Whether you’re an Asheville local or just passing through, if you’re a fan of high-quality spirits, you should know which distilleries to visit. 

Asheville is known for many things, from its thriving downtown scene complete with art galleries to its incredible food and live music. Plus, there’s plenty of natural scenery to admire thanks to Asheville’s proximity to the Appalachian Mountains.

However, when you’re in Asheville, you shouldn’t forget to check out the local distilleries. 

We’re going to be telling you about 10 unmissable Asheville distilleries in this guide. Whether you love cocktails or straight whiskey, there’s a distillery to match your tastes on the list. 

1. Asheville Distilling Company 

Asheville Distilling Company, as you might expect from its name, is one of the most well-known distilleries in Asheville. If you only have time to visit one distillery while you’re in town, this is the one you should prioritize. 

Asheville Distilling Company is a whiskey distillery and its products include the famous Blonde Whiskey, the Oak Reserve, the Platinum whiskey. The company also produces delicious Cinnamon and Honey as well as Nectarine and Honey whiskies. 

Not only can you purchase spirits from Asheville Distilling Company when you visit, but you can also attend a tasting. You can park for free at the facility for up to an hour – just make sure you have a designated driver!

2. Dalton Distillery Asheville

Another distillery we highly recommend you check out while you’re in Asheville is the Dalton Distillery. 

Dalton Distillery Asheville specializes in vodka and rum. It has produced several award-winning spirits, including the Hammond Oak Rum and the Arana Blanca Vodka as well as the Hammond Coffee Rum. Other spirits produced by Dalton Distillery Asheville include the regular Hammond Rum and the Appalachian Vodka. 

At Dalton Distillery, you can book a saturday or sunday tour which walks you through the process of making some of these amazing vodkas and rums, including tastings. You can also attend on a walk-in basis, and merchandise is available for purchase. 

Don’t forget to check this distillery’s website to stay up to date on events!

3. Oak & Grist Distilling Company 

Oak & Grist Distilling Company is a must-visit distillery in the Asheville area. Oak & Grist produces both whiskey and gin, with products ranging from Rye, Single Malt and American Malt whiskey to Genever-Inspired and Barrel-Reserve gin. 

However, Oak & Grist doesn’t just provide amazing spirits, but a fantastic experience within the distilling facility itself. You can either book an OG distillery tour, which is a group tour lasting 30 minutes complete with a tasting at the end, or a private tour.

The private tour means you have the distiller’s full attention for questions and it goes into more detail. The tasting at the end is also more advanced, including higher-level tasting techniques.

4. Eda Rhyne Distilling Company 

Eda Rhyne Distilling Company produces a variety of spirits, including some you might not be familiar with. In addition to Lindera Vodka and Pinnix Gin, Eda Rhyne Distillery is the name behind spirits like the Amaro Oscura, Amaro Flora, Appalachian Fernet, and Rustic Nocino. 

You can purchase any of Eda Rhyne’s unique spirits through the distillery website, but if you’d like more of an immersive experience, you can visit the tasting room at the distillery itself.

Eda Rhyne Distilling Company doesn’t currently offer tours, but the tasting room is the perfect location to relax and enjoy some of Asheville’s finest beverages. 

5. Two Trees Distilling 

You can purchase some of Asheville’s best whiskey and vodka from Two Trees Distilling, including the Flavored whiskey range. This range includes phenomenal flavors such as salted caramel, candy apple and peanut butter.

Alternatively, you can choose from the Folklore Series, in which each bottle is themed around a myth or legend from the surrounding area. 

Other spirits produced by Two Trees Distilling include vodka, wood-crafted whiskey, and ready-to-drink cocktail blends. 

Two Trees Distilling offers facility tours that culminate with sampling some of these iconic spirits in the tasting room. Alternatively, there are plenty of events hosted at Two Trees Distilling year-round that you can attend. 

6. Cultivated Cocktails Distillery

Cultivated Cocktails is one of the most talked-about distilleries in Asheville. If you’re a fan of great-tasting cocktails as opposed to just straight spirits, this is the distillery you need to visit when you’re in Asheville. 

