USA TODAY 10Best
Vikre Distillery Wins Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery!
Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery (2016)
Liqueur, brandy, absinthe, aquavit and amaro – these specialty spirits have found their way into the American craft distilling scene in a big way. We asked a panel of spirits experts to help us choose 20 of the best craft specialty spirits distilleries in the nation. We then turned things over to our readers, who have been voting for their favorites for the past four weeks. The results are in.
Many of these distilleries work in small batches using locally-sourced fruits, grains and botanicals. Many are family-owned. Many painstakingly distill their spirits using a blend of traditional and modern techniques. All take pride in crafting unique spirits that would complement any bar collection.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery are as follows:
Photo courtesy of Feisty Spirits / Facebook
No. 10: Feisty Spirits - Fort Collins, Colo.
Fort Collins's first distillery crafts not only bourbon, but a range of small batch brandies (apple, pear and peach) and Cinnamon Oat, Blackberry and Vanilla Orange-flavored sipping whiskeys.
Photo courtesy of Ellen Evangelides / Rhine Hall
No. 9: Rhine Hall - Chicago
Chicago's Rhine Hall opened as a handcraft brandy distillery in the heart of the city's Industrial District. Rhine Hall doesn't add any neutral spirits or flavorings to its spirit line, which includes aged and un-aged apple brandy made from locally-sourced apples, a traditional grappa, an oak-aged grappa and brandies made from mango, plum, peach, pear and cherry.
Photo courtesy of Las Vegas Distillery
No. 8: Las Vegas Distillery - Henderson, Nev.
While the bulk of spirits coming from Las Vegas Distillery are American whiskeys, the Henderson distillery also produces Grandma's Apple Pie Handmade Moonshine, made from a distilled grain mash blended with apple juice and cinnamon.
Photo courtesy of Tamworth Distilling
No. 7: Tamworth Distilling - Tamworth, N.H.
Tamworth Distilling specializes in unique spirits made from local ingredients, including their Tamworth Garden Eau de Vie. This un-aged apple brandy – made from New Hampshire apples – is tart, complex, full-bodied and slightly sweet. The distillery also crafts a Garden Infusion spirits with New England ingredients like sweet potato, beet root and chicory root.
Photo courtesy of Tattersall Distilling
No. 6: Tattersall Distilling - Minneapolis
The specialty spirits available from Tattersall Distilling in Minneapolis start with a botanical, Scandinavian-style Aquavit with caraway, citrus and fennel flavors. Tattersail's Orange Crema is distilled from three types of orange peels for a brighter, bolder orange liqueur. The distillery also crafts a Grapefruit Crema, Cherry Liqueur (aged in American oak) and Applejack.
Photo courtesy of Copper & Kings
No. 5: Copper & Kings - Louisville
Copper & Kings in Louisville specializes in pot-still American brandies, distilled low and slow to maximize flavors without added flavors or colors. The Copper & Kings lineup includes three American brandies (made from distilled grapes), two apple brandies (one aged and one un-aged), four varieties of absinthe and four brandies aged for 12 months in craft beer barrels sourced from breweries like 3 Floyds, Sierra Nevada and Oskar Blues.
Photo courtesy of Black Button Distilling
No. 4: Black Button Distilling - Rochester, N.Y.
Black Button Distilling, the first grain-to-glass craft distillery in Rochester since prohibition, uses all-natural ingredients sourced from a local farm to craft their spirits. Among the specialty spirits produced at Black Button are a Bespoke Bourbon Cream, Fast Ferry Fernet and Apple Pie Moonshine made from local fresh-pressed cider, un-aged corn whiskey and cinnamon.
Photo courtesy of News and Tribune
No. 3: Huber's Starlight Distillery - Starlight, Ind.
Located at Huber’s Orchard, Winery & Vineyards, Huber's Starlight Distillery uses estate-bottled wines to produce artisan European-style brandies and ports. Fresh blueberry juice is distilled into a wonderful blueberry liqueur that gets aged in red wine barrels for five to ten years, while a small-batch peach brandy is distilled from home-grown peaches.
Photo courtesy of Headframe Spirits
No. 2: Headframe Spirits - Butte, Mont.
