Working distilleries offer more than just good spirits—they often have unique spaces for meetings and events. Here are a few great options.
Boston Harbor Distillery in Dorchester, Mass., is set in a classic “Old New England” building from the mid-1800s.
Groups can take over the main Tasting Room, which can accommodate 130 for a reception or 75 seated, or use the Map Room for smaller meeting space. Private tours and tastings can also be arranged.
Also housed in an 1800s building is Journeyman Distillery. The organic spirits distillery is located in the former EK Warren Historic Featherbone Factory in Three Oaks, Mich. Today, the distillery features reclaimed wood, and the concrete bar was made in nearby Grand Rapids.
There are three event spaces at the property, with an additional two expected to open in 2017. Warren Hall, at 8,000 square feet and a capacity for 500, is the largest space.
In Charleston, S.C., Striped Pig Distillery makes handcrafted rums, whiskeys, vodka and gin through traditional methods with heirloom grains and fruits, many from local farmers.
With the distilling equipment and wood salvaged from South Carolina barns as the backdrop, groups of up to 200 can use the space for presentations, teambuilding, tastings and tours. The retail area, the first space when entering the building, can be used as a prefunction venue, and the conference room can be used for meetings of up to 10 people.
Using traditional Scottish copper stills, Copperworks Distilling Company makes spirits in downtown Seattle mostly with ingredients grown in Washington state. The distillery currently offers gin and vodka. It also has all-malt whiskey aged in new American oak barrels.
The tasting room, with a capacity for 75 people, features 18-foot ceilings and a view into the active distillery with the four copper stills. The space can be used as a stand-alone venue or for tours, guided tastings and events like Join the Distiller, where groups work with the distillers to barrel and bottle spirits or blend their own whiskeys.