Distilleries in Michigan

Journeyman Distillery

Three Oaks, Michigan

In Three Oaks, Michigan sits a distillery that’s less “farm-to-glass” fluff and more honest craftsmanship. Journeyman, housed in a 19-century Featherbone Factory, turns locally-grown grains and subterranean aquifer water into whisky that’s anything but pretentious.

• Whiskey heritage flights with diverse options.
• Potato bacon soup with rich bacon flavor.

Vivant Brewery & Spirits

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Situated on a rather ordinary street in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Vivant Brewery & Spirits flips the script on what you expect from a craft joint. Their premise? Beer isn’t just to be drunk; it’s an ingredient.

• Unique brewery atmosphere with history.
• Rotating feature beers for sampling.

Two James Spirits

Detroit, Michigan

Two James Spirits is Detroit’s answer to the myth of a city that never made good whiskey. In Corktown, the city’s oldest quarter, the new distillery opens as the first post-Prohibition operator to turn a block into a still. Using local grain, the same city water, and a splash of sustainability, each dram tells a story of community and anti-pretence. While others cling to kitsch, this place serves substance, proof and pride today.

• Offers local, handcrafted liquors
• Extensive cocktail menu features house-made spirits

Draught Horse Brewery & Spirits

New Hudson, Michigan

Draught Horse Brewery & Spirits in New Hudson, Michigan, is a no-frills, barrel-filled affront to pretentious watering holes. Their barn-inspired design is as honest as a straight-edge, with rotating taps that pour genuinely unique beers and spirits that actually taste something rather than just "artisanal".

• Unique beer flavors on-tap options
• Expanded menu with creative dishes

Supernatural Brewing and Spirits

Livonia, Michigan

Livonia, Michigan’s SuperNatural Brewing and Spirits is an oddball concoction of engineering and beer. The trio behind it are former robotics hobbyists who decided that the only way to prove their mettle was to mash mash and foam. The result? Drinks that look as precise as circuit board and taste like they were brewed with a test-tube.

• Rich flavors in their chocolate cake imperial stout
• Unique butterbeer-like mouthfeel in their kolsch

Fenton Winery & Brewery/Dream Machine Distillery

Lake Fenton, Michigan

Fenton Winery & Brewery, also called Dream Machine Distillery, sits on Lake Fenton, Michigan, and delivers a blunt truth about spirits: good wine isn’t for aristocrats and bad beer isn’t for gym-rats. Their award-winning wines stem from global grapes and local Michigan fruits – a marriage of taste that doesn’t sound pretentious. The craft beer and spirits menu is relentless, with a cocktail list that sticks to quality, a Golden ticket pizza that tastes really good, feta bread with garlic dip.

• Unique cocktail menu crafted with high-quality ingredients
• Golden ticket pizza with perfectly cooked crust and flavorful toppings

Ann Arbor Distilling Company

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ann Arbor Distilling Company sits smack in downtown Ann Arbor, where a ‘craft’ spirit is more than a buzzword — it's a working damn fact. They take local ingredients seriously — no pretence, just honest Michigan-grown grain and herbs. Seasonal gins feel like a wild cocktail, while local-grain bourbon is as smooth as a fine whisky that refuses to be fussy. Their whiskey selection includes a ‘revolver’ option that turns a sip into an adventure, and no pretence of artisanal mystique or gimmicks.

• Unique Whiskey selection with "revolver" option
• Fresh food options from on-site truck

Detroit City Distillery

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit City Distillery is less a tourist trap and more a noisy workshop where steel-kissed barrels sit beside a copper still. The flagship rouge-and-gold bourbon pours a copper hue, delivering caramelised apple and smoked oak with the confidence of a boxer. Behind it, Blue Roar rye bursts with pepper and toasted grain, each barrel sporting a tattoo-like label that narrates the city’s iron-clad past. Guides explain the chemistry, not just the hype.

• Immersive warehouse tour with whiskey punch kickoff
• Tasting of whiskey, rye, rum, and gin

Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits - Kentwood

Kentwood, Michigan

Broad Leaf Brewery & Spirits, strapping itself in Kentwood, Michigan, isn’t just another stop on the craft-beer tourist trail. It’s where precise mash-to-mash alchemy meets an underground laboratory of “cosmic” cocktails, all helmed by head brewer Terry Lancaster, a man who refuses to let flavour get too complacent.

• Offers unique artwork on display
• Retro arcade games available

Ellison Brewery and Spirits

East Lansing, Michigan

East Lansing's Ellison Brewery + Spirits turns the local pub scene on its head. Run by Marine vet Aaron Hanson, the place blends discipline with a love of hops and spirits that would make even the most cynical of lads nod in approval. Their barrel-aged brews, aged in bourbon casks and reserved for the so-called “mug club,” read like military precision with a cheeky twist. The coffee-kissed Tiramisu Stout? A bold statement that coffee and beer can coexist without one being a punchline.

