Distillery tours
Distillery Tours in Kansas
Plan a distillery tour in Kansas: 5 distilleries to visit, with tastings and experiences you can book directly. Expect Craft Spirits, Bourbon, Gin and more. Highlights include Boot Hill Distillery, Lifted Spirits Distillery, Smoky Valley Distillery.
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About distillery tours in Kansas
Kansas may not be the first state that springs to mind for a spirits road trip, but its compact band of craft distilleries makes for a characterful trail, anchored by wheat, frontier history and a strong sense of place. This is wheat country, and several distilleries lean into it, turning local grain into wheat whiskey alongside bourbon, vodka, gin and the occasional surprise. The scene splits neatly between two poles: the Kansas City metro on the eastern edge, where urban distilleries cluster, and the wide-open west, where Boot Hill Distillery continues the legend of Dodge City using grain grown on its own family farm. Linking the two is what gives a Kansas trail its drama, from city tasting rooms to genuinely homegrown, field-to-bottle spirits. Names worth seeking out include Boot Hill Distillery in Dodge City, the family-run, award-winning Union Horse Distilling Co. and the converted-stable Lifted Spirits Distillery in the Kansas City area, plus Smoky Valley Distillery and Wheat State Distilling. It is a smaller scene than its neighbours, but an authentic one where you often meet the people who made what is in your glass.
Following the Kansas trail
The natural shape of a Kansas trail is a line from east to west. Start in the Kansas City metro, the densest cluster, where Union Horse Distilling Co. and Lifted Spirits Distillery sit within easy reach of each other and of the city's bars and restaurants, with Wheat State Distilling adding to the eastern options. This makes an excellent day or weekend on its own. The grander journey heads west across the plains toward Dodge City and Boot Hill Distillery, a long but evocative drive that lets the frontier landscape set the scene before you taste spirits made from grain grown nearby. Smoky Valley Distillery offers a stop in central Kansas to break the distance. Treat the eastern cluster and the western pilgrimage as two distinct experiences.
Distilleries worth prioritising
Union Horse Distilling Co. is the cornerstone of the eastern scene, a family-owned, award-winning distillery known for its signature rye made from an all-rye mash; it is the most polished tasting in the metro. Lifted Spirits Distillery is the characterful counterpoint, set in a converted stable and producing vodka, gin, wheat whiskey and the area's only locally made absinthe, with a tasting room and signature cocktails. Out west, Boot Hill Distillery is the destination piece: everything from grain to glass is grown, milled, distilled and bottled in Kansas, much of it from the family's own farm near Dodge City, giving its wheat whiskey and bourbon a true homegrown identity. Together they capture the contrast at the heart of the trail.
Where to stay & eat nearby
For the eastern cluster, the Kansas City metro is the obvious base, with abundant hotels, a strong food scene and easy access to Union Horse and Lifted Spirits; you can pair tastings with the city's barbecue and cocktail culture without much driving. Dodge City is the place to overnight for Boot Hill Distillery, leaning into its Wild West heritage with themed attractions and casual dining nearby. If you are making the long cross-state drive, central Kansas towns near Smoky Valley Distillery offer practical stopping points to rest and eat. The contrast between metropolitan Kansas City and frontier Dodge City is part of what makes staying overnight at each end worthwhile.
Getting there & around
A car is essential, and distances in Kansas can be substantial, so plan accordingly. The Kansas City area airport serves the eastern cluster, where stops are close enough to enjoy in a day with a designated driver. Heading west to Dodge City is a long haul of several hours across the plains, best treated as a journey in its own right rather than a quick add-on; breaking it with a central Kansas stop helps. Check opening hours before you set out, as smaller and more rural distilleries may keep limited days, and always arrange sober transport between tastings given the open-road driving that links the trail's two ends.
Frequently asked
- What is Kansas known for distilling?
- Wheat is the signature, fitting for a major wheat-growing state, so wheat whiskey features strongly alongside bourbon, vodka, gin and even absinthe. Several distilleries emphasise locally grown grain and a homegrown, field-to-bottle approach.
- Where are most Kansas distilleries located?
- The densest cluster is in the Kansas City metro on the eastern edge of the state, home to Union Horse Distilling Co. and Lifted Spirits Distillery. The most famous western outpost is Boot Hill Distillery in Dodge City.
- Is it worth driving out to Dodge City?
- If you have the time, yes. Boot Hill Distillery makes spirits from grain grown on its own nearby family farm, and the frontier setting adds atmosphere, but it is a long drive west, so treat it as a destination rather than a casual detour.
- Which distillery is best for a first visit?
- Union Horse Distilling Co. is a great introduction, an award-winning family operation with a signature all-rye whiskey and an easy location in the Kansas City area. Lifted Spirits nearby adds variety with its absinthe and cocktails.
- How big is the Kansas distillery scene?
- It is smaller than neighbouring states, but growing, with a handful of distinctive producers. That intimacy is a plus: you often meet the makers themselves and get a more personal tasting.
- Can I do the trail in a day?
- You can comfortably do the eastern Kansas City cluster in a day. Adding Boot Hill in Dodge City requires significantly more time and ideally an overnight, given the long cross-state drive.
- Do distilleries offer tours and tastings?
- Yes, several offer tours, tasting rooms and cocktails, with bottle sales on site. Hours can be limited at smaller distilleries, so it is best to check ahead and book the headline stops.