USA TODAY 10Best
Explore the top 10 craft distillery tours in the US
Best Craft Distillery Tour (2023)
The only thing better than sipping your favorite craft whiskey or rum is getting a behind-the-scenes look at where it's made. We asked a panel of travel experts and American spirits experts to nominate their top craft distillery tours in the country, then readers voted for their favorites. Here are the 10 best craft distillery tours of 2023.
Photo courtesy of Scott Snyder
No. 10: DEKI Distillery - Old Town Lafayette, Colorado
Colorado-based DEKI is a family-operated distillery making small-batch premium spirits and handcrafted liqueurs. They offer good value tours of the distillery at their Old Town Lafayette location on Saturdays that take an hour and are limited to just eight people. You'll get to see the distillery, learn about the crafting process, and then get a taster of five spirits and three liqueurs after the tour.
Photo courtesy of Lee Fenner
No. 9: Treaty Oak Distilling - Dripping Springs, Texas
Treaty Oak Distilling is set on a 28-acre ranch in the Hill Country community of Dripping Springs, Texas. Weekend tours here start off with a complimentary cocktail and then take guests through the process of mashing, fermenting and distilling as they guide you through the ranch. You'll finish with a sampling of both the Treaty Oak Ghost Hill Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the barrel-aged Waterloo Antique Gin, plus receive a $5 gift certificate for a bottle of your choice.
Photo courtesy of Adam Milliron
No. 8: Wigle Whiskey Distillery - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh's Wigle Whiskey has been the most awarded craft distillery by the American Craft Spirits Association for the past decade. Tours here will show you just how their award-winning ryes and bourbons are made from start to finish, and at the same time give you a thorough education into the fascinating history of Pittsburgh's Whiskey Rebellion – followed by a seated tasting of straight spirits.
Photo courtesy of Nelson's Green Brier Distillery
No. 7: Nelson's Green Brier Distillery - Nashville, Tennessee
The Nelson Brothers triple-great grandfather was one of the most successful whiskey distillers in pre-Prohibition America, and they continue his traditions today at their Nashville distillery. You can learn about this family history on one of the distillery tours, then walk through the production floor to learn about the entire whiskey-making process. The tour finishes off with a premium tasting session of four seasonal offerings.
Photo courtesy of High West Restaurant and Saloon
No. 6: High West Distillery - Wanship, Utah
High West operates the world's first and only ski-in gastro-distillery, just off Park Avenue in Park City. While the saloon is in Park City, the actual distilling takes place 20 miles away, at High West's distillery on the Old Lincoln Highway in Wanship. Here they run tours several times a week that focus on the whiskey production process. Although alcohol isn't included on the tours, you can still indulge in the onsite tasting room or pick up a bottle of their fantastic whiskeys in the General Store.
Photo courtesy of Tyler Zoller
No. 5: Huber's Starlight Distillery - Starlight, Indiana
Huber's Orchard, Winery and Vineyards crafts fine artisanal brandies in addition to producing award-winning wines on their 65 acres of vineyards. They offer an array of different tours, the most exclusive of which is the Starlight Straight From The Barrel spirits tour. This 90-minute tour takes in the distillery workings, offers the opportunity to talk with the distiller and checks out two stillhouse barrels with a minimum of four tastings. Guests even receive a custom logo souvenir glass at the end.
Photo courtesy of Chase Lancaster
No. 4: Burnt Church Distillery - Bluffton, South Carolina
Burnt Church crafts whiskeys that honor South Carolina's Lowcountry history, keeping the local culture alive. They feature a Discover Burnt Church tour that brings the Bluffton community alive. Tours here run for 90 minutes and cover everything from the distilling history of Bluffton through the daily workings of Burnt Church's current-day whiskey production. All tours end with a free flight of up to four of their spirits. While the tours themselves require a paid booking, Burnt Church donates a portion of proceeds to a local Bluffton charity.
Photo courtesy of PaulSveda // Getty Images
No. 3: Castle & Key Distillery - Frankfort, Kentucky
Castle & Keys' beautiful distillery is located in a grand old European-style building that has been restored to its 1887 grandeur and is on the National Register of Historic Places. You can come enjoy the 113 acres of gardens and forest, and Castle & Key offers a bevy of tours that walk the ruins, view the sunken gardens, take in the distillery experience and teach visitors about unique ways to enjoy their favorite spirits. Over the summer, Castle & Key hosts events featuring live music and food trucks out on their lawn.
Photo courtesy of Steve Dougherty
No. 2: Papa's Pilar Rum - Key West, Florida
Papa's Pilar, named after Hemingway's beloved boat, holds tours at its Hemingway Rum Co. Distillery, where you get to taste their award-winning Papa's Pilar rum and learn how they make it on a walk-through tour. You'll also get a treasure trove of information on "Papa" Hemingway himself, with stories of his adventures and details of some of his favorite local spots in Key West. At the end, guests receive a $5 gift certificate towards a bottle of any Papa's Pilar rum.
