The best whiskey trips in the U.S. right now

When Noah Rothbaum first started writing about whiskey more than 20 years ago, it could be an uphill battle to visit the distilleries he covered. Some refused his requests outright; others relented, but required him to suit up in a hard hat, steel shoe covers and high-visibility vests.

“It was a factory,” said Rothbaum, whose new book “The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World’s Greatest Spirit” came out this fall. “There were no tours, there were no gift shops, no restaurants.”

But over the last 15 years, everything changed. Distilleries multiplied, with more than 2,000 now running in the United States alone, transforming from manufacturing facilities to travel destinations. Many of the new generation are designed to welcome visitors, complete with high-end bars and restaurants and immersive exhibits.

“Literally the way that the buildings are being built has changed because they know now that people want to go and see how these whiskeys are made,” Rothbaum said.

If you’re not a spirits writer, are distilleries worth a trip? Rothbaum thinks so, and recommends a visit to history lovers, casual enthusiasts and people unsure if they like whiskey at all.

“I obviously love the act of drinking whiskey, but for me, it makes it even better — even more fulfilling — if I know where it came from,” he said. “It gives you a better appreciation of what you’re drinking, and where the flavors came from, and what the person was trying to do who made the whiskey. … You get that personal connection.”

We asked Rothbaum to share four places to plan a trip to dive deeper into whiskey. Here’s what he told us.

For tours, head to Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. in Tullahoma, where George Dickel whiskey is made, or Jack Daniel’s in Lynchburg.

“They’re both about an hour or so from Nashville,” Rothbaum said.

If you are planning on visiting multiple distilleries on your own, transportation is “a real consideration that you want to think about” if you’d like to taste the wares, Rothbaum said. Alternatively, you could leave your planning up to professionals, like Mint Julep Experiences, a company that can arrange your visits, meals and transportation between distilleries. (They also operate in Ireland and another Rothbaum pick: Kentucky.)

Back in Nashville, don’t miss grabbing a drink at a few of Rothbaum’s favorite bars. For a proper cocktail, there’s Patterson House, which recently moved to a discreet location inside an office building. You may need some time to fully appreciate the full version of the menu, which features roughly 150 drinks, from classics to seasonal specials. For something more low-key, there’s Dino’s, a dive in East Nashville where Rothbaum said he goes for “a burger, fries and a pony bottle of Miller High Life.”

California might not be the first state that comes to mind when you think about whiskey, but it is home to one of the most stunning distilleries Rothbaum has ever visited: St. George Spirits in Alameda, a city just across the water from San Francisco.

St. George’s classic tour is $45 per person. That takes guests through their production floor and tasting room before tasting a flight of six offerings. They do take walk-ins, but advanced reservations for tours and tastings are recommended.

After your tour, hop on the ferry into the city to see their spirits in action at two of Rothbaum’s favorite stops: Rickhouse and Bourbon and Branch. The latter, located in a former speakeasy, posts rules on its website including no phones, no photos and no cosmos. It’s “the most essential whiskey bar in San Francisco,” Rothbaum said.

Why put New York on your whiskey bucket list? It’s not just because Rothbaum lives in Manhattan.

The state is now “on the forefront of the modern craft distilling movement,” he said. You could head north to see great distilleries in the Hudson Valley and Rochester, or just stay in the city for easier access. You can find opportunities to learn and taste all over the island and its outer boroughs, and get there by bike, foot, bus, subway or cab.

“There’s Great Jones, which is the first whiskey distillery to open since before the Prohibition in Manhattan,” Rothbaum said. “And there are plenty in Brooklyn: Widow Jane in Red Hook, Kings County and then New York Distilling Company.” At the latter, “they have blend-your-own-whiskey sessions, by appointment,” he added.

“It’s the home now of American whiskey,” he said.

That’s partly due to the advent of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, founded by the Kentucky Distillers Association in the ’90s to attract visitors. Last year, the trail’s organizers say, they logged a record 2.7 million patrons to their distilleries.

Rothbaum suggests making Louisville your home base for your trip; there are distilleries you can visit in the city proper, like Old Forester, Michter’s and Evan Williams. Or you could stay in the much smaller Bardstown, and plan trips to the Willett distillery (for both a tour and their great restaurant) and Bardstown Bourbon Co. (which also has a tasting room on Louisville’s Whiskey Row).

Bardstown is so charming, though, it’s worth a trip on its own.