Distillery Tour & Tasting

Description

Distillery Tour & Tasting at Timber Creek Distillery

Discover the spirit of the Florida Panhandle — one sip at a time.

Timber Creek Distillery offers two versions of our signature experience inside a working grain-to-glass craft distillery in Crestview, Florida, about 45 minutes north of Destin and the Emerald Coast.

Both experiences walk you through the complete production process — from raw grain grown on Florida farms, through fermentation, distillation on our copper pot still, aging in charred white oak barrels, blending, and bottling — and both finish with guided tastings of our award-winning spirits.

The difference comes down to depth and duration.

Unlike distillery tours that show you a polished showroom separated from actual production, at Timber Creek you’re walking through the working floor. The tour is open to all ages — bring the kids, bring the grandparents. Only the tasting portion requires guests to be 21 or older.

Two Experiences to Choose From

Distillery Tour & Tasting — 45 to 60 minutes

The standard experience. A guided tour of the full distillery followed by a seated tasting of our award-winning handcrafted spirits, including Florida Vodka, Florida Gin, Florida Rum, and a selection from our whiskeys. This is the right choice for first-time visitors, travelers fitting a stop into a larger Panhandle itinerary, and anyone who wants a solid introduction to grain-to-glass distilling without committing a half day.

Includes the guided distillery walk-through, seated tasting, tasting notes and production context from our team, and access to the on-site retail shop after the tour.

Tour & Craft Cocktail Experience — 90 minutes

Tour. Taste. Create.

The deeper experience. Everything in the standard tour, plus three full-sized, handcrafted cocktails built around our spirits — from bold old fashioneds to seasonal creations like our blueberry shrub — with our team walking you through cocktail-making techniques, balance, and the local, seasonal ingredients we use. This is the right choice for couples on a date, small groups, cocktail enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to take the experience past the tasting pour and into full mixology.

Includes the full behind-the-scenes distillery tour, guided tasting of Timber Creek spirits, three handcrafted cocktails, insights into cocktail techniques and spirit production, and the use of local seasonal ingredients.

Sip, stir, and discover the spirit of Timber Creek.

What You’ll See on the Tour

Both experiences follow the natural flow of spirits production from grain to glass. You’ll see:

The grain mill and mash tun. Corn, wheat, rye, and barley arrive as whole grain from Florida farms. We mill on-site and cook each grain separately rather than combining them up front. This separate grain distillation approach is uncommon in American whiskey production and is one of the reasons our bourbon tastes different from most of what’s on the shelf.

The fermenters. We use closed fermentation, which protects the mash from outside contamination and gives us tighter control over yeast performance. You won’t see an open vat of bubbling liquid, but when sample lids come off you’ll smell active fermentation, hear the CO2 release, and understand why what’s happening inside those tanks shapes the flavor of every bottle.

The still. Our copper pot still paired with a Scottish-style worm condenser is the centerpiece of the distillery. This combination is rare in American craft distilling — most producers use column stills for efficiency. The worm condenser produces a heavier, more textured spirit and carries more of the grain character forward into the final product. Depending on when you visit, you may see the still running or between runs.

The barrel warehouse. Our aging warehouse holds barrels of bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and single malt at various stages of maturation. Florida’s climate accelerates aging compared to Kentucky — the hotter summers drive more rapid interaction between spirit and oak — which is part of what makes Florida whiskey a distinct regional style.

The bottling line. Every bottle leaving Timber Creek is proofed, filtered, bottled, corked, and labeled on-site. For partners in our private label program, this is also where custom bottles receive their branded labels.

What You’ll Taste

The seated tasting typically features our core Florida spirits lineup:

• Florida Whiskey — our flagship blended whiskey
• Florida Black Rye — rye-heavy expression with pronounced spice character
• Florida Single Malt — 100% malted barley, pot-stilled American single malt
• Southern Reserve — our premium reserve whiskey expression
• Florida Vodka — grain-to-glass, gold-medal corn vodka
• Florida Rum — Florida sugar cane, aged in-house
• Florida Gin — botanicals distilled separately and blended

We also produce a growing line of flavored and barrel-finished spirits — Florida Coffee Rum, Florida Apple Pie Rum, Barrel Aged Florida Rum — plus location-specific releases developed with partner properties across the Emerald Coast. Availability varies by day. If there’s a specific spirit you’re hoping to try, let us know when you book and we’ll do our best to include it.

