8 Woman-Run Liqueur, Aperitif and Digestif Distilleries in the West

The world of liqueurs, digestifs and aperitifs often gets overlooked for the more mainstream categories. But the care and creativity that goes into these beverages deserves to be highlighted and celebrated. Not to mention that some of the best of these liqueurs are coming from woman-run and woman-operated distilleries around the world.

We found seven incredible women distilling liqueurs, digestifs and aperitifs west of the Mississippi. It’s practically a road trip waiting to happen, traveling from Colorado to New Mexico to Utah, then Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Come along with us on this amazing and flavorful journey as we tour these woman-led distilleries and their amazing liqueurs.

Marble Distilling

Dedicated to building a sustainable business, this family and friends-owned distillery crafts fine beverages by following three main tenets: spirits, sustainability and service. Co-founder Connie Baker is also the head distiller, delivering a wide range of products, including whiskeys and flavored vodkas, from the mountain town of Carbondale, Colorado.

Among those spirits Connie and her team create, the Gingercello puts a fresh twist on a classic Italian liqueur. Crafted with fresh ginger lemon zest, the flavored spirit celebrates spring but it’s a lovely beverage any time of year. The distillery also aged the original spirit in locally sourced bourbon barrels resulting in Gingercello Reserve.

Taste all of the Colorado-crafted spirits from Marble Distilling when you visit the distillery. Check with the distillery’s website for the most up-to-date information on their bar – and Inn.

150 Main Street, Carbondale, Colorado 81623

Ironton Distillery

Another Colorado distillery crafting fine spirits – this one in Denver. Co-founder Kallyn Romero and Head Distiller Laura Walters teamed up to distill the spirit of adventure from their location in the city’s RiNo Arts District (once known as the Ironton Addition). The distillery produces an award-winning lineup of whiskey and gin but a standout product is their aquavit.

Using rye as a base spirit, Laura and her team developed a traditional Scandinavian aquavit that finishes with the flavor of dill. Black licorice meets spice, wood and a touch of citrus on the tongue – a result of the delicate combination of botanicals, expertly distilled in custom hybrid pot column stills. To take it to the next level, the team ages the original aquavit in rye whiskey barrels to create Nordic Gold.

Try both aquavits at the Ironton tasting room. It’s open Monday through Wednesday, 4 to 8pm; Thursday through Saturday, 12 to 10pm. On Sundays, it opens at 2pm.

3636 Chestnut Place, Denver, Colorado 80216

As Above So Below Distillery

A venture by the talented distiller Caley Shoemaker, it’s no surprise that As Above So Below generates such amazing spirits. Co-founded with Jeff Gust, the distillery aims to embrace the often overlooked beverages and they’re doing a fine job of celebrating them from the Santa Fe-based facility.

Aside from vodka and gin, the distillery has also released an aperitivo liqueur by the name of Aradia. In other words, it’s an amaro but this one expresses the fine flavors and ingredients of New Mexico.

Embrace those overlooked but delicious flavors with As Above So Below when you visit the distillery bottle shop and lounge, open Wednesday through Friday from 2 to 11pm, Saturday from noon to 11pm and Sunday from noon to 10pm.

545 Camino de la Familia, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501

Clear Water Distilling

Drawing inspiration from the likes of Bob Ross, Matt Eau Claire and Stephanie Eau Claire led Clear Water Distilling in generating unique spirits. For them, the happy clouds are small batches of beverages that blur the lines between categories. From the Pleasant Grove, Utah distillery, the team bottles up their creations and names them after iconic personalities, like Josephine Baker and explorer Lorenz Peter Freuchen.

It’s that Lorenz Crafted Spirit that we’re eying on this list. As the distillers blur those category lines, they delivered an impressive bottle with this one that certainly creates a category of its very own.

Get your hands on Lorenz and the other iconic bottles when you visit for a tour and tasting. The tasting room is open to visitors Sunday through Wednesday from 11am to 7pm and Thursday through Saturday from 11am to 8pm.

564 W 700 S Suite 401, Pleasant Grove, Utah

High Mark Distillery & Barrel House

Felicia Keith-Jones shifted gears from flying planes and teaching in Alaska to distilling spirits in Reno, Nevada. High Mark is the fulfillment of a life-long dream for Felicia as she transforms Nevada-grown grain into spirits that range from vodka to bourbon with several liqueurs in between.

Among the many bottles that Felicia produces, she’s developed spirits that feature flavors like blueberry cobbler, peach ginger and cherry vanilla. She’s also produced a limoncello, the traditional Italian liqueur.

Sample everything High Mark has to offer when you drop by the distillery tasting room Monday through Saturday from 12 to 7pm.

4690 Longley Lane #28, Reno, Nevada 89502

Divine Distillers

Jennell Ives and Jason Greenwood launched their distillery in Salem, Oregon as an homage to their children. But it drew on their experiences living in Latin America and Europe and other places they’d lived over the years. Together, the team distills brandy, rum, agave spirit, whiskey and amaro.

The amaro caught our attention. An herbal liquor, its creators describe it as a perfect digestif. With a lineup of amaros that reflect the seasons of the year, each one is crafted with local Oregon-grown herbs.

Get a taste of the amaro and the other spirits on offer when you drop by the distillery on Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 8pm.

915 N Main St, Independence, Oregon 97351

Brovo Spirits

This Seattle, Washington-based, woman-led distillery has had Mhairi Voelsgen at the helm, crafting botanical spirits since 2011. Led by a mission to develop spirits for bartenders, the distillery delivers cocktail-ready liqueurs using real ingredients. The business also partners with individuals in the hospitality industry to leverage their expertise when it comes to distilling fine spirits.

The flagship amaro came about thanks to inspiration from the industry paired with a bit of a pivot. Originally, the team wanted to create a rhubarb liqueur but after a series of unfortunate events, they had to toss the idea (and some spirits) and go back to the drawing board. Bartenders told them: make amaro. So they did. Now the distillery also produces a series of liqueurs as well as gin and vodka.

Experience the full lineup from BroVo Spirits when you track down bottles in ten states. Visit the website to get details on where and how.

Seattle, Washington

Fast Penny Spirits

Founder and CEO Jamie Hunt called on her Sicilian heritage when she introduced her interpretation of amaro to America. Her family has a rich history of crafting wines and liqueurs so it only made sense that she’d develop her own amaro recipe and test it until she perfected it. She continues to mix up flavors at her Seattle, Washington distillery.

The flagship spirit, Americano, blends that heritage with modern sensibilities. Using West coast grapes and other thoughtfully sourced ingredients, the amaro weaves together rich and herbaceous flavors into a perfect balance.

Sample Americano at the Fast Penny Spirits bottle shop and tasting deck, open Thursday from 4pm to 7pm, Friday from 4pm to 9pm and Saturday through Sunday, from 1pm to 6pm.

1138 West Ewing Street, Suite B, Seattle, Washington 98119