Distillery tours
Distillery Tours in Nevada
Plan a distillery tour in Nevada: 5 distilleries to visit, with tastings and experiences you can book directly. Expect Craft Spirits, Bourbon, Gin and more. Highlights include 10 Torr Distilling & Brewing, Frey Ranch Distillery, Las Vegas Distillery.
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About distillery tours in Nevada
Nevada's distilling story is younger than you might expect: craft distilling only became legal statewide in 2013, and the handful of producers that followed have built a scene shaped by the Great Basin's extremes. Out east of Reno, along the so-called Loneliest Road in America, Frey Ranch Distillery grows every grain it distils on a family farm that has been worked since the mid-1800s, making it one of the country's true estate whiskey producers. Reno itself anchors the action, with The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery occupying a restored railway building and 10 Torr Distilling & Brewing experimenting with low-pressure vacuum distillation that few others in the world attempt. Nearby Verdi Local Distillery rounds out the western corner, while Las Vegas Distillery flies the flag in the south, its founder having helped draft the very law that legalised the industry. A Nevada trail is less about ticking off dozens of stops and more about distance, desert light and the satisfaction of seeing grain-to-glass done in a genuinely arid climate.
Following the Nevada trail
Most visitors build their route around two hubs. The Reno–Sparks corridor is the easy starting point, with The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery and 10 Torr Distilling & Brewing both close to downtown and walkable from one another, plus Verdi Local Distillery a short hop west towards the California line. From Reno, the drive east on Highway 50 to Frey Ranch near Fallon takes roughly an hour and is the trail's signature leg, trading city streets for open farmland and big desert sky. Las Vegas Distillery sits some 700 kilometres south, so it tends to be tacked on to a separate trip rather than driven in a single day. Treat the trail as two clusters joined by a long, scenic road rather than a continuous loop.
Distilleries worth prioritising
If your time is limited, Frey Ranch Distillery is the one to plan around. Its grain-to-glass model, with corn, rye, wheat and malted barley all grown and processed on the same land, is genuinely rare, and its weekend tours show the whole chain from field to barrel. 10 Torr is the technically curious choice, cold-distilling its gin and vodka under vacuum to keep flavours bright. The Depot rewards anyone who likes their spirits alongside good food and house beer in a characterful historic setting. Verdi Local Distillery and Las Vegas Distillery make worthwhile additions for completists wanting to taste the breadth of the state.
Where to stay & eat nearby
Reno makes the most practical base for the western cluster, with a wide spread of hotels and a revitalised midtown dining scene that has grown alongside its breweries and distilleries. The Depot is a destination in its own right for lunch or dinner thanks to its in-house kitchen. For the Frey Ranch leg, Fallon is the nearest town for fuel and a meal, though many people simply make the round trip from Reno in an afternoon. In the south, Las Vegas needs no introduction for accommodation and dining, with the distillery offering a low-key counterpoint to the Strip.
Getting there & around
Reno–Tahoe International Airport serves the western distilleries and is only minutes from the downtown stops. A car is essential for this trail; distances between producers are real, and the run out to Frey Ranch in particular crosses open country with limited services, so fill up before you go. Within Reno you can walk or use a short rideshare between The Depot and 10 Torr, which is the sensible approach if tastings are on the agenda. For Las Vegas Distillery, fly into Harry Reid International and drive out from the city centre.
Frequently asked
- How many distilleries are on the Nevada trail?
- This guide features five: 10 Torr Distilling & Brewing, Frey Ranch Distillery, Las Vegas Distillery, The Depot Craft Brewery Distillery and Verdi Local Distillery. They split between the Reno area in the west and Las Vegas in the south.
- Can I do the whole trail in one day?
- You can comfortably cover the Reno-area distilleries in a day, including the run out to Frey Ranch near Fallon. Las Vegas Distillery is several hundred kilometres south, so it is best treated as a separate trip rather than part of the same day.
- Which Nevada distillery is best for whiskey?
- Frey Ranch Distillery is the standout for whiskey, growing all of its own grain and producing estate bourbon and rye on a long-established family farm east of Reno.
- What makes 10 Torr different from other distilleries?
- 10 Torr uses vacuum (cold) distillation, which works at low pressure and below room temperature. This is unusual worldwide and is meant to preserve delicate, fresh flavours in its gin and vodka.
- Do I need a car for the Nevada distillery trail?
- Yes. The distances between producers, especially the desert drive to Frey Ranch, make a car essential. Within downtown Reno you can walk or take a short rideshare between The Depot and 10 Torr.
- When can I tour Frey Ranch?
- Frey Ranch typically offers tours and tastings on Saturdays, with several tours run through the afternoon. Check the distillery's own schedule before travelling, as times can change seasonally.