USA TODAY 10 BEST

Headframe Spirits, Huber’s Starlight Distillery, Black Button Distilling and Copper & Kings also winners

Liqueur, brandy, absinthe, aquavit and amaro – these specialty spirits have found their way into the American craft distilling scene in a big way. We asked a panel of spirits experts to help us choose 20 of the best craft specialty spirits distilleries in the nation. We then turned things over to our readers, who have been voting for their favorites for the past four weeks. The results are in.

Many of these distilleries work in small batches using locally-sourced fruits, grains and botanicals. Many are family-owned. Many painstakingly distill their spirits using a blend of traditional and modern techniques. All take pride in crafting unique spirits that would complement any bar collection.

The top 10 winners in the category Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery are as follows:

1. Vikre Distillery – Duluth, Minn.
2. Headframe Spirits – Butte, Mont.
3. Huber’s Starlight Distillery – Starlight, Ind.
4. Black Button Distilling – Rochester, N.Y.
5. Copper & Kings – Louisville
6. Tattersall Distilling – Minneapolis 
7. Tamworth Distilling – Tamworth, N.H.
8. Las Vegas Distillery – Henderson, Nev.
9. Rhine Hall – Chicago
10. Feisty Spirits – Fort Collins, Colo.

A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Emily Arden Wells (Gastronomista), Brian Christensen (Artisan Spirit Magazine), Laura Johnson (Distillerista) and Arthur Shapiro (Booze Business) were chosen based on their expertise in the American craft spirits industry.

Other nominated craft distilleries included broVo Spirits, CH Distillery, Clear Creek Distillery, Corsair Distillery, Greenbar Distillery, House Spirits Distillery, Jack from Brooklyn, KOVAL Distillery, Leopold Bros. and St. George Spirits.

Congratulations to all our winning distilleries!