• Unique hazy beer styles, such as Morally Compromised
• Spicy Buffalo sauce on Sunday wings

Bier Distillery & Brewery

Comstock Park, Michigan

Comstock Park, Michigan's Bier Distillery is a proper Dutch-heritage experiment that refuses to be potted-green or pretentious. They’re making three liqueurs that would make a Dutch baker blush: Pepermunt (the only mint liqueur that feels like it was brewed at sea), Speculaas (spice, butter, and the audacity to taste like a holiday cookie), and Oranje (citrus that actually wants to stand on its own).

• Brewery produces unique beer flavors like ms.pickle.
• Brewery has outdoor space with gardens and natural elements.

American Fifth Spirits

Lansing, Michigan

American Fifth Spirits in Lansing, Michigan, refuses the generic mid-west whiskey label. They hand-distill a bourbon that truly knows how to age, a fern-infused spirit less pretentious than botanical gin, and a salt-caramel liqueur that would make a banker blush.

• Flight test whisky available
• Low-key, chill atmosphere prevails

The Tipsy Cowboy Food and Spirits LLC

Pinconning, Michigan

Pinconning, Michigan – The Tipsy Cowboy Food and Spirits LLC is a family-run pub that sticks to honest, no-fuss craft. Its décor is rugged and off-grid, the sort a bulldog would approve of rather than some slick tourist ploy.

• Distillery's daily deals and specials attract customers.
• Freshly made burgers are a standout feature.

Chateau Aeronautique Winery, Blue Skies Brewery & Mile High Distillery ~ Irish Hills

Onsted, Michigan

Onsted, Michigan, houses the one-stop wonder for anyone who thinks beer is a noble pursuit. Blue Skies Brewery – where the sky meets craft – began in a derelict hangar and somehow turned out to be a shrine to artisanal fermentation. They brew a Belgian Tripel that could make a monk jealous and a Chocolate Oatmeal Stout that satisfies the guilty side of you. A Lemon Shandy proves you can still enjoy citrus after a full-blown Irish Hills adventure.

• Unique plane wing bar feature
• Interactive beer tastings and pairings

St. Julian Winery & Distillery Tasting Room

Frankenmuth, Michigan

• Distillery tours are thorough and informative.
• Donut cider is a unique and delicious offering.

Grand Traverse Distillery Tasting Room

Traverse City, Michigan

Grand Traverse Distillery in Traverse City, Michigan, turns raw, icy gravel left by glaciers into liquid gold. Their small-batch spirits start from crystal water filtered through mineral-rich soil, then mixed with locally milled grains. Every dram is hand-crafted, aged, and bottled with precision that would make even the most pedantic watchmaker sigh in envy.

• Grand Traverse Distillery offers unique winter drinks.
• Bartenders provide expert knowledge on spirits.

Red Cedar Spirits

East Lansing, Michigan

Red Cedar Spirits, that cheeky East Lansing, Michigan joint that claims to be “Michigan’s pioneering craft distillery,” is a proper haven for the discerning drunk. Since its 2012 birth, it’s been turning corn and fruit into bourbon and whiskeys so refined they make you feel you might actually enjoy a drink after work, rather than just swallow it like a health drink.

• Unique small distillery with separate seating areas
• Excellent bourbon selection and high-quality spirits

Sanctuary

Grand Ledge, Michigan

Sanctuary Spirits in Grand Ledge, Michigan has cracked the code: it makes barrels of trouble with whiskey and then throws in a madcap charm. Imagine walls lined with staves that once held copper pot stills; the smell of wood is a constant reminder that the work was done by hand, not a factory on a conveyor belt. Throw in a row of swords hung for no practical reason other than to make the place feel like a museum of medieval mischief and you’ve got an atmosphere that says, “If you think spirits are plain, you’re missing the point.”

• Barrel staves line the walls
• Swords on display for a unique touch

Wonderland Distilling Co

Muskegon, Michigan

• Private room in Barrel Room is modern
• Taco bar spread was great and plentiful

Ethanology Distillation

Elk Rapids, Michigan

Ethanology Distillation sits on the banks of Elk River in Elk Rapids, where Michigan’s 45th parallel meets glacial waters from Elk Lake and Lake Michigan.

• Distillery produces its own liquor.
• Staff knowledgeable about products and recipes.

Wolf Inn Grill and Spirits

Newberry, Michigan

• Delicious meal with flavorful food options
• Fresh brewed ice tea available

Les Cheneaux Distillers

Cedarville, Michigan

Les Cheneaux Distillers sits in Cedarville, Michigan, a place that might as well be the Nations of whisky. Two separate venues let you taste their Straits line without the usual tourist baggage. Small-batch whiskey that would win awards if you’re not already drunk, and a gin bright enough to outshine most morning coffees. A live stream of Cedarville Bay makes the setting feel authentic.

