September is Bourbon Heritage Month, and we plan to celebrate all month long! Bourbon is the darling of the American whiskey world, with its ancestral home in Kentucky. And honestly? Whenever the word "bourbon" is mentioned, the mind probably drifts to Kentucky, which makes perfect sense. But what about the rest of America? Bourbon is "America's native spirit," after all, so there must be some other states making some pretty great bourbon, right? We've created a list of distilleries outside of Kentucky that prove great bourbon can be made anywhere.
15 Distilleries Making Great Bourbon Outside of Kentucky
California: Redwood Empire
Though California's Russian River Valley might be known for the wines it produces, there's a fledgling whiskey brand making big waves nestled amongst the vines and conifers: Redwood Empire. The brand dates back to 2015 and takes its name from the legendary trees that grace the region. Redwood Empire has planted a total of more than 1.5 million redwood trees to date with the non-profit For The Future. Besides being a sustainable whiskey you can feel good about, Redwood Empire sources a mixture of California and Midwestern grains to make its whiskeys. According to the brand, the region's moderate temperatures have a positive effect on its aging whiskeys. Redwood Empire names its whiskeys after specific redwood trees, and we are very partial to the brand's Pipe Dream Cask Strength Bourbon, which was a super solid release from the brand. Read our review of that bottling
here .
Illinois: FEW Spirits
[caption id="attachment_80751" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: FEW Spirits)[/caption]
Perhaps one of the most dynamic up-and-coming producers from the Midwest is FEW Spirits. In the Chicago suburb of Evanston, FEW was born in 2011. The grain-to-glass distillery was inspired by the fact that Evanston was one of the critical locations of Prohibition in the 1920s. As far as its whiskeys are concerned, the folks at FEW are not afraid to bend the rules a bit. The distilling team at FEW is very versatile and makes fantastic American single malts and rich and chocolatey rye whiskeys, but we're partial to FEW's bourbons. The brand is no stranger to experimenting with its whiskeys, like using
cold brew coffee and
black tea to cut them to proof. With limited-release bourbons that honor bands like the Flaming Lips and Smashing Pumpkins, this Illinois brand puts the "r" in rebellious. For all you rebels out there — consider giving this indie whiskey distillery a try.
Indiana: Hard Truth Distilling Co.
As far as Indiana whiskey goes, everybody thinks about MGP first and foremost, but Hard Truth is an under-the-radar brand that's been garnering plenty of positive attention. Hard Truth's calling card is its sweet mash whiskeys, where the brand starts fresh with each batch and doesn't use backset from previous whiskeys. Though Hard Truth laid the groundwork for its popularity with rye whiskeys, the brand's recently released homemade bourbons are nothing to sneeze at. Hard Truth
released its first three bourbons made from its own distillate in February: Hard Truth Sweet Mash Bourbon, Hard Truth Sweet Mash Wheated Bourbon, and Hard Truth Sweet Mash Four Grain Bourbon. We fell pretty hard for Hard Truth's Four Grain Bourbon, and its modest suggested retail price of $59.99 adds even more sweetness from a pricing standpoint. With a distinctive, savory cheesecake note coupled with cinnamon and cola on the palate, it's impressive. If you want to read more on what we thought about it, you can check out our review
here .
Iowa: Cedar Ridge Distillery
[caption id="attachment_47718" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: Cedar Ridge)[/caption]
Cedar Ridge has roots that date back to 2005, although the Quint Family has farmed and distilled within the area for generations. Jeff Quint, a farmer and distiller, founded the brand because he had aspirations for the state of Iowa. Iowa is the No. 1 corn-producing state in the U.S., and Quint believed that the brand had the potential to make some incredible bourbons with that corn. Cedar Ridge unveiled its first whiskey in 2010 and is Iowa's first licensed distillery since Prohibition. Cedar Ridge has been included many times in collections from the independent bottler,
Lost Lantern . The bottler is known for "shining a light" on lesser-known whiskey brands and
regularly features Cedar Ridge
in its collections . Cedar Ridge's bourbons are a true snapshot of Iowa, and the brand uses 100% Iowa-grown corn.
