Are you heading to the sandy beach for a tempting vacation full of water sports, sun, sandcastles, and relaxation? Why not break up your beach time with a distillery tour? We’ve got four oceanfront distillery experiences to add to your vacation. Head to any of these distilleries in Delaware, Massachusetts, or Florida for unique tours that give you a flavor of the cities you’re visiting. 

Here’s to the sun, surf, and spirits! 

1. Beach Time Distilling

Located in Lewes, Delaware, you can take a break from the relaxing sun and surf and enjoy premium gin, vodka, whiskey, and even canned cocktails. If you schedule your trip Wednesday-Sunday, you can also take part in scheduled tasting flights!

The owner of Beach Time Distilling was a dedicated home brewer for 25 years living in the hills of Tennessee. Here he learned his craft working for a local brewery. Today, as owner and distiller, Greg opened Beach Time in 2015 and loves producing his products on a Polish-made still.

When you prefer a change from the beach life, you can head to their website to make a reservation for one of their tours. Hurry, though, as they limit each tour to eight people, and tours are every Saturday at 11 am. 

For just $12/person, their tours last about an hour and include a tasting of their delicious, beachy spirits. If you’re extra adventurous and want to continue your distillery tour in Delaware, Beach Time Distilling is part of the iconic Delaware Beer, Wine & Spirits Trail.

2. Triple Eight Distillery

Located on the picturesque Nantucket Island in Massachusetts, this oceanfront distillery is truly one of a kind. 

They offer a veritable bouquet of vodka flavors. Taste fresh blueberry vodka, cranberry vodka made from Nantucket-grown cranberries, orange vodka with hand-zested oranges, organic vodka made from an organic wheat spirit blended with Nantucket’s pure water, raspberry vodka made from Oregon raspberries vanilla vodka made from Madagascar and New Guinea vanilla beans.

You also don’t want to miss their craft cocktails that you can take to the beach to enjoy during a long afternoon and evening. Cranberry, blueberry, grapefruit, and tequila with lime are flavors that lend themselves to a relaxing beach day.

The floral notes keep on coming with their single malt whiskey. The 12-year provides you with the flavors of peach sorbet and toffee apples, while the 15-year reveals stewed and dried fruits and notes of chocolate and vanilla. 

In addition to their famous bourbon, they are also experts in the rum and gin department. Beachgoers love their Hurricane Rum and their Gale Force Gin. If you’re up for a tour during your visit to Nantucket, you do want to email them to schedule a tour. They are open all summer long, Monday-Sunday. A summertime visit to Triple Eight is a one-of-a-kind experience, as you’ll enjoy food vendors every weekday and live music on scheduled days. 

3. St. Augustine Distillery

With amazing weather nearly year-round, it can be hard to decide when to go to St. Augustine to enjoy this seaside city with soft, sandy beaches! Founded in 1565, you’ll love this historic city featuring Spanish colonial charm. With a breathtaking ocean view, there is so much to do in St. Augustine. 

One place to start is with the St. Augustine Distillery. The history of this oceanfront distillery is founded on one common goal. That is to build a sustainable business that, according to the two dozen local families who started the company, is to “flourish at the intersection of economic growth and social good.”

These two dozen families engaged experienced distillers and dedicated themselves to sourcing fresh, locally-grown products from Florida to create a business that is like no other.

The distillery works with farmers throughout the state, and they distill and hand bottle all of their bourbon.

Even more impressive is their dedication to giving back to the St. Augustine community. Their areas of outreach include the: St. Augustine Amphitheater, Lincolnville Cultural Center, and Habitat for Humanity.

Now, if you’re ready for an oceanfront distillery tour, you have two options to add to your vacation experience:

1. You can take a self-guided tour every day from 10:30 am – 5:30 pm. You can even explore learning how to make their four signature cocktails with their bourbons.
2. Are you a serious bourbon enthusiast? Then, you can book an in-depth, educational guided tour that also comes with a teaching experience. Some of your options include:

• A Fill Your Own Bottling Experience – fill, hand cork, seal, and craft your own personalized label!
• The Spirit of Florida Bourbon Experience – the history of bourbon, St. Augustine, the distillery, and more!
• Certified Bourbon Steward Course – become a bourbon steward in this four-five hour course and get certified by the Stave & Thief Society, the only certification organization recognized by the Kentucky Distillers Association.

Don’t miss the St. Augustine Distillery if you’re visiting this charming oceanfront town.

4. Oceanside Distillery

Fresh from Florida is the mantra at this oceanfront distillery. Located on Florida’s Space Coast in Cape Canaveral, the Oceanside Distillery is a great experience to add to your vacation after you’ve hit the beach and the Kennedy Space Center!

For their premium tour and tasting, you get to venture behind the scenes and experience their handcrafted small batch process. You’ll learn from the experts, sample their spirits, and enjoy their incredible cocktails. The tours are only for those 21 and older, and they are quick at 30 minutes and include a sampling and a free Oceanside shot glass. 

At this oceanfront distillery, you can enjoy uniquely Oceanside spirits:

• Vodka and whiskey that uses Florida corn and has received the Fresh from Florida designation by the Department of Agriculture.
• Rum that is made from all-natural sugar cane juice.
• Gin that uses clean, triple-filtered water and only the finest ingredients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the ocean play a role in distilling?

Glad you asked! There actually is an ocean company, Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea® Bourbon, that travels aboard ships and visits ports across the globe. As the constant motion of the sea churns the whiskey, it increases the interaction with the wooden barrel. As the weather ranges from cold to warm, this hyper-ages the liquid for something unique.

Are the Florida distilleries close to one another?

The two listed here are about two hours apart. So, it would be a pretty drive!

Do the tours take all day?

No. For example, you could take to the beach in the early morning to play in the surf and visit a distillery in the afternoon!

Sun, Surf, and Spirits

If you want more information on oceanfront distillery tours along the United States coastlines, please visit Distillerynearby.com. It’s your ultimate online source for whiskey, bourbon, vodka, gin, and other spirits.  

There’s nothing quite like a relaxing day spent on the beach, followed by a fabulous, relaxing tour at one of these oceanfront distilleries. It’s a nice break from the sun, and you’ll undoubtedly enjoy the stories and the spirits after your sun and surf!