• Fantastic whiskey selection with unique flavors
• Great atmosphere with outdoor seating available

Rusted Crow Distillery

Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Rusted Crow Distillery in Dearborn Heights is a tribute to Michigan’s grit, serving spirits that feel forged in a workshop rather than a polished bar. Their corn-kissed moonshine evokes the River Raisin battle, while a gin slips in a hint of Earl Grey beneath amber haze. Detroit Steam Vodka brings citrus and bamboo, Davy Jones Rum offers tropical cane sweetness with orange pith, and Ginstache Gin sticks to juniper with a bite of lime.

• Seasonal cocktail menu with smoked variations
• Historic setting featuring house‑distilled gin, vodka, bourbon

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge

Traverse City, Michigan

• Exclusive Moroccan food created by Chef Omar
• Whiskey blending experiences with expert guidance

The Whiskey Factory - Detroit City Distillery

Detroit, Michigan

Spanning 7,000 square feet of blank-canvas floor, the site doubles as an event hall capable of hosting weddings, product launches or underground cocktail soirées with aplomb. The vintage bar, a relic from Prohibition, pours bespoke drinks made from the on-site spirits, and a dedicated station lets you blend and bottle your own bourbon to take home. Every tour caps off with a tasting of the current experimental spirit – proof that this place mixes history, imagination and a dose of bravado into every glass.

• Industrial chic venue with customizable layout
• Guests can blend and take home bourbon

Sleepwalker Spirits And Ale

Lansing, Michigan

Sleepwalker Spirits & Ale in Lansing, Michigan, is a strange little contraption that pretends to be psychology, while actually brewing it. They’ve turned every bottle and pizza into a diagnostic pamphlet: “Schizophrenic Stout” for the chaotic beer crowd, “Borderline Bourbon-Lager” for those who can’t decide, and an endless rotation that guarantees a new diagnosis with each visit.

• Sleepwalker Spirits And Ale features a unique location in REO town.
• The brewery boasts a cozy, old-fashioned atmosphere.

Old Mission Distilling

Traverse City, Michigan

Old Mission Distilling in Traverse City, Michigan, isn’t your run-of-the-mill craft joint; it’s the product of four lifelong locals who swear by quality. Founded in 2020, it prides itself on authenticity, rejecting gimmickery for genuine flavour. They source everything from nearby orchards — fruit that practically smells of sunshine — to regional grain that’s never forced to do anything beyond grow itself. The result: spirits that taste like the land rather than pretended elegance.

• Unique bar and cafe atmosphere among wineries.
• Specialty cocktails on tap available.

The Honorable Distillery

Marquette, Michigan

• Distilled liquors used in upscale cocktails
• Maple Pecan Rye Whiskey unique offering

Gypsy Distillery

Petoskey, Michigan

Gypsy Distillery sits on twenty acres overlooking Little Traverse Bay, an ex-equestrian centre that looks more like a gin-fueled art-gallery than a horse stable today.

• Unique converted horse stable building design
• Multiple games and activities available for guests

Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom

Midland, Michigan

Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom, Midland, Michigan, is the kind of place that pretends to be humble but really isn’t. It sells whiskey that is less “artisanal” and more “artisan-y”. The distillery prides itself on sourcing local ingredients, and each drink, from a smoked rye Old-Fashioned to a bourbon with the sort of heft you’d find in a second-hand manual, declares that quality matters.

• Seasonal "Claus-mopolitan" served in a Christmas bauble
• Home-made chili offered alongside snacks

Chateau Aeronautique Winery, Blue Skies Brewery & Mile High Distillery ~ Airpark

Jackson, Michigan

Picture a rust-tinted hangar turned into a bar — no, not a circus of flying cars, but a proper spot for anyone who prefers a decent pour over a vapour-shrouded runway. In Jackson, Michigan, the Chateau Aeronautique Winery, Blue Skies Brewery and Mile High Distillery have turned aviation lore into liquid form. The room still smells faintly of old timber and serves a classic Chardonnay, a daring Belgian Tripel and a citrusy Lemon Shandy — every bottle stamped with the same pride as a landing gear. Live classic-rock tribute bands fill a beer-garden that feels less like a picnic and more like a mid-flight cocktail. The operation has evolved from a squeaky hangar to a state-of-the-art facility in the Irish Hills, yet remains accessible; ramps are handy and the charcuterie menu is strictly on point. The wait-staff boast encyclopaedic knowledge and a friendly grin, which, in this line of business, is worth its weight in unadulterated spirit.

