Best Distilleries in the Niagara Region
There’s something special about the Niagara region—and no, we’re not just talking about Niagara Falls. In addition to award-winning wines, and luscious fruit, Niagara is quickly becoming one of Ontario’s hottest destinations for craft spirits. Whether you're a gin lover, whisky enthusiast, or vodka connoisseur, the distilleries here are raising the bar with small-batch spirits and bold, locally inspired flavors.
Imagine sipping a barrel-aged whisky, not far from where the grains were grown. Picture yourself on distillery tour, gazing at a copper pot still, and breathing in the aromas of botanicals destined for award-winning gin. At Niagara’s best distilleries, you're not just buying a bottle, you're stepping into a story of craftsmanship, community, and creativity.
From hidden gems tucked away in charming towns to sleek, modern tasting rooms that rival the best in the business, Niagara’s distilling scene is bursting with personality. So whether you're planning a weekend getaway, curating your next cocktail menu, or just looking for something new to explore, these distilleries offer unforgettable experiences, and unforgettable spirits to match.
Below is my curated list of 8 of the best distilleries in the Niagara Region. Topping the list is one of our Featured distilleries, Spirit in Niagara Small Batch Distillers, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, followed by 7 more fun destinations for you to explore, sorted according to their Google reviews ranking.
In this article:
Best Distilleries in the Niagara Region
Spirit in Niagara Small Batch Distillers
4.5 Stars (194 reviews)
Topping the list is one of our Featured distilleries – Spirit in Niagara Small Batch Distillers. Spirit in Niagara is producing some really unique, award-winning, local spirits, distilled from Niagara region fruit.
Spirit in Niagara is a fruit farm, and they own a fruit shipping company serving fruit farmers in the Niagara region. It’s from these fresh Niagara fruit that that they craft their award-winning spirits.
In addition to their spirits, they have a bar, a lounge, and a patio offering cocktails, food, and live music. The real standout, however, is the Barrel Room, where you can host a corporate event, small wedding or rehearsal dinner, or private party. They offer tours, tastings, cocktail classes and more.
Spirits
Fruit based spirits include gin, vodka, whisky, and a series of fruit based gin, vodka, and eau de vie.
- Juiced Up Gin
- Juiced Up Vodka
- Ample Apricot Eau de Vie
- Juicy Peach Eau de Vie
- Plump Nectarine Eau de Vie
- Sun Ripened Yellow Plum Eau de Vie
- Luscious Blue Plum Eau de Vie
- Sweet Pear Eau de Vie
- Whisky
- Vermouth
You can sample, and purchase, any of their products at the distillery, or purchase online from the Spirit in Niagara Small Batch Distillers website.
Experiences
Distillery Tour and Spirit Tasting
Learn about sustainable fruit farming, and why Spirit in Niagara does what they do. See their unique distillation set-up, including their 3 stills. At the end of the tour you can sample 3 spirits along with the cocktail of the day.
Spirit Tasting
Book a tasting that includes any 3 spirits, along with the cocktail of the day.
SiNsational Tasting Experience
Enjoy a three-course cocktail pairing.
Cocktail Flight
Sample some of their top cocktails.
Shake, Stir, and Sip
Learn the art of mixology, and elevate your cocktail game with this fun vibrant cocktail making class.
Dining
Book a lunch or dinner reservation at the bar, in the lounge, or on the patio.
The Takeaway
Spirit in Niagara is one of the top distillery destinations in Niagara. They offer a unique experience with upscale dining and fine craft spirits in their unique custom distillery. You can tour the distillery to learn how they use 3 different stills to craft their fine fruit based spirits, and private events can be hosted in the lounge, on the patio, or in The Barrel Room.
Visitors to the distillery rave about the staff, the amazing cocktails, and the top-notch food.
Spirit in Niagara Small Batch Distillers
Polonée Distillery
4.9 Stars (32 reviews)
Polonée is a small, family-run distillery in St. Catherines, Ontario. The name, Polonée, is a spin on the French word for Polish (Polonais) and means Polish born. They produce spirits using centuries old Polish spirit making traditions dating back to the middle ages. Natural ingredients sourced from local producers, no artificial flavours, and old world techniques are used to produce gin, vodka, and a series of specialty fruit based liqueurs.
Polonée’s logo is a blend of the Polish eagle, and the mythological Phoenix – a Pheagle – to honour their Polish roots, and to symbolize the emergence of something new – the next generation of Polish immigrants in Canada crafting spirits using traditional Polish spirit making techniques in a new country.
Polonée uses state-of-the-art computer controlled distilling equipment imported from Poland, to make their traditional Polish spirits.
