USA Today’s list of 10 Best has come out with its 2019 Best of Craft Spirits Distillery list. The list was compiled by a group of spirits industry people that nominated 20 distilleries in the categories of brandy, gin, rum, specialty spirit, vodka and whiskey. The list was then narrowed down over a four week period to select the Top 10 based on popular vote from across the country.
As U.S. laws have changed over the last 10 plus years the number of craft spirits distilleries has grown rapidly. The most recent report from the American Craft Spirits Association says there were 1,835 craft spirits distilleries in the U.S. as of August of last year. If you’ve visited a liquor store lately you know that the distilled spirits section has grown immensely. Consumers have a wide, wide choice of spirits not only varying by spirit but by proof, age, grains, fruits, region and more.
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And now, let’s narrow the list down from 1,835 to the top 10 in each of the featured six categories. Click any name below to learn more about that distillery or click the state to see all the distilleries in that state.
The ’10 Best’ Craft Brandy Distilleries
| No. | Distillery | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Long Road Distillers | Grand Rapids | Michigan |
| 2 | AFT Distillery | Luling | Texas |
| 3 | Driftless Glen Distillery | Baraboo | Wisconsin |
| 4 | Korbel Brandy | Guerneville | California |
| 5 | Bluebird Distilling | Phoenixville | Pennsylvania |
| 6 | Huber's Starlight Distillery | Starlight | Indiana |
| 7 | Sonoma Brothers Distilling | Windsor | California |
| 8 | Dorćol Distilling & Brewing Company | San Antonio | Texas |
| 9 | Watershed Distillery | Columbus | Ohio |
| 10 | Napa Valley Distillery | Napa | California |
The ’10 Best’ Craft Gin Distilleries
| No. | Distillery | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Women Spirits | Geyserville | California |
| 2 | Long Road Distillers | Grand Rapids | Michigan |
| 3 | Freeland Spirits | Portland | Oregon |
| 4 | Santa Fe Spirits | Santa Fe | New Mexico |
| 5 | Griffo Distillery | Petaluma | California |
| 6 | Durham Distillery | Durham | North Carolina |
| 7 | Boot Hill Distillery | Dodge City | Kansas |
| 8 | Spirit Works Distillery | Sebastopol | California |
| 9 | Alpine Distilling | Park City | Utah |
| 10 | Port Chilkoot Distillery | Haines | Alaska |
The ’10 Best’ Craft Rum Distilleries
| No. | Distillery | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wicked Dolphin Distillery | Cape Coral | Florida |
| 2 | Lyon Distilling Company | St. Michaels | Maryland |
| 3 | Arizona Craft Beverage | Elgin | Arizona |
| 4 | Cardinal Spirits | Bloomington | Indiana |
| 5 | KōHana Distillers | Kunia Camp | Hawaii |
| 6 | Kōloa Rum Company | Lihue | Hawaii |
| 7 | Roulaison Distilling Co. | New Orleans | Louisiana |
| 8 | Bear Creek Distillery | Denver | Colorado |
| 9 | Newport Craft Brewing + Distilling Co. | Newport | Rhode Island |
| 10 | Drum Circle Distilling | Sarasota | Florida |
The ’10 Best’ Craft Specialty Spirit Distilleries
| No. | Distillery | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desert Door Texas Sotol | Driftwood | Texas |
| 2 | Sugarlands Distilling Company | Gatlinburg | Tennessee |
| 3 | Long Road Distillers | Grand Rapids | Michigan |
| 4 | Letterpress Distilling | Seattle | Washington |
| 5 | Ghost Coast Distillery | Savannah | Georgia |
| 6 | Marble Distilling | Carbondale | Colorado |
| 7 | Geijer Spirits | San Francisco | California |
| 8 | Boardroom Spirits | Lansdale | Pennsylvania |
| 9 | Gulch Distillers | Helena | Montana |
| 10 | Saxtons River Distillery | Brattleboro | Vermont |
The ’10 Best’ Craft Vodka Distilleries
| No. | Distillery | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 619 Spirits | San Diego | California |
| 2 | Cardinal Spirits | Bloomington | Indiana |
| 3 | Long Road Distillers | Grand Rapids | Michigan |
| 4 | Tom's Town Distilling Company | Kansas City | Missouri |
| 5 | Stumpy's Spirits Distillery | Columbia | Illinois |
| 6 | Boot Hill Distillery | Dodge City | Kansas |
| 7 | Smugglers' Notch Distillery | Jeffersonville | Vermont |
| 8 | Journeyman Distillery | Three Oaks | Michigan |
| 9 | Swallowtail Spirits | Springfield | Oregon |
| 10 | Grand Teton Distillery | Driggs | Idaho |
The ’10 Best’ Craft Whiskey Distilleries
| No. | Distillery | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ironroot Republic Distillery | Denison | Texas |
| 2 | Sagamore Spirit Distillery | Baltimore | Maryland |
| 3 | Limestone Branch Distillery | Lebanon | Kentucky |
| 4 | Sugarlands Distilling Company | Gatlinburg | Tennessee |
| 5 | Seven Stills | San Francisco | California |
| 6 | Smooth Ambler Spirits | Maxwelton | West Virginia |
| 7 | Laws Whiskey House | Denver | Colorado |
| 8 | Traverse City Whiskey Co. | Traverse City | Michigan |
| 9 | Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. | Fort Worth | Texas |
| 10 | Sons of Liberty Beer & Spirits Co. | South Kingstown | Rhode Island |
We recommend you print out this list and take it to your local liquor store and try a new craft spirit or three. Cheers!
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