Explore the Best Maine Craft Distilleries and Small-Batch Distilling Experiences
To say Maine’s distilling scene has expanded is a serious understatement. From coast to countryside, a Maine craft distillery seems to pop up around every bend, fueled by curiosity and a fearless approach to flavor. Alongside expertly made whiskeys, gins, rums and vodkas, distillers are experimenting with unexpected ingredients like maple, carrot juice and beer—proving there’s no single way to bottle Maine’s spirit.
Why Visit Maine Distilleries?
People are drawn to Maine craft distilleries because they offer more than a drink—they offer a sense of place and, often, a chance to connect with the makers themselves.
Maine-Made Flavor: Many distilleries use Maine-grown potatoes, grains, maple syrup, wild blueberries and even sea kelp, creating spirits you simply can’t taste elsewhere.
Hands-On Experiences: Distillery tours, spirit tastings, cocktail classes and blending sessions turn a visit into something interactive and memorable.
Beautiful Settings: From working farms to harborfront decks, the locations are part of the experience.
Personal Connection: Small-batch production means you often meet the makers and owners and hear the story behind every bottle.
Top Maine Craft Distilleries to Visit
Wiggly Bridge Distillery
Started by a father-son team, this small-batch distillery in York crafts bourbon, vodka, rum, dry gin and more with a hands-on spirit. Book a tour of the distillery, take cocktail classes or dive into immersive batch-blending experiences that let you shape flavors and better understand the art of bourbon making.
New England Distilling
Ned Wight comes to rye whiskey honestly. His family started distilling the stuff in Maryland more than 150 years ago. Today, Wight’s distillery in Portland makes the award-winning Gunpowder Rye Whiskey, as well as their own take on gin, bourbon and rum, along with Rack IV Saison Whiskey, created with Allagash Brewing Co.’s saison. Stop by the tasting room, and reserve your spot on a distillery tour.
Hardshore Distilling Company
Meander into this Portland tasting room to sample Hardshore Original Gin—made with grain grown on the owners’ family farm and infused with fresh rosemary, mint, juniper and other herbs—or explore their oak barrel-aged bourbons. Sip the spirits neat to appreciate their character, or enjoy them mixed into a thoughtfully crafted cocktail.
Camp Pennant
Visit Camp Pennant, home to Pennant Distilling & Brewing, perched along the Portland waterfront. Inside, a whimsical, Maine-inspired interior sets the tone, while the outdoor deck looks out over the marina. The cocktail menu balances classics and creative pours made with Pennant spirits—from vodka and gin to rum and a tequila-style agave spirit—perfect for lingering with friends.
Cold River
At this distillery in Freeport, discover a lineup of surprisingly expressive vodkas, led by Cold River Vodka, a 100% Maine potato spirit triple-distilled in copper. Their Maine wild blueberry vodka delivers an aromatic, true-to-fruit 80-proof pour with far less sugar than traditional flavored vodkas, while the rare oak barrel-aged vodka adds warm vanilla and caramel depth.
Barren’s Distillery + Restaurant
Make a trip to this seasonal waterfront distillery and restaurant overlooking Camden’s harbor, and sample a lineup of spirits shaped by Maine-grown ingredients and coastal flavors. Maine Christmas Gin leans into piney notes of juniper and coriander, while Pink Gin draws its hue and brightness from local strawberries, raspberries and wild blueberries. Sugar Kelp Vodka, made with sustainably harvested kelp from Atlantic Sea Farms, delivers a briny, savory edge ideal for martinis or Bloody Marys.
Chadwick’s Craft Spirits
Venture to Pittston to this distillery set on a 100-acre family property with peaceful grounds and breathtaking views, where small-batch spirits are distilled in a hand-built cabin. Sample warming pours like the original Maple Craft Spirit aged in charred oak barrels or Reaper’s Revenge, a sweet-spicy cinnamon liqueur.
Thirsty for more? Check out the Maine Distillers Guild for additional information and a downloadable map of its member distilleries. Visit 10 Guild distilleries, get their stamps on your map, and win a t-shirt!