A few weeks ago I was able to take an extended weekend trip down to Missouri and hit up a few craft distilleries along the way. Each distillery offered a completely different atmosphere making every experience unique. With over 30 craft whiskey distilleries in the state of Missouri there were a lot to choose from, but time constraints and closures due to a hopefully soon ending pandemic narrowed our list down to the 6 distilleries listed below. And if you ever make it to the state of Missouri to visit one of their amazing craft distilleries, be sure to pick up a Missouri Spirits Expedition Log to keep track of the distilleries you visit, and to get some neat prizes along the way! Visit Missouri Spirits Expedition to find out more and to check out the awesome rewards, including a free bottle of whiskey!
Woodsmen Distillery was our first distillery stop. Located in Higbee, MO, a small town of less than 1,000 and roughly 40 minutes north of Columbia, this distillery also boasts an impressive resume as being a distillery, winery, and cooperage. For starters, let me advise you to NOT go on any day other than a Saturday as they ONLY do tastings and tours on Saturdays. Trust us, we found out the hard way. The distillery campus is beautiful with several large post-frame construction buildings for the cooperage, one for a reception hall, and a smaller building for their retail shop and bar. We pulled up at 2:00 on a Friday to hopefully do a sampling and check the grounds out only to find 3 cars in the parking lot and nobody inside. After roughly 5 minutes of calling their number, knocking on doors, and ringing doorbells we were finally able to get somebody to come assist us in the already unlocked bar and retail center. She quickly informed us that no tastings happened during week days but that we could make any retail purchases. We were able to talk with the owner for a minute after purchasing a few bottles of wine and whiskey and go our stamp and a few recommendations for distilleries in Kansas City. We were a bit disappointment that we could not sample the products, especially since we had waited so long far a worker to join us, but understand they have their rules and likely have limited staff during the week days.
Skullsplitter Spirits is surprisingly also located in the small town of Higbee and also right around the corner from Woodsmen. We drove over to Skullsplitter after our sober stop and again found nobody inside the unlocked distillery but this time with a sign telling us where we can find the distiller. Skullsplitter is housed in a large post-frame construction building. Walking in the front door is a large bar to your left with a very unique large circle cooler that the owner said he purchased from a local winery, and to your right is a little reception desk area. It is very open with a nice large kitchen towards the back and then their distillery and winery equipment behind. After a few minutes of looking around and waiting Dale and Carol, the parents of the distiller and winemaker, walked in and immediately came up to our group to make us feel right at home. Dale went behind the bar counter and offered us several samples of their liquors and wines. He started with the pink lemonade moonshine which would be an amazing summer sipper over ice. Then the chocolate brandy which was like a tootsie roll melted in my mouth. He also had a few products for sampling from a small Iowan craft distillery, Green Frog, including their corn whiskey and their caramel whiskey. The corn whiskey is un-aged and very light with a slight buttery sweet corn taste while the caramel was better than caramel syrup on ice cream. The last sample that I got at the bar was of their “gay whiskey,” a blackberry lemonade flavored whiskey. This name coming from your happy attitude after just one sip. Dale shared with me his secret of adding a little chocolate brandy to it for an amazing desert drink. After sampling everything in their fridge Dale offered to show us around the winery and distillery, starting in his antique tool collection room. While in there, Dale found a bottle of his corn whiskey new make that he shared with each of us before leading us to the stills and mask tanks. Skullsplitter has two stills that they use, a larger gas powered column still with at least 6 plates and a smaller electric column style still. We were also able to see the few aging barrels of whiskey and bourbon while Dale found another bottle of corn whiskey for us to try, this time aged with an oak spire. As we were heading back to the tasting room, Dale had us try a new blackberry wine they had just bottled. Along the entire tasting and tour, Dale provided the best commentary and some great jokes to keep us laughing and on our toes. Would love to come back just to have another conversation with him and hopefully steal one or two of his amazing jokes!
