Craft Spirits Distilleries in Germany

About craft spirits distilleries in Germany

Germany's craft spirits culture runs deeper than most travellers expect. Long before the global gin and whisky boom, the country had one of the densest distilling traditions in the world, rooted in the orchards of the south, where thousands of small farm stills turned cherries, plums and pears into crystal-clear Obstbrand and the famous Kirschwasser of the Black Forest. That heritage of patient, fruit-led distilling laid the groundwork for a modern wave of producers who apply the same precision to gin, single malt and rye.

The eleven craft distilleries gathered here span the whole map and the whole spectrum. In the Black Forest you'll find Black Forest Distillers, makers of the celebrated Monkey 47, alongside BOAR Distillery, Brennerei Ziegler and the long-running Birkenhof-Brennerei. Bavaria's lakeside SLYRS Destillerie and Franconia's St. Kilian Distillers lead the country's single-malt scene, while Spreewood Distillers (Stork Club) near Berlin pioneered German rye and Hercynian Distilling Co. (Elsburn) draws whisky lovers to the Harz mountains.

Tours range from polished botanical walk-throughs with gin and tonics in hand to barrel-room tastings of single malt straight from the cask. Expect generous hospitality, scenic settings and a refreshing lack of hard sell.

What to expect on a tour

German distillery visits tend to be hands-on and unhurried. A typical tour walks you from raw ingredients through fermentation, the still house and the maturation cellar, with a guide explaining the choices that shape the final spirit. At gin houses such as Black Forest Distillers (Monkey 47) and BOAR Distillery, much of the story centres on botanicals, many of them foraged or grown locally, and tastings often pair the gin with tonic. At whisky producers like SLYRS Destillerie, St. Kilian Distillers, Hercynian Distilling Co. (Elsburn) and Spreewood Distillers (Stork Club), the emphasis shifts to grain, copper pot stills and cask selection, frequently finishing with a flight straight from the warehouse.

Tastings are usually included in the ticket and are conducted with care rather than volume, so even a single sampling session gives you a real sense of house style. Many distilleries also have a shop where you can buy bottles and limited editions not easily found abroad. English-language tours are common at the better-known sites, but at smaller family operations such as Brennerei Ziegler or Birkenhof-Brennerei it is worth confirming language and booking ahead, as places can be limited.

Getting there & around

These distilleries are spread across several distinct regions, so plan around one area at a time. The Black Forest cluster in Baden-Wuerttemberg, including Monkey 47, BOAR, Brennerei Ziegler and Birkenhof-Brennerei, is best reached by car from Stuttgart or via regional rail to towns like Lossburg and Freudenstadt, with a short taxi or drive to rural sites. SLYRS sits by Schliersee in Upper Bavaria, an easy day trip from Munich by train and bus. St. Kilian lies in Franconia, while Hercynian (Elsburn) is in the Harz mountains and Spreewood Distillers (Stork Club) is about an hour south of Berlin in the Spreewald biosphere reserve.

Because many of these distilleries are set in countryside or small villages, a hire car gives the most freedom, but it raises the obvious issue of drinking and driving. Germany has strict drink-drive limits, so if you intend to taste, build in a designated driver, use regional trains and taxis, or stay locally overnight. Several whisky and gin regions can be combined with broader touring, the Black Forest with spa towns and hiking, the Spreewald with its famous waterways.