However, with the growth of the craft distilling movement over the past decade, the centre of gravity of the whiskey industry appears to have shifted to Colorado and the American West. Another state in the Midwest with noteworthy distilleries includes Illinois.Īlso read, Small Distilleries That Are Doing Great Social Media in USA

In Indiana, The Indiana Whiskey Company stands out for special acclaim, while in Pennsylvania, Dad’s Hat makes some of the finest rye whiskey in the nation. Indiana, Pennsylvania and the American Midwestīut outside of Kentucky and Tennessee, where else is it possible to find truly great American whiskey? Historically speaking, both Indiana and Pennsylvania have been known for their high-quality whiskey production. Kentucky also promotes the Bourbon Trail “Craft Tour,” which takes visitors to places like Bardstown, Lexington, and Louisville to check out the state’s best craft distillers. Lexington Brewing and Distilling: Lexington, KentuckyĪnd those are just the biggest distilleries. In addition to the distilleries included on the American Whiskey Trail (Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve), the Kentucky Bourbon Trail lists several other prominent destinations:Īngel’s Envy Distillery: Louisville, Kentuckyīulleit Frontier Whiskey: Louisville, Kentuckyįour Roses Distillery: Lawrenceburg, Kentucky The state even has its own Bourbon Trail specifically dedicated to highlighting the state’s best bourbon. And Kentucky is the home to Bourbon County, literally the home of American Bourbon production. There are many more craft distilleries that have legions of fans, all of them loyal to Kentucky whiskey. Of course, those are just the operational whiskey distilleries that are open to the public. The American Whiskey Trail, created in 2014 to generate more attention about the nation’s proud distilling tradition, lists the following operational distilleries (all open to the public) as being among the finest in the nation:īuffalo Trace Distillery: Frankfort, KentuckyĪlso read, Distilleries That Are Making Top Bourbon Whiskeys Many experts generally acknowledge Kentucky to be the premier whiskey-distilling region in the country, followed by Tennessee as a close second. Of course, the search for America’s best whiskey starts with the two states that are the spiritual home of the American whiskey industry – Kentucky and Tennessee. But just because they are relatively young doesn’t mean that they aren’t producing some of the most complex and original whiskies in the nation – including the first hopped whiskies in California and a wide range of mesquite-smoked whiskies. In many ways, you can thank the craft-distilling trend for the truly national reach of the whiskey industry, since many of these whiskey distilleries are less than a decade old.

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