Americans’ taste for craft beverages has given birth to thousands of small breweries, wineries and distilleries throughout the country, many of which depart from the status quo with daring and unique combinations of flavors and techniques. Craft distilleries in particular are transforming the liquor industry, giving consumers newer and more creative alternatives.
For those who don’t like the juniper-forward London Dry gin for example, American craft gins offer a delightful combination of botanicals with more citrus and floral notes. And lovers of vodka no longer have to resort to Russian and Polish imports to get the best American craft vodka can compare to the best Eastern Europe has to offer.
Vacation destinations can be a little more interesting when those museums, theme parks and giant balls of twine are paired with a visit to some of the country’s most fascinating craft distilleries. Some of our favorite destinations in the country are also home to some great distilleries – here are a few of the best.
Louisiana, Rum Country
Louisiana is home to a lot more than the Mardi Gras and delicious beignets. The state is one of the biggest American hubs for rum lovers, due in large part to the widely available sugar cane that grows throughout the state. Louisiana’s Cajun country is home to two of my own favorite rums, which stand up favorably against the traditional competition from the Caribbean.
Every part of Louisiana has something to offer, but of course New Orleans is a must-see before you head down to Lake Charles or Thibodaux to sample the state’s most exciting rum producers. The parties go on all night long and the food is incredible, but tourists will also delight in taking in a view of the city’s large collection of Southern mansions. While there, consider staying at one of the many unique bed & breakfasts like the historic Henry Howard Hotel, which recently was awarded HotelsCombined’s Recognition of Excellence award for the best big-city hotel in the state of Louisiana. The Greek revival and Italianate boutique hotel is one of the best examples of historic New Orleans.
After you’ve enjoyed the rich history of New Orleans and the Henry Howard Hotel, head on down to Lake Charles, where Bayou Rum offers handcrafted, made-in-Louisiana rum, created in a traditional copper pot using 100 percent natural, unrefined Louisiana cane sugar and molasses. But this is rum country, and you’re not done yet! Go to Thibodaux, to Rougaroux Rums by Donna Peltier, a line of rum with a fun backstory and a Louisiana favorite. A Rougaoux is a Cajun werewolf, and this line of rum is named after this mythical swamp creature. Rougaroux offers three rums: Sugarshine, a clear rum; Full Moon, a dark rum made with pure blackstrap molasses and raw sugar; and 13 Pennies, a wonderful praline-flavored rum. All sugar used in these rums is grown locally, on the distillery owner’s family farm.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia – a fine destination to take in some of the country’s oldest architecture including St. John’s church, where Patrick Henry famously uttered, “Give me liberty or give me death.” While you’re taking in the sites though, you may also want to say, “Give me a drink,” because Richmond is the home of Cirrus Vodka, a handcrafted super-premium potato vodka which is smooth enough to be sipped straight.
Cirrus distiller Paul McCann said, “I usually like for non-vodka people to try Cirrus. I work pretty hard on not distilling the character out of the spirit. I am not one to adhere to the tasteless, odorless definition. After all, what is the point of being able to enjoy something if it is totally void of any spirit? My belief is that vodka should be enjoyed as one would a bourbon or whisky or anything else that you would drink by itself.”
All natural and with no additives, Paul says they add pure spring water to the potatoes, and cook with steam in stainless steel tanks. The mash is then transferred to a fermenting tank, and the alcohol is triple-distilled to create a 190-proof base, which is then blended with purified water to create the 80-proof final product, which has pleasant citrus notes and a great mouthfeel.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago has one of the most unusual histories when it comes to liquor, but FEW Spirits in nearby Evanston, Illinois is a relative newcomer, showing up on the craft spirits scene long after the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. The small, grain-to-glass distillery makes both whisky and gin, with everything they produce made and bottled in-house. Master distiller Paul Hletko isn’t afraid to try something new, and he says his gins incorporate botanicals seldom found in other gins, from cascade hops they grow themselves at the distillery, to Earl Grey tea.
The Chicago suburb of Evanston has the dubious history of being a city that banned alcohol sales for 40 years after the end of national Prohibition, and FEW Spirits has the privilege of being the first (legal) distillery in Evanston, and Hletko is proud to say everything is made from scratch, on-site. “If we can’t grow it ourselves, we buy it locally. And if we can’t buy it locally, we buy it from friends,” he says.
FEW’s American Gin is especially unique, and the mash is distilled to 130 proof, much lower than most gins, so it retains the flavor of the Midwestern grains (corn, wheat, and malted barley), along with the unusual combination of botanicals that place the juniper in a more subtle background position to let the other botanicals come through.
