Vermont Spirits Distilling Co.

Where:

Quechee, VermontRather than using traditional copper stills for the distilling process, Vermont Spirits Distilling Co. is one of a small but growing group of spirit-makers using glass, which allows for both greater accuracy—and a bit of fun. "We use glass to allow people to see the process," distiller Harry Gorman says, "and also for the same reason scientific laboratories use glass equipment: because it lessens the possibility of any kind of contamination, which can change or alter the experiment."The New England company's "experiment" is handcrafted ultra-premium vodka. Gorman describes the stills as being like large pieces of laboratory equipment: There are two tall glass columns—one approximately 15 feet tall, and the other 22 feet tall—both with packing material and condensing coils, where the alcohol and vapor condense to form the distilled liquid. Once the distillation process is complete, the vodka is immediately stored in either glass or stainless steel. "The theory behind glass is that it keeps the drink as pure as possible," Gorman says. "Arguably, our vodka is as pure as it can possibly be."