DogMaster Distillery is located in Columbia just north of Stephens College. The distillery is housed in a post-frame construction building with a garage door in front of the bar area that remains open during nice weather so guests can sit inside or out on a large cement patio. We did the tasting flight to try out all of their spirits and each ended with a cocktail. The flight includes all 6 of their spirits, Bourbon Whiskey, Whiskey, White Whiskey, Gin, Vodka, and Rum. My favorites were the Bourbon Whiskey, Rum, and Vodka. Their Bourbon is 60% Corn, 10% Oats, 10% Wheat, and 20% Malted Barley and the oats make it unique from most bourbons. The Rum is 100% Dark Brown Sugar and is sweet and buttery with little bite. Their vodka is the spirit that shocked me and drinks very similar to a tequila. It is comprised of 100% corn, distilled to 192 proof, and then filtered more than 15 times! After the flight I ordered the black walnut old fashioned which was pretty good but had a slightly overpowering walnut flavor to it.
Lifted Spirits is located in downtown Kansas City roughly 8 blocks Southeast of the Power and Lights District. This distillery is not on the Missouri Spirits Expedition but was recommended to us by the distiller at Woodsmen and we are glad we made the stop. Housed in an old brick warehouse the bar and tasting room are small with room for roughly 30-40 people but plenty of room outside with multiple tables along the sidewalk. Lifted Spirits distills 2 different Gins, a Vodka, Wheat Whiskey, and Absinthe Verte. I was interested in trying the wheat whiskey and wanted a unique drink so went with their Black Manhattan and tried a few of the drinks my friends ordered including the Old Fashioned, Wild East, Galaxy’s Edge, and the Absinthe Verte, all highly recommended. The Black Manhattan was absolutely, hands down, my favorite drink of the trip. Made with Lifted Spirits Wheat Whiskey, Averna Amaro, and Angostura Bitters with an orange twist, this drink was simple and yet more bold than any old fashioned (my favorite drink) I’ve ever had. I would highly recommend checking out this distillery whether it be for a quick drink or for a tour. Also, try the Absinthe Verte! It was my first time trying absinthe and just the process alone was fascinating to me.
Tom’s Town is also located downtown Kansas City just West of Lifted Spirits and 4-5 blocks South of the Power and Lights District. They are also in an old brick warehouse and exploding with an art deco theme from their logo painted outside the building to the upscale 20’s themed tasting room and bar. This was my second visit to Tom’s Town and really enjoy the aesthetic, whiskey, and glassware. We got the flight featuring all 6 staple spirits including; Truman Special Reserve Bourbon, Pendergast’s Royal Gold Bourbon, Double Oaked Bourbon, Botanical Gin, Barreled Gin, and Double Grain Vodka. The Truman Reserve Bourbon is my favorite being an 11-year old Tennessee sourced bourbon with a strong caramel flavor. For my cocktail, I chose the Nelly’s Rescue comprised of Double Oaked Bourbon, Missouri Apple Brandy, Apple cordial, and Sweet Vermouth. The drink for me was a bit rich but had a strong and crisp apple flavor that made it a good dessert drink.
J.Rieger is located in the East Bottoms district of Kansas City, Northeast of downtown. Housed in an old brick warehouse, the distillery has been modified inside and out and even includes a slide. Yes, I said it includes a slide that will take you from the second floor bar area to the main floor retail entrance. While this is not the original J. Rieger thanks to Prohibition, it still has it’s ties to the family lineage with the great-great-great-grandson, Andy Rieger, as a part owner. I am saddened that we didn’t stay longer or go up to the bar for a drink but it had been a long day so we just wanted to check things out and hit the road. on the main floor you can see the custom made Vendome Copper Still with a retail shop to it’s left and a mini museum with the history of J. Rieger to the right. I did pick up a bottle of the pre-mixed Old Fashioned in the retail shop while my buddy picked up a bottle of The Kansas City Club Bourbon Whiskey which is only sold at the distillery and Hotel Kansas City. Opened the Old Fashioned this evening and it is better than any bar old fashioned I have ever had! Such an easy sipper and not too heavy on the bitters.
This Missouri trip was a lot of fun and we were able to cross a lot of distilleries off the list. Hoping to head back soon to continue the Missouri Spirits Expedition and hopefully hit up some of the distilleries we missed due to time or closures in Kansas City like Restless Spirits, S.D. Strong Distilling, Holladay Distillery, Little Platte Distillery, Of the Earth Farm + Distillery, and a new one that we found along I-70, 1832 Distilling. Also, shoutouts to Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que and Boulevard Brewing for some amazing food and beer!