The Peach state of America may be known for being one of the biggest producers of fruit in the entire country and the role it played during the formation of the country itself, but what many people aren’t aware of is the incredible variety of distilleries that can be found across the state of Georgia.

If you thought Georgia was only about wine and beer, think again as we take you through 15 of the very best Georgian distilleries where you can take a tour and learn about the history of distilling in this beautiful state.

1. Legends Distillery

Location: 210 Industrial Park, Cumming, GA

If you’re a fan of the warm and slightly spicy flavor of bourbon, you’re going to love Legend Distillery which is known for producing some of the best-tasting bourbon not just in Georgia, but across the entire country.

Whether it’s their higher-proof bourbon that mixes in hints of toffee and caramel, or some classic sweet and rich-tasting variants such as the Legends 87 Bourbon, there’s plenty here for fans of the spirit to enjoy.

There is also a good variation of rum, gin, and vodka that blends in incredibly well as part of the distillery’s signature cocktails which are all a refreshing way to finish off the evening after taking the 30-minute tour.

2. The Distillery Of Modern Art

Location: 2197 Irvindale Way, Chamblee, GA

While the alcohol itself is an extremely important factor that helps to make a distillery stand out, the design of the distillery itself is also incredibly important for drawing in visitors, and you’ll struggle to find many distilleries with a more exuberant and exciting look than The Distillery of Modern Art.

The walls are littered with incredibly vibrant and unique paintings and artwork along with sculptures all donated by local artists, giving the whole place a very quirky and lively atmosphere that makes relaxing with one of their signature vodka or nouveau gin mixtures even more enjoyable.

3. Dawsonville Moonshine Distillery

Location: 415 Hwy 53, Dawsonville, GA

Often referred to as the “moonshine capital of the world”, the Dawson Moonshine Distillery is known for making some of the smoothest and most delicious moonshine crafted from Georgia-grown ingredients and grains, however they also allow visitors to taste test their fantastic selection of rums or their signature Georgia Corn Whiskey if you want something that may not be high proof, but still a potent drink that is a must-try for all those whiskey lovers.

4. Lazy Guy Distillery

Location: 2950 Moon Station Rd, Kennesaw, GA

Lazy Guy manages to strike the perfect balance between feeling both casual and very relaxed, while still having a very professional aura thanks to all the equipment that can be seen on the private guided tour.

As a first-generation whiskey distillery, Lazy Guy has been refining its spirits for years using only regionally sourced grains, making for some of the smoothest vodka, gin, rum, and bourbon whiskey that you and your friends are free to test for yourselves.

5. Ghost Coast Distillery

Location: 641 Indian St, Savannah, GA

Among the glistening lights of downtown Savannah, you can find the unique and unorthodox Ghost Coast Distillery, serving up over 20 creatively crafted spirits including the spicy Handsome Devil made from a combination of grapefruit juice and peach-flavored whiskey, and the slightly bitter bourbon Time Traveler cocktail.

It’s well worth taking back a bottle of Ghost Coast Burl Gin or their tantalizing Peach Whiskey as a gift for friends back home, or just as a rare souvenir.

6. Old Fourth Distillery

Location: 487 Edgewood Ave, Atlanta, GA

First opening its doors all the way back in 1906 by two brothers, if you want to visit a distillery with a fascinating history of brewing and distilling through the prohibition period and beyond, the incredibly friendly staff can teach all about the role this building played in distilling spirits of all kind as you take the guided tour.

They specialize in crafting vodka, gin, and bourbon, all of which can be taken home in bottles to enjoy if you like the taste of them while on your visit.

7. Independent Distilling

Location: 547 E College Ave, Decatur, GA

Many of the spirits made in this distillery use fresh grain sourced directly from a farm in Ranger which gives their rum and whiskey an incredibly deep and smoky flavor that really needs to be tasted to be believed.

While they make a delightful old fashioned, make sure to also try out their signature Hellbender Bourbon Neat which ramps the taste of whiskey up to another level entirely.

