This Boozy Virginia Trail Maps Out The State's Most Incredible Distilleries And Tasting Rooms

In 1620, a British immigrant to Virginia named George Thorpe distilled the first known batch of corn-based whiskey in the colonies. He probably just wanted a drink, but his actions forever made Virginia the proud birthplace of American spirits. In the 405 years since that fateful day, the state has grown its distillery industry into one of the largest in the country, and now promotes local liquor with the deliciously fun Virginia Spirits Trail. 

The trail can be explored via an interactive map that highlights over 80 distilleries known for the quality of their products. There are so many places on the map that it can feel a bit overwhelming at first. Thankfully, it's designed with various filters that help you narrow down your choices. The convenient region filter, for instance, lets you search for distilleries wherever you are in the state, whether that's the suburbs of D.C., the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, or beautiful beach towns on the Atlantic Coast. Another filter sorts by experience so you can easily find spots that do tours and tastings. If you're looking for a specific type of spirit, you can filter for that, too. Options include classic regional ones like whiskey, bourbon, and moonshine, as well as international ones like agave-based spirits, vodka, and rum. And if you like the idea of a distillery tour but aren't a big fan of hard liquor, some places also offer craft cocktails.

Travelers who want to narrow their choices further and try the best of the best can plan a road trip based on the winners of the state's First Landing Cup. This competition highlights excellent Virginia-made spirits from 33 distilleries. You can head to the Virginia Spirits website to look at the 13 distilleries that won gold for a specific product that wowed judges in a blind test. Or, if you're keen to try a specific type of spirit, you can focus on the six "Best in Class" winners. These include Three Crosses Distilling Company for its Crossed Rifles Spiced Rum, considered the best rum in the state, and Mt. Defiance Distillery's Absinthe Supérieure, which won best specialty spirit. For brandy, head to Old House Vineyards and try the Estate Brandy XO.

If you were to go to only one spot on the map, you may want to consider the Virginia Distillery Company, whose Courage & Conviction Signature Malt won both Best in Class Whiskey and Best in Show. The second distinction means that it earned the highest score out of all the hundreds of bottles tested during the contest. The Virginia Distillery Company is located in the quaint small mountain town of Lovingston, which is only about 40 minutes from Charlottesville, one of Virginia's most important historic college towns. Booking a tasting is the best way to experience the distillery and learn about the whiskey-making process while trying the state's best liquor.

Planning a grand road trip through Virginia is a great way to enjoy the state's natural beauty, interesting history, and, of course, liquor. Those who want to see some of the main colonial and Revolutionary War sites should complete the Colonial Parkway, which crosses through places like Colonial Williamsburg and Historic Jamestowne. Cross-reference the parkway with the Virginia Spirits Trail to have your history lessons with a side of whiskey.

The trail also has an interesting rewards program based on a digital passport. Thirty-eight out of the 82 distilleries participate in this program, and you can filter for them on the interactive map. If you're able to try multiple spots, be sure to download the passport and get it stamped at eligible locations. Once you hit certain milestones, you'll get fun rewards like t-shirts or even entrances into interesting sweepstakes — though you may argue that getting to try really good whiskey is a reward in itself. If you're short on time, try to get to at least one of the distilleries mentioned above or included in the map.

Can't get enough of Virginia-made alcohol? Look into completing the Monticello Wine Trail, another fun culinary trail in Virginia. As the name suggests, this experience centers around wine rather than spirits. Those traveling around the state's Blue Ridge Mountain region will be able to hit up spots on both trails at the same time. Virginia really is for (wine and spirits) lovers.