In Brazil’s sugar-cane heartland, Destilaria Maison Leblon makes Leblon Cachaça at a fully integrated craft distillery in Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais. Cane cutters harvest each stalk by hand, and the distillery gently presses the fresh cane before distilling the juice in traditional copper pot stills and aging it in French brandy casks for up to six months. Maison Leblon also produces Cedilla, an açaí liqueur made with hand-picked organic berries macerated in its alambique cachaça.
Finger Lakes Distilling CompanyFounded in 2007 as New York State’s first stand-alone distillery, Finger Lakes Distilling makes handcrafted spirits from locally grown fruit and grain overlooking Seneca Lake. Its McKenzie whiskey is distilled in copper stills and aged in oak, while fruit-based vodkas and liqueurs are made by soaking real regional fruit rather than using extracts or synthetic flavoring. The Burdett distillery also welcomes visitors for tastings, cocktails, and hands-on gin workshops.BURDETT, NY
Pa’lantePa’lante makes Mexican rum in the Cuban tradition, blending super-premium rums through a close partnership rooted in decades of rum-making experience. The Brooklyn-based brand was created by a Latino-led team to celebrate the experience of being “de aquí y de allá,” while its core rums are made without added sugar or additives. Cuban rum-maker Edis Zurita and master blender Jorge Perez bring family history and professional expertise from distilling in Cuba and Mexico to the company’s modern spirits.BROOKLYN, NY
LYON RUM // WINDON DISTILLINGFrom a small distillery in Saint Michaels’ historic Old Mill, Windon Distilling makes LYON RUM by hand in ultra-small batches, turning Louisiana raw sugar and molasses into cane-to-glass American rum. The distillery has been making spirits on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for 13 years, using traditional pot stills and hand-infusing its rum liqueurs with whole fruits and botanicals, without coloring, flavoring or additives. Its Rum Van delivers bottles throughout Maryland, while the Golden Hour rum room offers a tasting-focused setting at the distillery.SAINT MICHAELS, MD
RosalunaFor more than six generations, a family in Santiago Matatlán has been honing the craft behind Rosaluna, a handmade mezcal brand rooted in Oaxaca’s mezcal heartland. A brother-and-sister team grows its own agave and turns it into a smooth Joven spirit for both mezcal newcomers and longtime drinkers.SAN FRANCISCO, CA