8. Richland Rum

Location: 1406 Newcastle St, Brunswick, GA

The interior of the Richland Rum Distillery really is a sight to behold with stills and barrels everywhere you look along with long rows of bottled hand-crafted spirits with one of their most popular being the Richland Rum’s “Classic” which is aged for 4 to 5 years in toasted and charred oak to give the rum more of a sweet vanilla taste.

We highly recommend taking the guided tour to take in just how big and expansive this distillery is, and don’t forget to try out their Georgia-grown sugar cane collection of rum and whiskey before you leave.

9. Sugar Hill Stills

Location: 1166 Church St, Sugar Hill, GA

The folks at Sugar Hill Stills like to put a more savory spin on their cocktails and spirits, especially in their extremely popular German beer.

Alongside the dark, brothy beer which is crafted to perfection, some other standouts include the potato-based vodka and the Sugar Hill cocktail made from a delightful combination of rye whiskey, lemon juice, and hibiscus rose syrup.

10. Moonrise Distillery

Location: 31 Webb Rd, Clayton, GA

If you’re fascinated by the science behind distilling and want to learn more about how local Georgian distilleries make their spirits so flavorful and rich in taste, the tour provided by the staff at the Moonrise Distillery is one of the best and most interesting you can take as the team goes over how the distilling process has changed over the years and how distillation concentrates alcohol rather than producing it directly.

They have an incredible selection of craft cocktails you can try out along with some award-winning bourbon that can be taste-tested in many different variations including the warm and delicious Bulleit Bourbon.

11. Dalton Distillery

Location: 109 E Morris St, Dalton, GA

Located in the beautiful countryside surrounding Dalton, this distillery is not only admired for its fantastic selection of food including burgers and pizzas that you can tuck into after the tour, but also for its many versions of house-distilled gin, rum, vodka, and the world’s only sunflower spirit that tastes as good as it sounds.

If you’re a bigger fan of beer, they also have a wonderful selection of draft lagers that you can sip on while chatting with the stranger next to you since this is a local hangout for locals of the Dalton area.

12. Still Pond Distillers

Location: 1575 Still Pond Rd, Arlington, GA

This distillery offers some of the finest and most potent tasting moonshine thanks to it being crafted using grain and muscadine which makes the taste a lot more juicy and almost fruity in flavor.

There is also a delightfully peaceful porch where you can relax and sip on one of Still Pond’s delicate cocktails to round the visit off.

13. Hope Springs Distillery

Location: 4839 Railroad Ave, Lilburn, GA

As the first distillery opened in Gwinnett County since the prohibition, the team at the Hope Springs Distillery have had plenty of time to perfect and refine their wheat-based vodka, gin, and absinthe, and while they are all more than worth trying when you’re in the taste testing room, we would highly recommend taking a bottle of Garner Creek American Dry Gin back so that the rest of the family can enjoy too.

14. Thirteenth Colony Distillery

Location: 305 N Dudley St, Americus, GA

There aren’t many distilleries that have a history as eventful and interesting as the Thirteenth Colony Distillery, officially the oldest distillery in all of Georgia that is still in operation.

Take a tour of the industrialized interior with hints of the late 19th century still visible and try out the fantastic selection of crafted bourbon, whiskey, and rum in the wide and spacious taste-testing room.

15. R.M Rose Distillery

Location: 890 Franklin St, Dillard, GA

The sweet, strong, and slightly fruity taste of proper southern whiskey is incredibly hard to get right, however, the folks down at the R.M Rose Distillery have found a combination of flavors and ingredients that manage to nail down this flavor perfectly.

There are many other standouts visitors can taste-test including the delightfully sweet Apple Brandy and the incredibly distinctive and delightful Monkey Martini.

Summary

The fruit center of America is home to a whole host of distilleries ranging from the modern and artistic to the old-fashioned and traditional, giving you plenty of choice on where you want to go depending on what sort of experience you’re hoping to have when you visit.