Gin · Indiana
Gin Distilleries in Indiana
Tour 4 gin distilleries in Indiana. Each offers visits, tastings or experiences you can book directly — including Cardinal Spirits, Hotel Tango Distillery, Spirits of French Lick.
4distilleries
Three Rivers Distilling Company
Fort Wayne craft distillery and tasting room
About gin distilleries in Indiana
Gin might not be the first spirit people associate with Indiana, but the state's craft distillers have made it a genuinely interesting category. Hoosier gin tends to be botanical-led and inventive, drawing on local ingredients and a willingness to step away from the strict London Dry template. Cardinal Spirits in Bloomington is a leading example, producing a classic juniper-forward dry gin alongside more adventurous botanical blends that reach for unusual herbs and bittering agents. In Indianapolis, Hotel Tango Distillery, the nation's first combat-disabled veteran-owned distillery, makes its gin part of a broad spirits line-up and sources herbs and botanicals from its own farm plot. Spirits of French Lick brings its heirloom-grain, pre-Prohibition sensibility to the category, and Three Rivers Distilling Company in Fort Wayne, an organic-certified producer, rounds out the picture. For visitors, Indiana gin offers a lively, contemporary tasting experience: distillers here treat gin as a canvas for flavour, and the tasting rooms reflect that creativity with cocktails built to show the botanicals off.
What makes gin here special
Indiana gin's appeal lies in its blend of craft technique and local botanical thinking. Rather than simply replicating a classic London Dry, several distillers use gin to showcase ingredients and ideas. Cardinal Spirits offers both a juniper-and-citrus dry gin and more exploratory botanical expressions that incorporate unexpected herbs and bittering elements, demonstrating how far the category can stretch. Hotel Tango Distillery folds gin into a wide, characterful range and draws on botanicals grown on its own farm acreage, giving its cocktails a farm-to-glass dimension. Spirits of French Lick applies the same heirloom-grain and pre-Prohibition philosophy that defines its whiskeys, while Three Rivers Distilling Company brings organic credentials to the table. The result is a category defined less by a single house style than by curiosity, with distillers treating juniper as a starting point rather than a finish line.
What to expect from a gin tasting
A gin tasting in Indiana is usually as much about the cocktail as the neat pour. Many tasting rooms, particularly urban ones like Hotel Tango Distillery in Indianapolis, are full bars where a guided flight naturally leads into a gin-based serve designed to highlight the botanical profile. At Cardinal Spirits you can often compare a straightforward dry gin against a more experimental botanical version, which is a quick way to understand how recipe choices change the spirit. Expect distillers and bartenders to talk through their botanical line-up, from juniper and citrus to the more unusual additions. Tastings tend to be relaxed and conversational, and because gin sits alongside whiskey, rum, vodka and liqueurs at most of these houses, you can easily fold a gin flight into a broader sampling of the range.
Planning your visit
Indiana's gin producers are spread across the state, so plan around a couple of hubs. Indianapolis is the easiest starting point, with Hotel Tango Distillery in the city itself, and Cardinal Spirits a manageable drive south in Bloomington. Spirits of French Lick lies further south in resort country, while Three Rivers Distilling Company sits well to the north in Fort Wayne, so reaching all four means committing to some driving. Tasting rooms in the cities often welcome walk-ins, but guided tours and busier weekend slots are worth booking ahead. As gin tastings frequently come in cocktail form, plan transport accordingly and arrange a designated driver or rideshare. Pairing a gin-focused visit with the same distilleries' whiskeys or rums is an easy way to make a fuller day of it.
Frequently asked
- Is Indiana known for gin?
- Increasingly so. While bourbon draws more headlines, distillers such as Cardinal Spirits and Hotel Tango Distillery have built a strong, botanical-led gin culture that's well worth seeking out.
- What style of gin do Indiana distilleries make?
- It varies. You'll find classic juniper-forward dry gins alongside more experimental botanical blends. Cardinal Spirits, for instance, makes both a traditional dry gin and adventurous versions using unusual herbs and bittering botanicals.
- Which Indiana distillery grows its own botanicals?
- Hotel Tango Distillery in Indianapolis sources herbs and botanicals from its own farm plot, giving its gin and cocktails a farm-to-glass character.
- Where is the best base for a gin-focused trip?
- Indianapolis works well, with Hotel Tango Distillery in the city and Cardinal Spirits a short drive south in Bloomington. Spirits of French Lick and Three Rivers Distilling Company sit further afield.
- Can I taste gin as a cocktail rather than neat?
- Often, yes. Many Indiana tasting rooms double as cocktail bars, so gin flights frequently come paired with or followed by gin-based serves built to highlight the botanicals.
- Do these distilleries make spirits other than gin?
- Most do. Cardinal Spirits, Hotel Tango, Spirits of French Lick and Three Rivers all produce broad ranges, so you can sample gin alongside whiskey, rum, vodka or liqueurs in one visit.
- Should I book a gin tasting in advance?
- Walk-ins are common at urban tasting rooms, but booking ahead for guided tours and weekend visits is sensible, especially at busier or smaller distilleries.