You can hardly turn the corner in Chicago without finding another craft brewery. Ravenswood has Malt Row, a collection of craft beer outposts, and the South Side has a solid stable of breweries dotting its neighborhoods. Plus, you can go out into the burbs and find plenty of places to get your hops fix. 

Less common are the craft distilleries, but in recent years the brewers of fine spirits are finding a bigger presence in Chicago. In 2004, there were just 60 across the country, but today, there are more than 1,000 craft distillers hard at work in the U.S., according to the Chicago Tribune. 

If specialty vodka, whiskey, gin, and creative spirits are more your flavor, you’ll want to explore these six Chicagoland areas to find your next artisan watering hole.

Evanston

Aerial view of Evanston

Evanston is so close to Chicago it often feels like more of an extension of the city than a separate suburb. Once a dry city, Evanston is now home to a number of breweries and its own distillery. FEW Spirits distills and bottles all of its small-batch spirits at its Evanston location. The spirits you’ll find here include bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, barrel gin, and American gin. Visitors can drop in for a tasting or to buy bottles for home. FEW Spirits also does tours. This craft distillery is easily accessible via public transit—it’s just steps away from Main Street Metra station.

Logan Square

Logan Square photo courtesy of Jeff Hottinger

Logan Square loves having a craft twist on food and drink (coffee, beer, brunch—you name it). Unsurprisingly, this Chicago neighborhood is home to two craft distilleries. Chicago Distilling Company is located on the main thoroughfare of Milwaukee Avenue, while Maplewood Brewery & Distillery is a little more off the beaten path on the small side street Maplewood Avenue.

The distillers at Chicago Distilling Company create handmade spirits with organic, Illinois grains. The inside of the tasting room features long, communal tables with plenty of stools and a polished wood bar. Sample vodka, gin, bourbon, and whiskey on its own, or try the distillery’s craft cocktail menu.

As the name suggests, Maplewood Brewery & Distillery does both craft beer and spirits. Try this spot’s wide variety of whiskeys or go for the brewer’s gin. If you want to linger over drinks, Maplewood’s lounge also serves food. 

Near West Side

Near West Side neighborhood

Each distillery has its own unique twist on the classic spirits: vodka, whiskey, and gin. But, Rhine Hall Distillery in the Near West Side takes a different approach to craft spirits. The small-batch distillery chops, ferments, and distills fresh fruit to make its signature brandies, which include options like oak-aged grappa and mango brandy.

"We don't make the same things that everyone else makes. We stick to our specialty, fruit brandy or eau de vie. We don't make whiskey, gin or vodka. That's enabled us to stay true to who we are,” said owner Jenny Solberg Katzman, according to the Chicago Tribune report.

The distillery occupies an area of the Near West Side that offers plenty to drink—and not just alcohol. Within a few blocks of Rhine Hall, you’ll find Metric Coffee Co., Goose Island Beer Company, Finch Beer, and Intelligentsia Coffee Chicago Roasting Works, which is not open to the public but hosts monthly tours. Tickets are available on Intelligentsia’s website.

Ravenswood

Ravenswood neighborhood

Ravenswood’s Malt Row has six breweries and a single distillery: Koval Distillery. Koval sources organic ingredients for its single-barrel whiskey. For something a little sweeter, the distillery also makes barreled peach brandy and a selection of liqueurs with flavors like walnut, ginger, jasmine, and chrysanthemum and honey.

Like most other distilleries, you can tour Koval. If you want to try your hand at mixology, you can sign up for a cocktail class to learn how to create and pair unique cocktails. Koval also offers whiskey workshops for those who want to take a deep dive into the whisky making process.

West Loop

West Loop photo courtesy of Ken Lund

The majority of Chicago’s craft distilleries are scattered throughout its neighborhoods, but you will find one place closer to downtown. CH Distillery & Cocktail Bar in the West Loop makes vodka, a couple types of gin, bourbon, rum, and specialty spirits like its Dogma Bitter Dog and Dogma Amargo de Chile. In addition to the on-site distillery, this spot has a bar and dining tables where you can enjoy the cocktail and dinner menus.