Distillery tours
Distillery Tours in Florida
Plan a distillery tour in Florida: 10 distilleries to visit, with tastings and experiences you can book directly. Expect Rum, Gin, Craft Spirits and more. Highlights include Big Cypress Distillery, Copper Bottom Craft Distillery, Drum Circle Distilling (Siesta Key Rum).
10distilleries
Hemingway Rum Company (Papa's Pilar)
Papa's Pilar rum on the streets of Key West
About distillery tours in Florida
Florida's distilling identity is built on sugar. The state grows more sugarcane than anywhere else in the country, and that abundance, paired with a coastline steeped in rum-running folklore, has made the Sunshine State arguably America's most exciting rum frontier. Spanish colonists brought cane and copper stills here centuries ago; during Prohibition, fast boats ran Caribbean spirits across the Florida Straits into Miami and the Keys. Today a new generation of craft distillers has turned that heritage into a genuine reason to travel, with rum, bourbon, gin, vodka and citrus-flecked specialities all made within sight of the water.
The roll-call of producers spans the peninsula. St. Augustine Distillery occupies a beautifully restored 1907 ice plant in the nation's oldest city and is among the most-visited craft distilleries anywhere. Along the Gulf, Sarasota's Drum Circle Distilling makes the well-known Siesta Key Rum, while Cape Coral's Wicked Dolphin works exclusively with Florida cane. Down in Key West, the Hemingway Rum Company pours Papa's Pilar in a building wrapped in island lore.
Visits range from quick, often free tastings to guided walks through fermentation, distillation and barrel-ageing, frequently finishing at a tasting bar or cocktail class. With distilleries clustered around St. Augustine, Tampa Bay, Sarasota, Fort Myers and the Keys, it is easy to fold one or two into a wider Florida itinerary.
What to expect on a tour
Most Florida distillery tours are relaxed, hands-on affairs that last roughly 30 to 60 minutes. A guide typically walks you from the raw ingredients, often local molasses, cane syrup or grain, through fermentation, the copper pot or column stills, and the barrel store where spirits rest in the Florida heat (which ages liquor noticeably faster than cooler climates). Smaller cane-focused producers such as Wicked Dolphin in Cape Coral and Drum Circle in Sarasota make the sugar-to-rum journey especially easy to follow, and several offer their walk-throughs free of charge.
Tours almost always end with a guided tasting, and increasingly with a chance to order a finished cocktail on site, since a 2021 state law lets distilleries serve drinks made from their own spirits. Larger operations like St. Augustine Distillery and the Hemingway Rum Company in Key West add tasting rooms, gift shops, tiki bars and mixology classes, so it is worth deciding in advance whether you want a brisk educational stop or a longer afternoon.
Getting there & around
Florida is spread out and very much a driving state, so a hire car is the simplest way to reach most distilleries. They cluster in a few areas: St. Augustine on the northeast coast (a short hop from Jacksonville), the Tampa Bay and Sarasota region on the Gulf, the Fort Myers and Cape Coral area in the southwest, and the Florida Keys reached via the Overland Highway. Major airports at Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami put each cluster within easy reach.
Because tastings and driving do not mix, plan your transport honestly. In walkable centres such as St. Augustine's historic district or Key West, you can reach a distillery on foot, by trolley or by short taxi or rideshare. Elsewhere, nominate a non-drinking driver, book a rideshare, or join an organised distillery-trail outing so everyone can sample freely.
Frequently asked
- Do I need to book a distillery tour in advance?
- It varies. Some Florida distilleries, particularly those offering free tours such as Drum Circle in Sarasota or Wicked Dolphin in Cape Coral, run scheduled walk-ins at set times each day. Busier or ticketed experiences like St. Augustine Distillery and weekend slots in the Keys can fill up, so booking ahead is wise during high season. When in doubt, check the distillery's website and reserve, especially for groups.
- How much does a tour and tasting cost?
- There is a wide range. A number of Florida distilleries offer complimentary tours and tastings, while others charge a modest fee, commonly somewhere in the region of a low double-digit dollar amount, which sometimes includes a souvenir glass or tasting flight. Cocktail classes and premium experiences cost more. Always confirm current pricing directly, as it changes and varies by venue.
- How many distilleries can I realistically visit in a day?
- Two to three is a comfortable maximum if they are in the same region, such as the Sarasota-Tampa Bay corridor or southwest Florida around Fort Myers. Florida's distances are large, so trying to combine, say, St. Augustine and the Keys in one day is not practical. Allow about an hour per visit plus travel time, and remember tastings add up quickly.
- Can I drink at tastings if I'm driving?
- You should not. Tastings involve real measures of full-strength spirits, and Florida drink-driving laws are strict. Plan ahead by nominating a sober driver, using a rideshare or taxi, staying somewhere walkable like central St. Augustine or Key West, or joining a guided distillery tour. Many tasting rooms are happy to package up bottles so you can enjoy them later.
- Are distillery tours suitable for children and families?
- Policies differ. Some distilleries welcome accompanied minors on the educational portion of a tour but cannot serve them alcohol, while others restrict entry to those of legal drinking age, particularly venues operating as bars. If you are travelling with children, contact the distillery beforehand to check its age policy and whether under-21s are permitted in the tasting area.
- What's the best time of year to visit?
- Florida's cooler, drier season from roughly late autumn through spring is the most pleasant for travelling and pairs well with the sugarcane harvest, which runs from around October to April. Summer brings heat, humidity and afternoon storms, though indoor distillery tours remain a good rainy-day option. Expect larger crowds and busier booking around school holidays and peak winter weeks.
- Are the distilleries accessible for visitors with mobility needs?
- Many tasting rooms and modern facilities offer step-free access, but working distilleries can include narrow walkways, stairs or production-floor areas. Historic buildings such as the 1907 ice plant housing St. Augustine Distillery may have older layouts. If accessibility matters, call ahead to ask about ramps, lifts, seating and accessible parking so staff can plan the best route for you.