The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sip and see: 3 metro Atlanta signature bourbon distilleries
Field trips for adults offer tastes unique to Georgia venues.
Peach State tasting rooms aren’t just for craft breweries and North Georgia wineries anymore.
Georgia distilleries are making their mark with signature bourbons, and visitors 21 and up are welcome to sip and savor and maybe bring a bottle home. If the science of bourbon is a fascinating subject for you, many of the distilleries (and their distinguished artisans) are more than willing to share stories and escort guests on a tour of the process.
Each of the state’s bourbon distilleries has its own style and produces distinct spir- its, some already nationally known; some with a “garage” air about them.
Here are three distilleries to seek out for sipping in metro Atlanta:
ASW Distillery
199 Armour Drive, Atlanta. 404-590-2279, www.aswdistillery.com
Describing its methods as “pioneering Scottish plus Appalachian distillation,” Atlanta’s own ASW Distillery ages in-house batch by batch. Its aging options might include quarter casks, Georgia heartwood staves or casks of other whiskies distilled and matured in-house. ASW’s first and best-known product is a white whiskey, American Spirit Whiskey, so light and clean it’s considered on par with a vodka. The distillery is now just as well known for “Adult Field Trips” in many forms, all including “guided tastings” of whis- keys or half-cocktails and some including take-home bottles of select bourbons.
Tours are offered on Thurs- day and Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
Independent Distilling Company
731 E College Ave. Ste D, Decatur. 678-576-3804, www. independentdistilling.com
The previously mentioned “no-frills garage distillery,” Independent dates to 2014 and produces fine Hell- bender spirits. In 2015, it released the first batch of bourbon produced inside the Atlanta perimeter since Prohibition. It continues to focus on local ingredients (like Riverview Farms corn) and distills other signature spirits from its 100-gallon copper pot including heritage Southern corn whiskey, bourbon and rum. Hellbender can be found at a range of metro Atlanta retailers, and IDC offers cocktail recipes on its website to maximize enjoyment of its products.
Tours are offered on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons and evenings.
Lazy Guy Distillery
2950 Moon Station Road NW, Kennesaw. 770-4850081, www.lazyguydistillery.com
A proud first-generation distillery in the center of downtown Kennesaw, Lazy Guy takes advantage of its locale by using regionally-grown grains for its whiskey and even “white lightning.” For those looking to party or for a date night, LGD offers a full bar and 25 or so cocktails for purchase, each made with its handcrafted spirits. For dabblers and experimental sorts, it also offers micro-samples, seasonal and weekly special cocktails in a Spirit Lab that’s open 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Fridays and noon-8 p.m. Saturdays.
Tours are offered on Saturday afternoons.