Kansas, right in the middle of the United States, is more interesting than most people give it credit for. Not only is it peppered with rolling hills, miles of river, vast tallgrass prairies, and abundant farmland, it’s home to quite a few distilleries and Kansas distillery tours. 

This article looks at Boot Hill Distillery, Smoky Valley Distillery, and Union Horse Distilling. 

1. Boot Hill Distillery

Located in Dodge City, Kansas, Boot Hill Distillery is built on solid history. You might recall Dodge City is the famously rowdy town known for its outlaws, saloons, and Boot Hill Cemetery. In addition, Dodge City is the town where Wyatt Earp became famous.

Well, the Boot Hill Distillery is built right on that history. In fact, the distillery lives right on the original Boot Hill Cemetery. The city’s gunfighters and others were buried there from 1873 to 1878.

Luckily for the award-winning distillery, the city moved the bodies, and the building became Dodge City’s first multi-room schoolhouse. The Third Ward school lived on the grounds until 1927, when it was torn down. A new Municipal Building opened in 1929, home to City Hall, the courtroom, the jail, and both fire and police departments.

Today that building houses the Boot Hill Distillery. With roots in the Old West, Boot Hill is proud to say they are “from soil to sip.” From when the seeds land in the soil to the time you enjoy their spirits, they’ve had total control. 

They distill their spirits in 500-gallon batches in a custom-crafted pot still/two-column setup. Then, they mill, mash, ferment, distill, age, and bottle it on-site. They’ve won many awards over the years for their whiskey, vodka, gin, moonshine, wheat whiskey, and bitters.

Boot Hill Distillery Tours

If you’re looking for a craft distillery tour in the United States heartland, you are in luck. You can enjoy a tour at the Boot Hill Distillery on Fridays and Saturdays at 4 pm and 6 pm. Plus, their incredible testing room, complete with leather sofas, lounge chairs, and barstools, serves handmade cocktails Wednesday-Saturday from 3 pm – 11 pm.

2. Smoky Valley Distillery

The Smoky Valley Distillery finds its home in Marquette, Kansas. A small town of less than 600, this picturesque town is near the Smoky Hill River. This river is over 575 miles long and runs through Colorado and Kansas.

Marquette is known as the Smoky Valley of Kansas. This is because it is a valley, and the fog settles there. The early settlers thought this was smoke, and so this is where it got its name. 

A husband and wife duo, the Strohes, established the distillery after they left successful professional careers, retired, and created their “encore career.” As distilling aficionados over the years, they always hoped to open their own distillery, and loving good whiskey, it was a good fit.

They did years of research, visiting many distilleries around the country, sampling and learning. And they finally decided to move to their favorite all-American small town, purchased the COOP, a historic old building in downtown Marquette, remodeled it, and the distillery was born in 2020.

Their goal is to make straight bourbon (aged for at least two years) and wild plum vodka (wild plum thickets grow all over Marquette), and smoked jalapeno vodka (they pre-smoke all the bottles). They use water from Longford, Kansas, from a very deep well filtered by sandstone. Finally, the team brings it to Marquette and uses the water for proofing their bourbon.

They love visitors, and they have an exquisite gift shop.

Smoky Valley Distillery Tours 

This is a terrific Kansas distillery tour. For tastings, just stop by Thursday-Saturday from 10 am – 2 pm. They limit their tastings to one group at a time on a first-come, usually first-served basis, with a maximum of 10 people. They sample both their vodkas and bourbon. The tastings are free.

If you want a distillery tour, they are by appointment only and limited to 10 people per group. You can make your tour reservation on their website.

3. Union Horse Distilling Company

Harnessing the spirit of the Midwest, Union Horse Distilling Company was established in 2010 and is another family-owned, operated, and award-winning Kansas distillery. Their home is right in Kansas City, and their goal is to provide the best authentic, artisanal spirits.

Union Horse was born out of an idea to bring something special and unique to Kansas City. They wanted to provide something that hadn’t been done since the time of Prohibition.

Their goal? Grain-to-glass whiskies from locally-sourced ingredients that could stand up to the big brands. They considered themselves the “dark horse” and knew their fighting spirit would lead the way.

This distillery respects the old traditions and mills, barrels, and bottles, everything in-house and by hand. They distill their spirits in a 500-gallon column pot still known as Chester Copperpot (right out of the Goonies). Vendome Copper and Brass Works from Louisville, Kentucky, custom-built their still. They test all through the distillation process to ensure purity at every step.

You’ll appreciate that they proof all spirits to an ABV of 55% so they can pull out complex flavors such as caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch as the whiskey ages. They have a 10,000-square-foot barrel house that isn’t climate controlled. This is so the fluctuating Midwest temperatures can create bolder flavors as the whiskey barrel expands and contracts. So, you can see the heartland of the United States is vital to the amazing taste of this whiskey.

They then test their barrels at two and a half years, finally emptying them at around five-plus years. The team then proofs them, blends them, and samples them again. Additionally, Union Horse Distilling Company does its bottling in-house. And their master distiller hand signs and numbers each bottle of their Reserve Straight Bourbon, Reunion Straight Rye, and Barrel Strength Rye whiskies.

Union Horse Distilling Company Tours

When it comes to Kansas distillery tours, you are in luck and can experience their handcrafted, small-batch process. You can have a tour in a public or a private setting. 

They schedule public tours monthly, and you do need a ticket. Private tours are exclusive events. An individual or company usually hosts them for friends or employees. 

Their public tours are $17 per person, and you need to email or call directly to purchase tickets.

In addition, they regularly host Distillery Socials – check their website for dates and times. You can socialize in the distillery while enjoying their curated cocktail menu and Union Horse whiskey flights and pours while enjoying food from a local food truck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to be 21 to experience and attend a tour?

You may be under 21 for the Boot Hill tour, but you must be 21 for the other two tours. You must be over 21 for all tastings.

Can I do all the tours in one day?

No, all the distilleries are several hours apart. You could make it a two-day adventure!

What else can I enjoy in Kansas?

First, the scenery is beautiful! Take a drive through the Flint Hills, visit historic locations, and when you’re at Union Horse, visit Kansas City!

Make Kansas Your Next Distillery Tour Stop

If you want more information on whiskey tours and craft distillery tours in Kansas, please visit Distillerynearby.com, your ultimate online source for whiskey, bourbon, and other spirits. 

You’ll love the ambiance of these Kansas distillery tours. So don’t overlook them, and we encourage you to give Kansas a try!