St. Louis Distilleries
A combination of growth in the craft spirits industry, talented distillers and spirits enthusiasts has secured St. Louis’ spot on the global craft spirits map.
“The local and regional craft spirits industry is one of the unsung industries in the country,” Anne-Sophie Whitehead, conference director of the American Distilling Institute, said after the 2022 ADI Craft Spirits Conference & Vendor Expo in St. Louis, “but there are some real gems here. There’s inventiveness in this industry that more established industries might not have, and we can sense a hunger among the distillers to push the envelope, which is refreshing.”
As a Midwest city, many people assume that St. Louis distillers focus on whiskey, but if you dig deeper, you’ll see the breadth and depth of our craft spirits, ranging from moonshine to rum to brandy. Gin is another example of the explosiveness of the industry.
“When I opened The Gin Room in 2014, there were three gin distilleries in Missouri,” Natasha Bahrami says. “Today, there are more than 20.”
Bahrami, who owns The Gin Room as well as Salve Osteria on South Grand Boulevard, is the first and only American to have been inducted into the Gin Hall of Fame by Gin Magazine. She also founded Ginworld, an annual gin festival based in St. Louis. Although every gin is not for everyone, Bahrami believes she can find a gin for everyone.
If the spirit moves you, as they say, check out these distilleries in St. Louis.
1220 Spirits
Founded in 2018 by the talented brewers at 4 Hands Brewing Co., 1220 Spirits is a botanically inspired craft distillery. Like 4 Hand’s approach to brewing beer, 1220 Spirits leads with creativity, exploring the possibilities of a symbiotic relationship between a traditional brewery and a craft distillery.
1220 Spirits started as a dream to make gin, but its portfolio has grown to include more than a dozen products, including Encrypted Vodka, a remarkably smooth spirit made from a Missouri corn mash; Flora, a slightly sweet apéritif with citrus and floral notes and a subtly bitter finish; and Spettro, a digestif with an earthy, bitter base, herbal heart and top notes of vanilla, bitter orange and black licorice.
The canned cocktails from 1220 Spirits maintain the sophistication of the spirits – not to mention, they’re downright delicious! Enticing flavors include Cherry Lime, Lemonade & Lavender, Pineapple Punch, Watermelon Splash and Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew. You can also enjoy classic cocktails such as a Moscow Mule in a can. Cheers!
Alpha Brewing Company Distillery
Founded in 2011 by Derrick Langeneckert, who was a student of Square One Brewery & Distillery in Lafayette Square, Alpha Brewing Co. continues to evolve and grow. In the summer of 2024, Alpha Brewing Company Distillery opened in the Delmar Maker District, an emerging entertainment hub anchored by Third Degree Glass Factory.
Before the brick-and-mortar location became a reality, Alpha Brewing Company Distillery began distilling Squoosh, a fruited vodka created specifically for The Kitchen Bar at City Foundry STL. Current flavors include blood orange, cherry, cranberry, blue raspberry, lemon and lime – the latter adds zesty flavor to boozy limeades, Margaritas and Mojitos.
Expanding into other spirits with the new “brewstillery,” the St. Louis distillery has created a series of single-barrel bourbons known as Pedal Bear Bourbon. “Pedal Bear is a spirited animal that rides a unicycle,” Andrew Grant, general manager of Alpha Brewing Co., explains. “With each release, we’ll change his outfit to make our own collectible series.”
The playful spirits inform seasonal draft cocktails featuring housemade sodas. Beer devotees need not worry, though – the distillery and taproom also has 10 taps dedicated to Alpha Brewing Co. suds.
StilL 630
Resembling the lab of a mad scientist, StilL 630 is lined with bottles of botanicals. David Weglarz, who founded the craft distillery in 2011, loves to experiment, distilling different ingredients in different proportions in different barrels in search of awesome new recipes.
That’s exactly how he created Confluence American Gin, which was named Best Craft Gin in the Country by the American Distilling Institute, besting 150 gins from around the world, in 2023. While Confluence American Gin has juniper and coriander like all StilL 630 gins, along with galangal root and pink peppercorns, the primary ingredient is horseradish. Across the Mississippi River, Collinsville, Illinois, is the horseradish capital of the world, which Weglarz wanted to promote with the product.
“In the right proportions, the five botanicals create a savory, herbal gin,” he says. “I drink it on the rocks, with a twist of lemon or in a Bloody Mary.”
Located just south of downtown St. Louis, StilL 630 is the most awarded distillery in Missouri and the fourth most awarded distillery in the country. If you want to visit, Weglarz and his team offer tours, tastings, cocktail classes and bottle sales of their “Indomitable Spirits,” including Gateway Barreled Gin, Expedition Rum, Cask-Strength S.S. Sorghum Whiskey and Cask-Strength Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey, on select days.
Fun fact: According to House Bill 266, which went into effect on Aug. 28, 2019, any whiskey labeled as Missouri bourbon must be mashed, fermented, distilled, aged and bottled in the state. During the aging process, Missouri bourbon must be kept in charred white oak barrels made in the state from wood harvested here – the only place on the planet with this requirement – and the bourbon must be made with corn grown exclusively within Missouri.