Distilleries in Vermont

ArtsRiot Venue, Restaurant, Distillery

Burlington, Vermont

• Unique pepperoni pizza crust and flavor
• Excellent quality of margaritas served

Killington Distillery - Still on the Mountain

Killington, Vermont

Killington Distillery sits on Vermont ridges, turning local produce into spirits that matter. It’s the kind of place that refuses to be a tourist stop, instead offering craftsmanship.

• Live music performances available
• Accommodating staff for service dogs

Smugglers' Notch Distillery

Cambridge, Vermont

Cambridge, Vermont – where the mountains are as stubborn as the locals and the distilleries are the only places to get an actual reason for a holiday. Smugglers' Notch Distillery, a family-run operation that would make any self-respecting bourbon aficionado nod in approval, produces small-batch spirits that have already taken awards for their sheer lack of pretentiousness. Their flagship, Double Gold vodka, is a frothy, corn-and winter-wheat concoction that feels like the honest answer to every bad blender out there. Then there’s Maple Bourbon, a straight-up maple-infused spirit that turns you into a maple syrup-drinking squirrel, and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup, which proves you can put booze into anything you’ve ever considered sticky. Even canned cocktails are practical yet ridiculous. With knowledgeable staff like Conner and a tasting tour that explains bourbon in terms everyone understands, the place is a triumph of honest craftsmanship without the pat-cheese hype at least.

• Unique flavored spirits including 126
• Informative bourbon tasting tour

Saxtons Distillery

Brattleboro, Vermont

Brattleboro, Vermont, home to Saxtons Distillery, where the founder’s Lithuanian ancestry clashes with the endless maple syrup of the state. Christian Stromberg turns heritage into liquid, using only solar energy for distilling – because if you’re going to make whisky, you might as well keep the lights off.

• The distillery features maple liquors as its focus.
• The barkeep was not engaging for tastings and background information.

Village Garage Distillery

Bennington, Vermont

Bennington, Vermont's Village Garage Distillery sprang from an old tractor dealership and a pair of mates with an eye for whisky that might as well have been forged in a forge. It’s a place where history is not just a theme but an authentic ingredient.

• Village Garage offers a range of craft spirits.
• Arancini are made to melt in your mouth.

St. Johnsbury Distillery Tasting Room & Speakeasy

St Johnsbury, Vermont

St. Johnsbury Distillery – the place where Vermont’s stubborn maple trees finally decided to produce something worth drinking. In the far-flung village of St. Johnsbury, the crew runs a boutique operation that won awards and the respect of people who can’t pretend to understand craft spirits. The distillery prides itself on “tradition and innovation” – a phrase that sounds better in a brochure than in real life, but they mean it.

• Distillery-made food highlights spirits
• Roasted cauliflower risotto paired well

Vermont Distillers, Inc.

Marlboro, Vermont

• Offers 4 free samples per person
• Unique maple cream liqueur flavor

SILO Distillery

Windsor, Vermont

In Windsor, Vermont, a wind-whipped barn is doing more with spirit than any other place in the Northeast.

• Amenity: Unique spirit offerings like lavender vodka.
• Distilled product: Maple syrup whiskey stands out.

Green Mountain Distillers

Morristown, Vermont

Green Mountain Distillers – the sort of place you’d imagine a monk on a mid-winter holiday turning to distilling for the thrill of it. Since 2002 they’ve turned the word “organic” into something that actually tastes like clean. Six-time runs with spring water that could double as a crystal ball produce vodkas that feel almost supernatural – raspberry and blueberry variants that are both simple and punchy. Their maple liqueur tastes like the state’s syrup and nothing more pretentious. And don't get me started on the whiskey line – proof they’re not a one-dimensional boutique.

• Locally sourced ingredients used in products.
• Dog-friendly location with picnic tables.

Smugglers' Notch Distillery & Vermont Distillers Tasting Room

Burlington, Vermont

• Unique flavors like maple gin and honey bourbon.
• High-quality spirits with great balance of flavor.

Smugglers' Notch Distillery Tasting Room

Manchester, Vermont

Manchester, Vermont – not the touristy “hushed corner of America” you imagine when someone mentions Smugglers’ Notch. It’s a place where the real craft happens, a distillery that refuses to put the “boutique” on a label and instead sticks to the facts: a double-gold badge and a 95-point vodka that proves precision can taste less like a lecture and more like a punch in the mouth.

• Offers unique Vermont-focused products.
• Distillery-aged boozy pickles available.

Ripton Mountain Distillery

Brandon, Vermont

Ripton Mountain Distillery sits in Brandon, Vermont, and has been spewing artisanal spirit since 2019, claiming its own brand of craft.

• Distillery's outdoor seating offers excellent views.
• Bar is larger than expected from outside appearance.

Black Flannel Distilling Company

Essex Junction, Vermont

Black Flannel Distilling Company, situated on the edge of Essex Junction, Vermont, flips the small-batch mantra on its head. The lads insist on hand-cooked grains and a “parti-gyle” method that guarantees each spirit has a punch that makes you question why you settled for mass-produced whisky.

• Unique flavor profiles from locally sourced ingredients
• Small-batch, handcrafted gin with distinct character