• High-capacity seating with limited parking solution
• Charcuterie menu only, unique offering

Copper Kettle Distilling

Prudenville, Michigan

• Made-in-house distilled spirits
• Unique liqueur tasting flights

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge

Bellaire, Michigan

• Offers unique distillery-specific flavors like Cherry Bounce
• Whiskey blending experience with good guidance

Gull Lake Distilling Company

Galesburg, Michigan

Here’s the truth: Gull Lake Distilling Company, in Galesburg, Michigan, is no quaint family-farm-pretending-to-be-artisanal. It’s a full-stack operation — distillery, brewery, winery — all fed by locally sourced ingredients.

• Unique offerings like smoked cocktails
• Blueberry moonshine available

Grand Traverse Distillery

Traverse City, Michigan

Grand Traverse Distillery in Traverse City is a proper showcase of Northern Michigan craftsmanship. They take local grain, crush it, let it ferment, and age the whisky in-house, all powered by the clear waters of 'La Grande Travers'. The result is a line of small-batch spirits that are unpretentious yet blisteringly good, a nod to the original Kent Rabish and his crew.

• Unique woodsy location with scenic drive
• Friendly, knowledgeable staff throughout the tour

Grand Traverse Distillery Tasting Room

Frankenmuth, Michigan

Grand Traverse Distillery in Frankenmuth, Michigan, isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but it does take pride in turning grain, water, and a touch of madness into something you can actually drink. Their approach is unpretentious: small-batch fermentation, then the slow, patient art of aging, resulting in a rye vodka that won a few awards and a solera-aged bourbon that could make a whisky aficionado feel guilty.

• Offers affordable samples (1 or $5 for 3)
• Variety of unique cocktails, like cherry vodka lemonade

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge in Grand Rapids isn’t a pretentious speakeasy; it’s a no-nonsense, grain-loving battalion that’s gone out of its way to resurrect the old-fashioned Rosen rye once grown on South Manitou Island. The grain’s revival is a small-country miracle, a nod to Michigan’s humble roots and a gateway to a future where quality outweighs hype.

• Distillery has phenomenal spirits with unique flavors.
• Live music events showcase local talent regularly.

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge

Adrian, Michigan

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge in Adrian, Michigan insists northern Michigan’s rugged heritage is best distilled, not advertised. The team mash up glacial grit and local grain, proving authenticity starts with raw earth, not marketing fluff. The result is spirits that look as honest as a tax return and punch like a bad joke at the wrong club.

• Distillery offers tastings with nearby food options.
• Exposed brick makes for great photo backdrops.

Tashmoo Distilling Company

New Baltimore, Michigan

Tashmoo Distilling Company sits in New Baltimore, Michigan, a place that prides itself on turning an old-world steamer’s legacy into something you can actually taste. It opened its doors in 2022, thanks to Chris and Ellen Ross and their associate, Tom Maliskey, all of whom are less about corporate buzz-words and more about banging on copper pots.

• Distillery makes all mixers from scratch.
• Bartenders are expertly trained in mixology.

Shipwreck Distillery

Caseville, Michigan

• Distillery's unique approach combines bakery and distillery.
• Smooth and affordable distilled samples are available.

Mammoth Distilling Cocktail Lounge

Petoskey, Michigan

• Unique bottle designs made of Mammoth Distillery's artwork.
• Smooth spirits with great flavor profiles.

Lake Time Brewing and Spirits

Bridgman, Michigan

Lake Time Brewing & Spirits has sprung up in Bridgman, Michigan this past year, and it’s not just another pint-shop trying to masquerade as a craft-spirit cult. The place promises a mash-up of “old-school technique” and “modern fancy” – which, in the spirit world, translates to a pot still that looks like something straight out of a chemistry lecture, paired with water so clean you’d think it comes from a glacier.

• Medium-length list of house beers available
• Robust Porter showcases perfect roasty balance

New Holland Distilling - Grand Haven Tasting Room

Grand Haven, Michigan

Grand Haven Distillery is the sort of place where a man can taste the grit and grind of old-world production without being dragged into some romantic fairy-tale about oak and mist. Located in Grand Haven, Michigan, the tasting room serves as a no-frills showroom for a small-batch army of spirits. The highlight? Whiskeys finished in beer barrels — bubbly, unpretentious and a good bit bold. They also craft smooth bourbons and crisp vodkas, each still whispering of tradition but with a modern kick. Gin isn’t left out; think rosemary-tangerine concoctions that would put any floral-driven craft cocktail to shame. Seasonal syrups sneak in unexpected twists, and if you’re teetotal, you’ll find mocktails that don’t taste like a watered-down apology. The place even throws in live music and a rotating cocktail menu, but the real selling point is that the distillery takes its craft seriously without the surrounding pretentious mum-mumble. Today.

• Distillery uses beer-barrel aged whiskeys in cocktails.
• Seasonal simple syrups added unique flavor twists.

Great Lakes Bay Distillery

Sterling, Michigan

• Distillery has an "awesome family business" atmosphere.
• Full tasting is recommended for best experience.