From vodka to gin, rum to whiskey, Columbus distilleries excel at crafting a variety of spirits. You’ll find beautifully aged whiskeys, fragrant gins, spiced rums, and even hard-to find selections. Here are seven that make perfect holiday gifts, or are ideal for sipping with friends this holiday season!
Middle West Spirits | Bourbon Cream
Middle West already has a strong portfolio when it comes to bourbons and whiskeys. Their wheat whiskey is one of my favorite spirits in the city. But they upped the game with the release of their bourbon cream last year. It’s as good as any we’ve tried, and is lovely when sipped on its own, mixed into cocktails, or generously decanted into your coffee.
Purchase it online through their site, at their bottle shop, or in stores across the region
Learn more: middlewestspirits.com/spirits/whiskey/middle-west-spirits-bourbon-cream/
Echo Spirits | Genever
Echo Spirits has really carved out a niche producing harder-to-find spirits, including a line of rums, a rye whiskey (which I can attest makes for lovely Manhattans), and genever, a Dutch spirit that’s built on a malt whiskey base but flavored with botanicals more like a gin. The gang at Echo says it can handily replace gin, whiskey, or even tequila in your favorite cocktails.
Purchase it at their bottle shop in Grandview (preferably when you’re stopping at their cocktail bar for drinks!) or stores around the city
Learn more: echospirits.com/spirits/genever
451 Spirits | Pipe Dream Rum
Not many Columbus distilleries tinker with rum, so it’s interesting to see what 451 Spirits has been doing with them. Their Pipe Dream takes the same molasses base as their Writer’s Block rum and barrel-ages it.
Purchase it directly from the distillery or from local liquor stores.
Learn more: 451spirits.com/curbside-pickup/p/pipe-dream-rum
Noble Cut Distillery | Cellos
From their distillery on the outskirts of Gahanna, Noble Cut has produced a vodka and a small collection of flavored whiskeys. One of their unique contributions are the cellos. Right now you can find them in lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit flavors. The dynamic spirits play nicely in all sorts of cocktails; Noble Cut even offers a few recipes on their site.
Purchase them at Noble Cut’s tasting room in Gahanna or at liquor stores in the area.
Learn more: noblecutdistillery.com/pages/noble-cut-cellos
Watershed Distillery | Barrel-Strength Bourbon
Watershed has distinguished itself with a robust portfolio that spans vodkas, gin (we love Four Peel), bourbon, brandy, nocino, bottled Old Fashioneds, and more. In recent years they’ve been rolling out more aged spirits like a nocino-finished bourbon, a barrel-aged gin, and now a barrel-strength bourbon finished in apple brandy barrels. The six-year-aged bourbon is warm, spicy, and smooth, and clocks it at nearly 120 proof.
Find it at the distillery or in liquor stores across Ohio.
Learn more: watersheddistillery.com/barrel-strength-bourbon-finished-in-apple-brandy-barrels
Endeavor Brewing & Spirits | Botanical Gin
Endeavor started life as a brewery and added spirits along the way. So far they have only endeavored (see what I did there?) into non-aged spirits. The portfolio includes a white rum, vodka, dry gin, and a botanical gin that highlights floral, citrus, and a touch of juniper.
Find it only at their Grandview taproom (where you can buy a bottle or try it in a cocktail!)
Learn more: endeavorbrewing.com/spirits
High Bank Distillery | Midnight Cask
While High Bank has stayed strong with their vodka and gin, they’ve earned accolades for their Whiskey War and its varieties, the most interesting of which is the Midnight Cask. This spirit blends the barrel-strength version of Whiskey War with port wine, so it combines with warming smoothness of a whiskey with the sweet and strong finish of a good port.
Purchase it at the Grandview distillery and restaurant, or at local liquor
Learn more: highbankco.com/midnight-cask