The first distillery in Asheville to have started producing gin and rum following prohibition, Cultivated Cocktails includes cocktail creation at the end of their distilling process. 

While the distillery does, of course, produce incredible spirits (including Hazel 63 Rum, Asheville Vodka and Asheville Coffee Liqueur), this distillery is specifically known for its cocktail menu.

You can sample any of the cocktails on the menu if you visit the distillery, either as part of a tour, tasting experience, or private event.

Additionally, you can purchase cocktail kits from Cultivated Cocktails to try and recreate some of the incredible taste experiences from the distillery. Gift cards are available for purchase and, of course, you can also buy bottles of the individual spirits to enjoy as you wish. 

7. Chemist Spirits

Chemist Spirits is a family-founded distillery specializing in gin and whiskey. Something that makes this distillery extra special is the fact that it is female-led, which makes it a historic distillery for Asheville. 

Chemist Spirits produces a wide range of spirits, including Barrel-Rested and Navy-Strength Gin as well as Founders Reverse and Single Malt whiskey and flavored liqueurs. 

You can purchase bottles of spirits from the distillery shop if you’re just looking for a new spirit to enjoy at home. You can also get barware and gift items from the shop. However, we recommend booking a tour of the distillery if you have the time because this is a truly eye-opening experience. 

Tours include up-close walk-throughs of the distillation process and, of course, a tasting at the end. Tours are very reasonably priced, but they are only run on Saturdays and require registration, so make sure to plan ahead!

8. Rye Knot

Rye Knot is one of our favorite Asheville distilleries, and if you love great spirits as well as good food and beer, you’ll love this distillery as much as we do! Rye Knot isn’t just a distillery – it’s also a brewery and has a kitchen which serves classic bar food made with sustainably-sourced ingredients. 

The diner is open throughout the week, including on Sundays, so unlike some other distilleries, you’re not limited to one or two days a week to experience the facility. 

Rye Knot also hosts special events throughout the year, so if you’re still deciding when to make your trip to Asheville, it’s worth checking the distillery’s social media pages to see when the next events are coming up. 

If you don’t have time to visit Rye Knot in person, you can also order online. It’s worth noting that Rye Knot is a disabled veteran-owned business as well as a local business, so we encourage our readers to support this distillery, brewery and kitchen in any way possible. 

9. Howling Moon Distillery

At Howling Moon Distillery, visitors can delve into the history of Western North Carolina and its distilling practices since the 1700s. This is the perfect distillery for history enthusiasts as well as fans of amazing spirits to visit while in Asheville. 

If you’ve never tried moonshine before, Howling Moon Distillery is the perfect place to experience it for the first time. The distillery manufactures bottles of Peach, Strawberry and Apple Pie-flavored moonshine as well as the traditional Mountain Moonshine recipe, which has been passed down for 150 years. 

You can order Howling Moon Distillery’s products online or purchase them in person from any of the locations near you. However, please bear in mind that this distillery does not offer tours at the current time. 

10. Tim Smith Spirits 

Tim Smith Spirits is a distillery named after Tim Smith, the man responsible for the continuation of a century-old recipe for moonshine. Climax Moonshine is just one product manufactured at Tim Smith Spirits, with others including whiskey and Fire No 23. 

You can purchase bottles or cans of Tim Smith Spirits from the distillery store, either in person or online. However, we recommend visiting Belmont Farm Distillery in person, either for a distillery tour or a special event where you can get the autograph of Tim Smith himself!

Although the distillery is currently closed, it will reopen in March of 2023 for a new season of distilling and touring. 

Final Thoughts 

As you can see, there’s certainly no shortage of incredible distilleries to check out in Asheville. Not only can you sample some of Asheville’s finest gin, vodka, whiskey and rum at these distilleries, but some even offer cocktails, and most provide tours of the facilities complete with tasting experiences.

You can even enjoy a meal at Rye Knot distillery!

Be sure to check when tours are available at your chosen distillery before you visit, and try to book in advance wherever possible to ensure your place on a tour. Always drink responsibly and figure out transportation ahead of time.