Columbus, Ohio, is no longer the meat-and-potato city of decades ago. Yes, there are the big restaurant chains. Wendy’s, White Castle and Sbarro, to name a few, have national headquarters here. But the state capital is now one of the country’s fastest-growing cities, and it has dynamic art projects, good restaurants and a revitalized riverfront. Recently, it also has been getting buzz for its spirits, with a fresh crop of homegrown micro distilleries elevating the city’s drink scene.

While craft breweries in Columbus have flourished by the dozens, following a national trend, a surge in small distilleries of whiskey and other spirits has only happened in the last few years because of legislative changes that relaxed craft-distilling restrictions in the state.

“The environment is ripe for new distilleries to emerge,” said Cheryl Harrison, who edits the blog Drink Up Columbus.

Nearly 60 craft distilleries, mostly clustered in the Columbus area, now operate in Ohio, up from a handful a decade ago. To draw more customers and to grow their brands, many of these micro distilleries have added tasting rooms, bottle shops and restaurants that experiment with food and spirit pairings.