Why Timber Creek Is Worth the Visit

Most craft distillery tours in the United States are tours of a bottling operation, not a distillery. Many “craft” brands buy bulk neutral spirit from Indiana, rebarrel it, rebottle it, and label it as their own. At Timber Creek, every step from raw grain to bottled spirit happens on-site. You’re not watching a finished product get repackaged. You’re watching whiskey being made, using traditional techniques with a modern touch.

A few specific things that make the tour different from what you’ll see elsewhere:

• Grain-to-glass production. Raw grain in, finished spirit out, all under one roof
• Pot still with Scottish-style worm condenser. Rare in American craft — most producers use column stills
• Separate grain distillation. Each grain is fermented and distilled individually, then blended — giving our whiskeys a flavor architecture that fixed mash bills can’t replicate
• Florida regional character. Florida water, Florida grain, Florida climate. The result doesn’t taste like Kentucky bourbon — and it shouldn’t
• Gold medal vodka, award-winning whiskey — our spirits have placed in major national competitions
• Real access. You’ll meet the team making the spirits, not a tour actor reciting a script
• Family friendly. The tour portion is open to all ages, so no one gets left out of the distillery visit

Visiting from Destin, Fort Walton Beach, 30A, or Pensacola

Timber Creek is located in Crestview, Florida, in the heart of the Florida Panhandle.  Roughly 45 minutes north of Destin and the Emerald Coast beach towns. For visitors staying in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Miramar Beach, Seaside, Rosemary Beach, or anywhere along 30A, the drive is a straight shot north up Highway 285.  A scenic route through the Florida pine forests. The tour is a popular rainy-day activity, a break from the beach, or a destination for groups and families who want to do something different on vacation.

Driving times from common Panhandle locations:

• Destin: ~45 minutes — we produce a dedicated Destin Vodka and Destin Spiced Rum
• Fort Walton Beach: ~35 minutes
• Miramar Beach: ~45 minutes
• Seaside / Rosemary Beach (30A): ~60 minutes — ask about our 30A Vodka and 30A Spiced Rum
• Pensacola: ~60 minutes — we produce Pensacola Vodka and Pensacola Spiced Rum as well
• Panama City Beach: ~75 minutes — with Panama City Beach Vodka and Panama City Beach Spiced Rum in our lineup
• Niceville: ~25 minutes
• Navarre: ~45 minutes
• DeFuniak Springs: ~30 minutes

Parking is free and on-site. The facility is wheelchair accessible on the main tour route.

Who the Tour Is For

The Distillery Tour & Tasting fits a wide range of visitors:

• Bourbon and whiskey enthusiasts who want to understand what goes into the glass
• Vacationers on the Emerald Coast looking for something beyond the beach
• Couples on a date — particularly the 90-minute Craft Cocktail Experience, which is paced for conversation and makes a memorable afternoon or evening
• Families and multi-generational groups — the tour portion is open to all ages, so kids and grandparents can participate even if they won’t join the tasting
• Groups and bachelor/bachelorette parties — we accommodate groups on the standard tour; larger groups and fully private experiences available on request
• Corporate teams doing offsite activities or client entertainment
• Curious beginners — the tour is educational and accessible even if you’ve never thought much about how spirits are made
• Travelers who can’t make it to Kentucky — if you’re looking for a proper distillery experience but aren’t heading to the Bourbon Trail, Timber Creek offers the same kind of depth closer to home for Gulf Coast and Southeast visitors

Guests under 21 are welcome on the tour but will not participate in the tasting or cocktail portion of either experience. Valid ID is required for all guests participating in the tasting.

After the Tour: What Else to Do

Your tour ticket gives you access to the distillery’s retail shop, where you can purchase bottles of anything you tasted. Many visitors extend their visit by booking a second experience on the same day:

• Bourbon Blending Experience — hands-on session where you build your own custom bourbon blend from our separate grain whiskeys and take home a bottle you designed yourself. This is our most popular experience and pairs naturally with the standard tour.
• Wine & Chocolate Tasting — curated pairing of boutique California wines from our private label wine partners with artisan chocolates
• Pizza Saturdays — wood-fired pizza served on Saturdays at the distillery, open to tour guests and walk-ins

 

Book Your Distillery Tour & Tasting

Select your preferred experience, date, and group size above to reserve your spot. Tours fill up during peak Emerald Coast travel seasons (spring break, summer, Thanksgiving, and Christmas/New Year), so we recommend booking at least a week in advance during those periods. Off-season weekday availability is usually wider.

Questions before you book? Reach us through the contact page, call the distillery directly, or stop by during open hours.