Take A Tasting Tour Of Nevada's 5 Best Craft Spirit Distilleries

In a state known for lawlessness in the Old West as well as in the modern era, it should be no surprise that Nevada has a bubbling craft distillery scene. Distillery and craft spirits magazine DistilleryTrail counts 2,084 distilleries in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, yet only 13 of those are in Nevada. The state's first craft distillery since Prohibition opened in 2011, but the state has yet to catch up to the rest of the country in terms of distillery count. Travel Nevada says the state's love of quicker spirits like gin and vodka recalls the state's days as miners' territory. The water wasn't safe to drink, so the workers combined it with easily produced alcohol.

With a focus on local ingredients, sustainable practices, and small-batch quality, Nevada's distilleries, wineries, and breweries have won world spirits awards and become favorites of spirit aficionados in the state and beyond. And because there are so few distilleries, knocking off every one on your list should be easy — but we'll just start with beverage drinkers' favorites. We're sending you on a tour of Nevada, one distillery at a time.

The first craft distillery to open in the Silver State since Prohibition, Las Vegas Distillery is named for the state's most well-known city but actually located just outside Las Vegas in a quieter city full of charm, shops, and outdoor adventure: Henderson. It was named a top Nevada distillery by Matador Network, Brew in Review, and discerning TripAdvisor reviewers. In 2022, new owners took over the distillery and renovated its equipment and tasting room while also changing to focus on its spirits offerings. While Grandma's Apple Pie Moonshine and gin used to be the distillery's most popular offerings, they've been replaced by a menu of darker spirits. Today, Las Vegas Distillery specializes in bourbon and single malt whiskeys. It also offers rum, vodka, and coffee liqueur.

An in-depth tour of the distillery, which features a cocktail tasting, lasts 45 minutes and is offered Thursdays through Sundays. TripAdvisor reviewers note the tour is a solid length and comes with great tastes of the distillery's wares. However, if you would rather skip lectures about grains and barrels, head straight to the tasting room for a flight.

Perhaps the most awarded distillery in Nevada, Frey Ranch Distillery claimed whiskey victories as early as the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and as recently as the 2023 Ascot Awards, where it was awarded four times for its whiskeys. So if you can't afford the international trip to the best whisky destinations in Scotland, rest assured that a trip to Nevada will still satisfy the finest connoisseur (at least, when it comes to whiskey with an "e").

Frey Ranch distinguishes itself as Nevada's first estate distillery. The ingredients for its products are grown on-site at the Frey family's 1,200-acre farm, which has been owned and operated by the family for more than 150 years. Located an hour from Reno in Fallon, the farm-to-glass whiskey producers offer tours at their tasting room, which is open every Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. The 30-minute tours, offered twice an hour, are complimentary; you don't need reservations unless you're coming with a group of double-digit size. It's a perfect pitstop if you love whiskey, or if you want to explore Nevada on a budget.

Just an hour away in Reno, The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery uses corn grown at Frey Ranch for its award-winning Silver Corn Whiskey, doubling down on the quality for which the estate farm is known. To set itself apart, The Depot brews beer, serves food, and distills liquor, giving the full-service culinary experience to its guests in the former headquarters of the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway. The quaint, old-school quality of the Wild West locale helped to earn The Depot fans across northern Nevada and four-star ratings on Yelp and TripAdvisor. Its High Country Gin, John C. Fremont bourbon whiskey, and Renovation Rye Whiskey, all of which placed in the 2022 World Spirits Awards, have won visitors over, too.

Although brewery and distillery tours are not part of the regular listed events, you can request a tour by writing or calling ahead of your visit. The Depot also participates in community events like the Tour de Brews, an annual event that gives ticketed participants the opportunity to get a little hands-on in Reno's Brewery District. It's a great way to explore Reno's walkable blend of food, art, and outdoor fun.

After starting its life as Bently Heritage Estate Distillery in 2019, Minden Mill became Nevada's second estate distillery in 2023, bringing the rich earth of Carson Valley to its bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys. Now owned by Foley Family Wines, a group of wineries dedicated to local flavor profiles and sustainable facilities, the new distillery revealed its first aged whiskeys in 2024 and offers 90-minute on-site tours and tastings that explore the history and legacy of the 100-year-old mill facility and the specific soil conditions that make growing grains there so special. Reservations for tours can be made on Tock.

Reviewers on Yelp give the distillery a rare unanimous five-star rating, praising its unique cocktails, incredible staff, and historical building. The tasting room sits on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Carson Valley and is open Thursday through Sunday.

With a focus on winning infusions and flavor combinations, the spirits at Verdi Local Distillery value creativity that straddles the line between spirits and cocktails. While whiskey flavorings such as apple cinnamon, garlic, peanut butter, and black licorice make up most of the bizarre and adventurous collection, Verdi's Yeti Jackalope Gin, an orange peel gin with a warm honey color, remains a popular outlier. Besides the spirits themselves, you can order eclectic cocktails designed to best complement the flavored spirits. A classic favorite, the Dirty Sky, pairs Verdi's apple cinnamon whiskey with spiced chai tea, a cinnamon stick, and a dollop of whipped cream for a wintery hug.

Open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 2 to 8 p.m. in Verdi, Nevada, the micro-distillery is the product of a husband and wife team. After exploring flavor profiles as a hobby at first, they eventually distilled their own whiskey and opened a hometown spot for experimenting and sharing their creations. Call ahead to book a tour during your visit, or stop in to sample a cocktail or whiskey.

Our list compiles the favorites of a number of Nevada reviewers and craft connoisseurs. We looked at customer reviews, cocktail and spirit award competitions, and the availability of tasting room and distillery tours. Since the state's craft distillery scene only started in 2011, we still have a limited number of options, and many of them make multiple best-of lists. We've used this consolidated information and the intel from personal visitors on review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor to bring you a list that's comprehensive and reflective of the best that Nevada distilleries have to offer.