When Noah Rothbaum first started writing about whiskey more than 20 years ago, it could be an uphill battle to visit the distilleries he covered. Some refused his requests outright; others relented, but required him to suit up in a hard hat, steel shoe covers and high-visibility vests.
“It was a factory,” said Rothbaum, whose new book “The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World’s Greatest Spirit” came out this fall. “There were no tours, there were no gift shops, no restaurants.”
But over the last 15 years, everything changed. Distilleries multiplied, with more than 2,000 now running in the United States alone, transforming from manufacturing facilities to travel destinations. Many of the new generation are designed to welcome visitors, complete with high-end bars and restaurants and immersive exhibits.
“Literally the way that the buildings are being built has changed because they know now that people want to go and see how these whiskeys are made,” Rothbaum said.
If you’re not a spirits writer, are distilleries worth a trip? Rothbaum thinks so, and recommends a visit to history lovers, casual enthusiasts and people unsure if they like whiskey at all.
“I obviously love the act of drinking whiskey, but for me, it makes it even better — even more fulfilling — if I know where it came from,” he said. “It gives you a better appreciation of what you’re drinking, and where the flavors came from, and what the person was trying to do who made the whiskey. … You get that personal connection.”
We asked Rothbaum to share four places to plan a trip to dive deeper into whiskey.