Spirits
Polonée produces Gin, Vodka, and a whole series of fruit based liqueurs, as well as a 95% ABV spirit called Spirytus intended to be used as a base spirit for those interested in creating their own infusions at home.
Spirits include:
- Gin (including flavoured gin)
- Vodka
- Spirytus – high proof (95% ABV) base spirit for those wanting to make their own infusions at home
- Fruit based Liqueurs
- Egg Cream Liqueur
The Takeaway
Polonée is producing some fine, unique Polish spirits in the Niagara region using traditional Polish spirit making techniques and are well worth your time to stop by and try something new. You can drop by their distillery on Saturday afternoons to sample, and purchase, any of their spirits.
You can also find them at the Polish Farmer’s Market at the Polish Canadian Cultural Centre at 4300 Cawthra Rd. in Mississauga on the 1st Sunday of the month.
You’ll love the fun friendly family atmosphere created by the founders, the stories they tell during the tour about the founding of the distillery, and the amazing spirits.
Limited Distilling
4.8 Stars (264 reviews)
Family-owned Limited Distilling is a passion project born from a desire to craft fine quality spirits from local, and internationally sourced ingredients where appropriate (think Jalapeño Moonshine). Limited distilling is always experimenting and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with their custom distilling set up, crafting new and unique recipes and embracing the unique characteristics of each batch.
They treat their distillery as a laboratory, always experimenting with their ingredients and process to expand the idea of what’s possible, and striving to create something new, and different.
Spirits
Limited Distilling offers both on-site, and online sales of their spirits, cocktail kits, barware, and merch. Spirits include:
- Vodka (including flavoured vodka)
- Gin (including flavoured gin)
- Moonshine (including flavoured moonshine)
- Amaro
- Rum
Experiences
Limited Distilling has a craft cocktail bar where you can sample any of their spirits, and enjoy a snack and a cocktail from their food and cocktail menus. Reservations are recommended.
Tours and Tastings
Book a reservation on their website for a tour and tasting at the distillery. See the inner workings of a distillery first hand with this comprehensive guided tour followed by a spirit (3 spirits) or cocktail tasting (3 mini cocktails).
The Takeaway
Visit this family-run Niagara distillery where experimentation is key to producing unique and innovative spirits. Enjoy some snacks and cocktails at the cocktail bar and experience a comprehensive tour followed by samples of their spirits and/or cocktails.
Limited Distilling is known for its friendly staff, fun atmosphere, and the tasty food and cocktails.
NB Distillers
4.8 Stars (100 reviews)
NB Distillers, named after founder Neeraj Bakshi, was founded in 2020 on the simple principles of community, socializing, and building relationships. Neeraj chose Welland as the home for NB Distilling because of the thriving community and scenic location that made it a great place to invest, and build a brand.
They are a grain to glass, small-batch craft distiller and blender making ultra-premium spirits at a reasonable price. Visit the distillery where you can sample any of their spirits, or enjoy a house made cocktail along with a delicious curated food pairing.
Spirits
NB Distillers offer a wonderful selection of house made ultra-premium spirits including:
- Whisky
- Vodka (including flavoured vodka)
- Gin (including flavoured gin)
Experiences
Schedule a tasting on their website.
The Takeaway
NB Distillers is a small-batch grain to glass distillery crafting ultra-premium spirits. If you’re in the Niagara region they are certainly worth taking the time to stop by and sample some of their fine spirits.
When visiting NB Distillers you’ll see how the passion of the owner shines through in the quality of NB Distillers spirits, and the excellent cocktails.
Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers
4.6 Stars (349 reviews)
Founded in 2012 by Geoff Dillon, Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers is one of the oldest distilleries in the Niagara region. They work with local farmers to craft spirits from local ingredients so they know the raw ingredients are the best quality they can be. Hard work, passion, and dedication to quality are what make Dillon’s spirits the best they can be.
Spirits
Dillon’s crafts gin, vodka, (and flavoured gin and vodka), rye whisky and a whole series of specialty liqueurs.
- Gin (including flavoured gin)
- Vodka (including flavoured vodka)
- Rye Whisky
- Absinthe
- Amaretto
- Amaro
- Brandy
- Plum Schnapps
- Liqueurs – a series of fruit liqueurs
Experiences
Dillon’s offers a number of experiences at the distillery for you to enjoy from a simple tasting to tours and cocktail classes.
Exclusive Tastings
Sample 4 Dillon’s spirits.
Distillery Tour
Enjoy a cocktail while being guided around the distillery to see first-hand how Dillon craft their fine spirits. Following the tour you will sample 4 spirits, 3 signature spirits plus one of your choosing.