Orphan Girl Bourbon Cream Liqueur, made by Headframe Spirits in the historic town of Butte, is named after one of the region's mines, now home to the World Mining Museum. For every bottle of the Irish cream-like spirit sold, a portion of proceeds go to the museum.
Photo courtesy of Vikre Distillery
No. 1: Vikre Distillery - Duluth, Minn.
Local grains, wild botanicals, oak barrels handcrafted in Minnesota and clean Lake Superior waters go into the distilled spirits from Vikre Distillery. The owner's Norwegian roots shine through in the aged and un-aged Aquavits, made from malted barley, fermented, distilled and infused with warm Scandinavian spices.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Emily Arden Wells (Gastronomista), Brian Christensen (Artisan Spirit Magazine), Laura Johnson (Distillerista) and Arthur Shapiro (Booze Business) were chosen based on their expertise in the American craft spirits industry.
Other nominated craft distilleries included broVo Spirits, CH Distillery, Clear Creek Distillery, Corsair Distillery, Greenbar Distillery, House Spirits Distillery, Jack from Brooklyn, KOVAL Distillery, Leopold Bros. and St. George Spirits.
Congratulations to all our winning distilleries!
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
Arthur Shapiro
Arthur Shapiro has been in the spirits industry... Read More
Arthur Shapiro has been in the spirits industry for over 30 years in senior positions with leading companies and as a consultant. He writes and publishes a blog on the industry called Booze Business. His book about the industry, Inside the Bottle: People, Brands and Stories, was published this past Fall. Arthur’s consulting practice currently focuses on startup ventures and distilleries in the spirits industry and he has met with, written about and worked with some of the best craft and artisanal producers in the U.S.
Arthur Shapiro
Arthur Shapiro has been in the spirits industry for over 30 years in senior positions with leading companies and as a consultant. He writes and publishes a blog on the industry called Booze Business. His book about the industry, Inside the Bottle: People, Brands and Stories, was published this past Fall. Arthur’s consulting practice currently focuses on startup ventures and distilleries in the spirits industry and he has met with, written about and worked with some of the best craft and artisanal producers in the U.S.
Brian Christensen
Brian Christensen is the co-founder of Artisan... Read More
Brian Christensen is the co-founder of Artisan Spirit Magazine, the most trusted distilling trade journal in America, and the Still Talking Podcast, an irreverent distilling podcast his wife won’t even listen to. He is a member of multiple industry committees, advisor boards, and spirits competitions around the country. Brian is lucky enough to spend his days working with distillers, suppliers, state guilds, and industry associations around the world to tell stories that both inform and educate.
Brian Christensen
Brian Christensen is the co-founder of Artisan Spirit Magazine, the most trusted distilling trade journal in America, and the Still Talking Podcast, an irreverent distilling podcast his wife won’t even listen to. He is a member of multiple industry committees, advisor boards, and spirits competitions around the country. Brian is lucky enough to spend his days working with distillers, suppliers, state guilds, and industry associations around the world to tell stories that both inform and educate.
Emily Arden Wells
Emily Arden Wells is the editor and founder of the... Read More
Emily Arden Wells is the editor and founder of the award-winning cocktail and travel website Gastronomista. Follow her on Instagram at @gastronomista_
Emily Arden Wells
Emily Arden Wells is the editor and founder of the award-winning cocktail and travel website Gastronomista. Follow her on Instagram at @gastronomista_
Laura Johnson
Laura Johnson is the founder of San Diego's new... Read More
Laura Johnson is the founder of San Diego's new You & Yours Distilling Co., California’s first urban destination distillery. One of the few female distillers in the country, Johnson is committed to crafting high quality spirits, with the goal of creating products for every palate. Johnson trained at the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, Dry Fly Distilling School and the Distilled Spirits Epicenter’s Master Distiller’s program. When not in the distillery, Laura can be found crushing the craft cocktail world on her blog, Distillerista.
Laura Johnson
Laura Johnson is the founder of San Diego's new You & Yours Distilling Co., California’s first urban destination distillery. One of the few female distillers in the country, Johnson is committed to crafting high quality spirits, with the goal of creating products for every palate. Johnson trained at the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, Dry Fly Distilling School and the Distilled Spirits Epicenter’s Master Distiller’s program. When not in the distillery, Laura can be found crushing the craft cocktail world on her blog, Distillerista.