-to-drink cans. The working distillery also houses the Public House, a bar where patrons can sit, sip on a craft cocktail, and enjoy a well-paired bite to eat. Many visitors who are fans of the distillery note that the spirits might be the aspect that entices you to visit in the first place, but the shockingly delicious menu will keep you returning. 

Maine Craft Distillery also offers hour-long tours for $25, complete with a full-tasting flight so that customers can get an in-depth view of how their favorite bottles come to be. It's a good idea to do the tour first and complete your visit at the Public House to watch how skilled bartenders put those craft spirits in action for well-balanced cocktails. 

Sagamore Spirits built its massive waterfront distillery in Baltimore in 2015, which became one of the first in Maryland since the Prohibition era. Sagamore is best known for its line of whiskey. They make any and every kind of whiskey they can dream of, including an impressive line of canned cocktails. The distillery hosts hour-long guided tours five days a week for about $20 per person, complete with a tasting. On the weekends, Sagamore's onsite Nineteen O'Nine bar is open to the public to sit, sip, and have a good time. 

Sagamore's distillery also hosts other types of events and activities, including seasonal cocktail classes that utilize its award-winning spirits. "This place has come from essentially nothing to being a high-level whiskey distillery," one Yelp user wrote in a review. "It was impressive to listen to where it started and where it is today going from just being in Maryland to now 48 states."