Hochatown Distilling Co: what to order and what to bring home

Hochatown Distilling Co. is the area's only distillery and it's worth a stop on every trip. Here's what to do there.

Location: just off Highway 259 in Hochatown, 5 min from most cabins. Open Wed–Sun, hours vary by season.

The tour: free, 20 minutes, runs hourly during open hours. You'll see the mash tuns, the still, and the barrel room. Casual, not overly polished. Tip the guide $5–10.

The tasting: $15 for a flight of 6. Walk through their lineup: vodka, gin, two bourbons (the standard and the small batch), bourbon cream, and a seasonal.

What to order if you only do one: the bourbon cream. It's their signature, sells out regularly, and tastes nothing like the mass-market stuff. Take a bottle back to the cabin for an after-dinner pour over ice.

The small batch bourbon is the second move. Lighter than Kentucky bourbons, more vanilla and corn. Good cocktail bourbon, also good neat.

What to bring home: bourbon cream (always), small batch bourbon, and their seasonal if they have one. Pricing is fair — bottles are $25–45.

Merch: t-shirts and glassware are decent. The flask is gimmicky.

Group tip: groups of 6+ should call ahead. They'll set up a private tasting at one of the long tables.

Pair it with: Mountain Fork Brewery is 5 min away. Do the distillery flight first (heavier), then the brewery (lighter). Or reverse if you want to end with the bourbon.

The place has a cabin-trip ritual feel — most guests stop on arrival day to grab a bottle and on the last day to grab one more to take home.