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
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Distillery, City, State
Long Road Distillers, Grand Rapids, Michigan
AFT Distillery, Luling, Texas
Driftless Glen Distillery, Baraboo, Wisconsin
Korbel Brandy, Guerneville, California
Bluebird Distilling, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Huber’s Starlight Distillery, Starlight, Indiana
Sonoma Brothers Distilling, Windsor, California
Dorćol Distilling & Brewing Company, San Antonio, Texas
Watershed Distillery, Columbus, Ohio
Napa Valley Distillery, Napa, California
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The ’10 Best’ Craft Gin Distilleries
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Distillery, City, State
Great Women Spirits, Geyserville, California
Long Road Distillers, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Freeland Spirits, Portland, Oregon
Santa Fe Spirits, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Griffo Distillery, Petaluma, California
Durham Distillery, Durham, North Carolina
Boot Hill Distillery, Dodge City, Kansas
Spirit Works Distillery, Sebastopol, California
Alpine Distilling, Park City, Utah
Port Chilkoot Distillery, Haines, Alaska
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The ’10 Best’ Craft Rum Distilleries
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Distillery, City, State
Wicked Dolphin Distillery, Cape Coral, Florida
Lyon Distilling Company, St. Michaels, Maryland
Arizona Craft Beverage, Elgin, Arizona
Cardinal Spirits, Bloomington, Indiana
KōHana Distillers, Kunia Camp, Hawaii
Kōloa Rum Company, Lihue, Hawaii
Roulaison Distilling Co., New Orleans, Louisiana
Bear Creek Distillery, Denver, Colorado
Newport Craft Brewing + Distilling Co., Newport, Rhode Island
Drum Circle Distilling, Sarasota, Florida
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The ’10 Best’ Craft Specialty Spirit Distilleries
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Distillery, City, State
Desert Door Texas Sotol, Driftwood, Texas
Sugarlands Distilling Company, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Long Road Distillers, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Letterpress Distilling, Seattle, Washington
Ghost Coast Distillery, Savannah, Georgia
Marble Distilling, Carbondale, Colorado
Geijer Spirits, San Francisco, California
Boardroom Spirits, Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Gulch Distillers, Helena, Montana
Saxtons River Distillery, Brattleboro, Vermont
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The ’10 Best’ Craft Vodka Distilleries
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Distillery, City, State
619 Spirits, San Diego, California
Cardinal Spirits, Bloomington, Indiana
Long Road Distillers, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Tom’s Town Distilling Company, Kansas City, Missouri
Stumpy’s Spirits Distillery, Columbia, Illinois
Boot Hill Distillery, Dodge City, Kansas
Smugglers’ Notch Distillery, Jeffersonville, Vermont
Journeyman Distillery, Three Oaks, Michigan
Swallowtail Spirits, Springfield, Oregon
Grand Teton Distillery, Driggs, Idaho
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The ’10 Best’ Craft Whiskey Distilleries
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Distillery, City, State
Ironroot Republic Distillery, Denison, Texas
Sagamore Spirit Distillery, Baltimore, Maryland
Limestone Branch Distillery, Lebanon, Kentucky
Sugarlands Distilling Company, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Seven Stills, San Francisco, California
Smooth Ambler Spirits, Maxwelton, West Virginia
Laws Whiskey House, Denver, Colorado
Traverse City Whiskey Co., Traverse City, Michigan
Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., Fort Worth, Texas
Sons of Liberty Beer & Spirits Co., South Kingstown, Rhode Island
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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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