Mississippi: O.H. Ingram
[caption id="attachment_63200" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: O.H. Ingram)[/caption]
Is there anything quintessentially more "Mississippi" than bourbon aged on the river itself? Orrin Henry "Hank" Ingram III comes from a long line of individuals who moved products down the Mississippi River. They started with logs, and then Orrin Ingram III decided to give whiskey a try. The brand's floating barrel houses "mellow" the juice as it drifts down the Mississippi River, providing the ultimate leisurely sipping experience. In its "fleet" are two bourbons: a straight and flagship expression. The brand's Straight Bourbon Whiskey can be purchased from within the $60 to $100 range and features a wheated mashbill. The bourbon is dessert-forward, with buttercream, pancakes and an easy-sippin' light sweetness that will make you come back for a second pour. For the rest of our review, you can click
here .
Missouri: Holladay Distillery
Ben Holladay cemented its reputation as the oldest operating distillery with its original facilities in Missouri. Holladay is outside of Kansas City in Weston, an area that was first discovered by Lewis and Clark —
yup, those guys — in 1804. Fifty years later, Ben Holladay bought the site. Ben Holladay earned his fortune as the "Stagecoach King," and he created the Overland Express stagecoach lines, which Wells Fargo ended up buying. Yet despite his fortunes, whiskey was his ultimate legacy. Ben Holladay Bourbon is considered "real Missouri bourbon," because everything in the whiskey from Missouri. Holladay is known for its flagship bourbon, soft red wheat bourbon, rickhouse proof bourbon and ancient cave collection bourbon. We're particularly partial to Holladay's Soft Red Wheat Bottled In Bond, which serves as a great dupe for the uber-expensive
Blanton's Bourbon .
Nevada: Frey Ranch
Grain-to-glass distillery Frey Ranch is having a moment. The brand stems from over 65 years of farming know-how passed down from the Frey family. All of the grains are grown on-site and distilled at the brand's whiskey farm. Frey Ranch's Straight Bourbon Whiskey clocks in at a modest 90 proof and is considered a "true farm-to-table bourbon." The sustainably grown grains are malted, distilled, matured for five years, and bottled at Frey Ranch in true "estate" fashion. The mashbill is made of corn, winter cereal rye, winter wheat and two-row barley. This affordably-priced bourbon hosts a suggested retail price of $79. Click
here to read our review of Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
New York: Widow Jane
[caption id="attachment_44783" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: Widow Jane)[/caption]
Widow Jane takes its name from the Widow Jane Mines in Rosendale, New York. Based out of Red Hook, Brooklyn, the brand sources the limestone water it uses to cut its whiskeys to proof from those mysterious mines. The limestone-filtered mineral water serves as the brand's calling card, as limestone was used to build the Empire State Building and the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. Widow Jane claims its bourbons offer a taste of New York in every sip. The brand uses heirloom corn varieties, like Baby Jane corn, plus malted rye and malted barley in its mashbills. Perhaps the limestone water adds a certain signature to Widow Jane's Bourbons, and its Lucky Thirteen hosts minerality aplenty in the pour. If you want to know what we thought about it, you can read our review
here .
Ohio: Middle West Spirits
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(Photo: Middle West)[/caption]
Ohio is a short drive from Kentucky, and this state is capable of producing some mighty fine whiskey. For a true taste of the Ohio River Valley, look no further than Middle West Spirits. This grain-to-glass whiskey brand is no stranger to experimenting with its bourbons — which is one of the reasons we love it so much. From sherry-finished bourbons to wheated bourbons, there's something for every fan of America's native spirit at Middle West. We were particularly partial to Middle West Spirits Sherry Finished Bourbon. Find our review
here . And honestly? It appears the fans are flocking. In
January , Middle West shared that it completed a 75,000-square-foot building expansion set to multiply its production capacities by 10. We're sure demand and acclaim will follow.
