Ohio is undoubtedly home to a wide range of attractions, from bustling cities, sprawling parks, iconic museums, and high-end dining spots to spectacular sporting events. While there are a lot of incredible hidden gems in Buckeye State, one fun event you should never miss is its enchanting distillery tours. Ohio distillery trail offers various experiences, including a behind-the-scenes look at how their favorite spirit is made and opportunities to taste and purchase your favorite bottle. If you plan to make Ohio your next travel getaway, here are the top 7 top distilleries to see. 

1. Middle West Spirits

Famed for its award-winning OYO Bourbon, Middle West Spirits is a world-class distillery producing a variety of artisan spirits, including whiskeys, vodka, and bourbon. The company crafts all its spirits with local ingredients to preserve the flavors and capture unique natural characteristics. Before deciding to expand, Middle West operated their artisan small-batch distillery venture from their 1920s-era historic warehouse structure. They recently upgraded their facility, giving it a fresh look and adding space to accommodate more equipment. The distillery offers guided tours that give visitors rare insights into the distillation process and mind-blowing tasting experiences. You can also visit their award-winning eatery and share a memorable dining experience with master distillers.

Location: 1230 Courtland Ave, Columbus, OH 43201

2. Endeavor Brewing Spirits

Endeavor Brewing is Columbus, Ohio’s first “brewstillery” offering delicious spirits loved across the world. The distillery crafts a wide selection of internationally inspired beer styles and selects wood-aged spirits using locally sourced ingredients. A visit to the facility will take you through every step of the brewing and distillery process, from selecting and sorting raw materials to packaging and labeling the finished products. Visit their taproom and explore flavors gathered from diverse adventures across the world. You can also stay behind to have a personal chat with their master distiller or purchase one of their signature spirits to take home as a gift. 

Location: 909 W 5th Ave, Columbus, OH 43212

3. 451 Spirits

Tucked into an alley in Columbus’ bustling residential neighborhood of Clintonville, this quirky distillery offers amazing tours, tastings, and bottle shop services. Their tours offer rare opportunities to witness every step of the production process with an in-depth explanation from the expert distiller. Some of the notable products on their shelves include Dear Johnny, a popular whiskey redistilled over smoked apples, and Writers Block, an un-aged dry mint and lime rum crafted from cane molasses. You will certainly love the friendliness of the staff and the masterful narration of their tour guides. The small-scale distillery offers a small tasting room curated with musical instruments and art by local artists.

Location: 590-ste. D, Oakland Park Ave, Columbus, OH 43214

4. High Bank Distillery

High Bank Distillery takes pride in creating high-quality cocktails and spirits. Specifically, the distillery brings a unique spin to the craft distillery market with its buzzy full-service bar, restaurant, and game area. Their tours offer unique opportunities to learn about their distillation process and enjoy tastings. Visit their bar area and interact with skilled mixologists ready to create a unique and flavorful cocktail to satisfy your buds. High Bank produces and sells its own organic vodka, gin, rye whiskey, and handcrafted bourbon. Whether you prefer classic cocktails or modern-day concoctions, you will surely find something to suit your taste here. Its dining area serves delicious dishes and tasty spirits for a complete dining experience. 

Location: 1051 Goodale Blvd, Columbus, OH 43212

5. Echo Spirits Distilling Company

Echo Spirits opened its doors in 2020, making it a relatively new addition to Ohio’s impressive distillery scene. However, make no mistake, the bourbon, whiskey, and moonshine made here are based on a century-old tradition focusing on locally grown ingredients. The company offers amazing tours of their facility, giving visitors opportunities to learn about the craftsmanship behind their spirits and see firsthand how their products are made. You will also get an opportunity to taste every product in production and the ones still in development. Echo Spirits also host events and community engagements such as cocktail classes, team building, and other engaging experiences.

Location: 985 W 6th Ave, Columbus, OH 43212

6. BKO Distillery 

BKO Distillery is located in the beautiful town of Medina. The iconic facility specializes in the production of handcrafted, batch-made, ultra-premium spirits. Established in February 2020, BKO distillery had a rather rough take-off thanks to winding red tape and tough COVID-19 containment measures that slowed down demand for beverages across the country. Despite this setback, the distillery kept at it, diverting to make hand sanitizer until vodka and bourbon were allowed to flow freely once more. They have since expanded from the small 1,000-square-foot operation to the giant 7,000-square-foot complex with an ultra-modern office park along Medina Road. A trip to the distillery is a great chance to learn what it takes to make your favorite beverage, from growing raw materials and sorting ingredients to the fermentation and distillation processes. You will also get a chance to taste any of their products and purchase a few bottles to take home.  

Location: 1486 Medina Rd #215, Medina, OH 44256

Frequently Asked Questions About Ohio Distillery Adventures

What are the duties of an Ohio distillery worker?

An Ohio distillery worker (or any other distillery professional) performs various tasks related to the production process of various spirits. Basic duties include malting, mashing, and packaging. While some distilleries automate some of these tasks, others prefer them to be done entirely by hand. 

What are the main processes in distillation?

There are two main processes during a distillation: evaporation and condensation. The distillation process begins with heating a liquid to boiling point to form vapors. The vapors are then cooled and condensed. 

How many cases of bottles does a distillery produce each year?

There is no specific answer to this question. This is because different distilleries have diverse production capacities. While some large companies produce over 10 million cases annually, small craft distilleries may only manage a few thousand.

DistilleryNearby offers a customized directory for your tours 

Ohio distilleries are highly passionate about their revered recipes that focus on traditional flavors. The distillery tours we have shared offer a great chance to hear fascinating stories of the distillers, peek at their processes, and enjoy a few sips along the way. Want to learn more about the best Ohio distilleries to visit? Visit our state-by-state directory to browse more distilleries from the Buckeye State and its offerings. 

Cheers to an extraordinary adventure!