FREY RANCH ESTATE DISTILLERY & CHURCHILL VINEYARDS
Frey Ranch is Nevada’s first commercial estate distillery and one of the few estate distilleries in the United States. Every spirit Frey Ranch produces is grown, distilled and bottled on the property. Owners Colby and Ashley Frey grow the wheat, rye, barley and corn on a 1,200-acre farm that has been in their family since the late 1800s. In 2014, Frey Ranch opened a 4,000-square-foot distillery, which features a still room, tank room, barreling room and tasting room. freyranch.com Location: 1045 Dodge Lane, Fallon Types of Spirits: Absinthe, Gin, Vodka Tastings/Tours: Noon to 4 p.m., Saturdays
TAHOE MOONSHINE DISTILLERY & SPEAKEASY
Jeffrey VanHee, owner, and creator of Tahoe Moonshine Distillery, began making rums in 2007 in Costa Rica. Upon returning to the United States, he became an apprentice at Fat Dog Spirits in Ybor City, Florida where he learned how to produce gin, honey vodka and absinthe. He also studied yeast, fermentation and distillation at UC Davis through the American Distilling Institute. tahoemoonshine.com Location: 1611 Shop St., Unit 4B, South Lake Tahoe Types of Spirits: Gin, Liquors, Vodka, Rum, Whiskey
TAHOE BLUE VODKA
Matt Levitt founded Tahoe Blue Vodka in South Lake Tahoe in 2012. The spirit is actually a blend of three vodkas: 50 percent sugarcane, 25 percent grape, and 25 percent corn. It's distilled three times. In 2013, Tahoe Blue took first at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in New York, beating out Chopin and Belvedere for best-unflavored vodka. tahoebluevodka.com Location: Made with Lake Tahoe water, distilled in Mountain View, California and bottled in Sparks Where to find it: Ben’s Fine Wine & Spirits, Raley’s, Savemart
ROCKET VODKA
Rocket Vodka is made with three ingredients — Sierra Nevada mountain water, apples from Apple Hill and Washington, and yeast. The vodka is double-carbon filtered to give a hint of fruit flavor and a smooth finish. rocketvodka.com Location: Distilled at Dry Diggings Distillery in El Dorado Hills, California Where to find it: Lake Tahoe and Truckee bars and restaurants
SEVEN TROUGHS DISTILLING CO.
Seven Troughs Distilling Co. creates craft spirits with local ingredients. The distillery's corn and barley come from Yerington and Gardnerville. Spirits are made by a mid-19th-century fermentation and distillation process. The name refers to The Seven Troughs Mining District in Pershing County, which yielded some of the highest gold production grades in Nevada history in the early 20th century. 7troughsdistilling.com Location: 155 Watson Way, Ste. 5, Sparks Types of Spirits: Gin, Moonshine, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey Tastings/Tours: 3 to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, by appointment Mondays – Wednesdays getaway reno/tahoe • planmygetaway.com 35