South Carolina: High Wire Distilling
South Carolina Lowcountry-based distillery, High Wire Distilling, celebrates heirloom grains. Its bourbons are made with a rare corn species called Jimmy Red. This ruby-hued corn is the only grain featured in the brand's flagship bourbon, which spends a minimum of two years in American oak barrels. Jimmy Red was a popular grain used by bootleggers during Prohibition, and the varietal nearly went extinct until High Wire Distilling spearheaded its revitalization by featuring it in its bourbons. The brand's Jimmy Red Bottled in Bond Bourbon made the No. 7 spot for the
10 Best Whiskeys We Tasted in June 2024 because of its dynamic flavors of cherry pie.
Tennessee: Jack Daniel's
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(Photo: Sipa via AP Images)[/caption]
Jack Daniel's is a brand that needs no introduction. The Tennessee brand is known for its distinctively "mellowed" whiskeys, thanks to its charcoal filtering process. Though the brand refers to its corn-based whiskeys as "Tennessee whiskey," Jack Daniel's meets
all the legal requirements of bourbon and thus is eligible for this list. Tennessee whiskeys are bourbons that require an additional charcoal filtering processes — otherwise known as the Lincoln County Process. Essentially, Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey is simply bourbon that was filtered through charcoal prior to being barreled. Each bottle of Jack Daniel's is filtered through sugar maple charcoal. Palates of the wood are burned three days a week and three times a day by the brand's production team. After the embers cool, the charcoal is used to "slowly mellow" the brand's whiskey. Besides the brand's signature whiskey, Jack Daniel's offers extended-age releases like a 12 Year Old whiskey within its portfolio and if you want to know what we thought about it, you can read our review
here .
Texas: Still Austin
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(Photo: Still Austin)[/caption]
Still Austin's whiskeys are simply works of art. Beautiful labels aside, the brand is known to experiment with distinctive mashbills of blue corn, red corn, and pretty much everything in between. These whiskeys are expertly crafted by the team led by Nancy Fraley,
a legend in the whiskey world who has also worked with Smooth Ambler, Wyoming Whiskey, Joseph Magnus and more. Still Austin's Red Corn Bourbon is considered a "fan favorite," and the inaugural release was so successful that the brand ended up bringing it back in
June because of popular demand. We're particularly partial to Still Austin's seasonal Bottled in Bond lineup. The summer release — the Red Corn Bourbon — is especially good. Check out our review
here .
Virginia: A. Smith Bowman
A. Smith Bowman is Virginia's oldest distillery, with roots that date back to 1934. The historic distillery is based out of Fredericksburg, and the brand produces some truly incredible bourbons. So incredible, in fact, that the best bourbon we tasted in 2023 was from A. Smith Bowman — and if you want to check out our complete list, you can find that
here . A. Smith Bowman shares an owner with Buffalo Trace (Sazerac), and the Virginia distillery's lineup includes Bowman Brothers Small Batch Bourbon, a Port Barrel Finished Bourbon, a Single Barrel Bourbon and a 10-Year Cask Strength Bourbon. Though admittedly some of A. Smith Bowman's bourbons are hard to find, they are well worth the hunt! The brand's
Cask Strength Bourbons are typically available via a lottery, and winners must visit the distillery in person to pick up the releases.
West Virginia: Smooth Ambler
The team at West Virginia's Smooth Ambler knows they aren't from Kentucky, but they like it that way and they're proud of it. Smooth Ambler's whiskeys are made strictly from Appalachian know-how, yet the brand is also no stranger to blending bourbons from other states in its releases. Smooth Ambler is best known for its sourced "
Old Scout " releases, but its Contradiction Bourbon — a mix of sourced and homemade whiskey — isn't half bad, either.
Wyoming: Wyoming Whiskey
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(Photo: Wyoming Whiskey)[/caption]
Wyoming Whiskey is defined by the land that surrounds it. Founders Brad and Kate Mead are ranchers and founded Wyoming Whiskey. They joined forces with David DeFazio, who helped them figure out how to get the brand off the ground. The brand has a Small Batch Bourbon, Double Cask Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, Barrel Strength Bourbon and special release bourbons. The brand celebrated its
10th anniversary in 2022 with the release of its oldest whiskey at the time. The release was called a "
winner from tip to tail " at Bottle Raiders and earned a Raided Score® of 90 thanks to its luscious dessert character, tobacco and caramel on the palate. With a finish that's lingering and rich, releases like that show that Wyoming Whiskey is a serious contender in the bourbon world. [newsletter-promo]
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