Photo courtesy of Brady Skye
No. 1: St. Augustine Distillery - St. Augustine, Florida
At the St. Augustine Distillery, you can take a free self-guided tour seven days a week, a real rarity in the distillery tour industry, and even learn how to make St. Augustine's four signature cocktails. For something more in depth, try the distillery's unique Fill Your Own Bottling Experience, where you'll fill, hand cork, seal and craft your own personalized bottle of cask strength bourbon. Another option is the Spirit of Florida Bourbon Experience, where a certified bourbon steward will fill you in on the history and production process of the distillery, assist you in a tasting of bourbons and leave you with a complimentary tasting glass to bring home.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Amber Gibson
Amber Gibson spends 350 nights a year in hotels... Read More
Amber Gibson spends 350 nights a year in hotels searching for the latest and greatest in the travel industry. Her writing and photographs have appeared in print, online, and on the radio for outlets including Forbes, National Geographic Traveler, Departures, Four Seasons Magazine, Conde Nast Traveller, NPR, Saveur, Departures, Rhapsody, Hemispheres, American Way, Private Air, and Serious Eats. She graduated as valedictorian from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and received a fellowship to attend the 2017 Wine Writers Symposium at Meadowood Napa Valley. Champagne, dark chocolate and gelato are her biggest weaknesses.
Amber Gibson
Amber Gibson spends 350 nights a year in hotels searching for the latest and greatest in the travel industry. Her writing and photographs have appeared in print, online, and on the radio for outlets including Forbes, National Geographic Traveler, Departures, Four Seasons Magazine, Conde Nast Traveller, NPR, Saveur, Departures, Rhapsody, Hemispheres, American Way, Private Air, and Serious Eats. She graduated as valedictorian from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and received a fellowship to attend the 2017 Wine Writers Symposium at Meadowood Napa Valley. Champagne, dark chocolate and gelato are her biggest weaknesses.
Amber Love Bond
Amber Love Bond is a Miami-based food + beverage... Read More
Amber Love Bond is a Miami-based food + beverage and travel writer, who is always on the go and looking for her next adventure. After a decade-long career in corporate finance, she stumbled upon her passion for writing about the world around and hasn't looked back. Amber contributes to over a dozen print and digital publications including Travel & Leisure, Thrillist, Forbes, Eater, Southern Living, Miami New Times, HelloGiggles, Men’s Health, Fodor’s Travel Guide, and more. Typically you can find her at the opening of every restaurant, sipping cocktails at the coolest bars, or hanging out under a palm tree with her laptop (and a cocktail) in tow. Follow her adventures on Instagram at @amber__love.
Amber Love Bond
Amber Love Bond is a Miami-based food + beverage and travel writer, who is always on the go and looking for her next adventure. After a decade-long career in corporate finance, she stumbled upon her passion for writing about the world around and hasn't looked back. Amber contributes to over a dozen print and digital publications including Travel & Leisure, Thrillist, Forbes, Eater, Southern Living, Miami New Times, HelloGiggles, Men’s Health, Fodor’s Travel Guide, and more. Typically you can find her at the opening of every restaurant, sipping cocktails at the coolest bars, or hanging out under a palm tree with her laptop (and a cocktail) in tow. Follow her adventures on Instagram at @amber__love.
Beth Reiber
Beth Reiber's career as a full-time freelance... Read More
Beth Reiber's career as a full-time freelance travel writer has spanned more than three decades and taken her to more than 50 countries, including seven years living in Germany and Japan. She has written nine guidebooks, including Frommer's guides to Japan for more than 30 years. Although Japan is her specialty, the world and writing are her passions. When people invariably ask what her favorite destination is, she always says, "the place I haven't been to yet." She resides in laid-back Lawrence, Kansas, in an 1890 Victorian home with a cat and menopausal chickens.
Beth Reiber
Beth Reiber's career as a full-time freelance travel writer has spanned more than three decades and taken her to more than 50 countries, including seven years living in Germany and Japan. She has written nine guidebooks, including Frommer's guides to Japan for more than 30 years. Although Japan is her specialty, the world and writing are her passions. When people invariably ask what her favorite destination is, she always says, "the place I haven't been to yet." She resides in laid-back Lawrence, Kansas, in an 1890 Victorian home with a cat and menopausal chickens.
Carrie Honaker
Carrie Honaker is a Florida-based food and travel... Read More
Carrie Honaker is a Florida-based food and travel writer who is not sure where she will land next, but it will involve messy eating, a spicy Tempranillo, and finding the local farmers market. She has hauled oyster cages off the Forgotten Coast of Florida, harvested indigenous crops with the Abenaki Tribe in Vermont, learned to make beef patties from a Jamaican auntie, made Guavaberry Liqueur with a 7th generation distiller on St. Maarten, and stomped cacao pods in Grenada. She writes about food, drink, travel, and culture for Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, Wine Enthusiast, Fodor’s Travel, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and many more. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
Carrie Honaker
Carrie Honaker is a Florida-based food and travel writer who is not sure where she will land next, but it will involve messy eating, a spicy Tempranillo, and finding the local farmers market. She has hauled oyster cages off the Forgotten Coast of Florida, harvested indigenous crops with the Abenaki Tribe in Vermont, learned to make beef patties from a Jamaican auntie, made Guavaberry Liqueur with a 7th generation distiller on St. Maarten, and stomped cacao pods in Grenada. She writes about food, drink, travel, and culture for Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, Wine Enthusiast, Fodor’s Travel, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and many more. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production... Read More
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith, Readers' Choice Awards Production Manager and Social Media Director for USA TODAY 10Best, has a special interest in unique culinary experiences and off-the-beaten-path adventures. Catherine is the founder of Her Bags Were Packed where she focuses on helping women release emotional baggage through solo travel and self-discovery.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.