The Technical Tour
This is an in-depth tour lead my Dillon’s head distiller. Learn the science behind what it takes to make your favourite spirits.
Craft Your Own Gin
This experience, led by Dillon’s team, will test your distilling skills by having you craft your own gin.
The Cocktailing Experience
Learn from Dillon’s professionals during this fun session where you will learn pro tips for crafting next-level cocktails at home.
The Takeaway
Dillon’s is a great place to discover fine spirits and cocktails in your own backyard. Great spirits and experiences make this a distillery destination you don’t want to skip.
What makes Dillon’s stand out is their knowledgeable staff, friendly customer service, and dedication to making your experience memorable.
Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers
Forty Creek Whisky
4.5 Stars (263 reviews)
Founded in 1972 as Grimsby Distillery, Forty Creek has gone through multiple owners and iterations to become the award winning distillery it is today. In fact, in 2020, Forty Creek was named Whisky Maker of the Decade at the Canadian Whisky Awards.
A rebranding in 2022, with a focus on its award-winning whiskies, and there have been many awards from world class competitions, make it a top destination for Canadian whisky lovers in southern Ontario.
Spirits
Forty Creek boasts a wide array of award-winning whiskies, aged in different wood, with varying age statements. They are also the Canadian distributor for other distillery’s products.
- Whisky – lots of whisky
- Liqueurs and whisky based cream liqueurs
- Vodka (including flavoured vodka)
- Brandy
- Bitters
- Syrups
Experiences
Complimentary Whisky Tasting
Forty Creek offers complimentary tastings of up to 4 whiskies from their award-winning lineup.
Whisky Weekend
If you go for Whisky Weekend in September they have distillery tours as well.
The Takeaway
Forty Creek Distillery is one of the oldest craft distilleries in Ontario, and with free tastings makes a great destination for whisky lovers. Visitors to Forty Creek love the free tastings in a fun relaxed environment, the great whisky, and the friendly knowledgeable staff.
Niagara Distillery
4.3 Stars (1,012 reviews)
Niagara Distillery is more than just a distillery. They are also a full service BBQ restaurant attached to Falls Avenue Resort in central Niagara Falls making this a great destination for those visiting Niagara Falls.
The restaurant features BBQ favourites and craft cocktails made with Niagara Distillery spirits.
Spirits
Grab a table and sample some of their spirits.
- Canadian Whisky
- Single Cask Whisky (Bourbon style)
- Moonshine
- Vodka
- Gin
- Rum
Experiences
Tastings
This is a full service restaurant where you can purchase a tasting flight.
The Takeaway
Niagara Distillery is a full service restaurant with a distillery where you can grab dinner and sample some of their spirits either in a tasting flight or one of their craft cocktails, expertly prepared by their friendly professional staff.
Wayne Gretzky Estates
4.2 Stars (2,317 reviews)
Wayne Gretzky Estates was founded in 2017 through a partnership between Wayne Gretzky and Andrew Peller Ltd. Located in southern Ontario’s wine region, near picturesque Niagara-on-the-Lake, Wayne Gretzky Estates is a great location to discover some great whisky, whisky cream liqueurs, vodka, and brandy.
Enjoy a whisky, or craft cocktail, year round, on the heated whisky bar patio.
Spirits
With more than 25 years’ experience, master distiller Tim Wilson takes advantage of having a winery and distillery under one roof, and works closely with senior winemaker Jason Roller to create some unique whiskies finished in icewine, or Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.
- Whisky
- Whisky based cream liqueurs
- Brandy
- Vodka
Experiences
The Wine, Spirit, and Cocktail Tour
An exclusive 45-minute tour where you’ll learn about the spirit making operation. At the end, you’ll enjoy, and learn how to craft an estate-exclusive cocktail made with Wayne Gretzky Estates whisky.
Wayne Gretzky Estates Tasting (Walk-in only)
Sample 4 Wayne Gretzky Estates products from their wine and spirits portfolio.
The Gretzky Cocktail Class
Learn the art of mixology during this fun, lively, and informative cocktail making session where you’ll craft your own cocktails under the guidance of a professional mixologist.
The Takeaway
This is an excellent opportunity to learn about a modern distillery operation and sample some fine local spirits – Canadian whisky, brandy, and vodka. Enjoy the outstanding patio, the food, the attentive service, and tasty cocktails, and take the time to experience a fun informative tour, or a cocktail making class.
So get out and enjoy some fine craft spirits, cocktails, and experiences at these distilleries in the Niagara region. If there are distilleries you think should be added to this list, let me know in the comments below.
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