How far is the distillery from Louisville?

Neeley Family Distillery is about 45 minutes northeast of Louisville in Sparta, Kentucky. It's in Gallatin County, off the main Bourbon Trail routes, so plan for a bit of a drive through rural Kentucky.

What makes their bourbon different from larger distilleries?

The Neeleys grow some of their own corn right on the property and handle most of the production themselves as a family operation. You're tasting spirits made in small batches with direct family involvement from grain to bottle, rather than mass-produced bourbon.

CRAFT DISTILLERY

Massachusetts

Triple Eight Distillery

Nantucket,

Massachusetts

— Vodka, Gin, Rum, Whiskey

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

COCKTAILS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

DISTILLERY SNAPSHOT

🚢

Ferry Required

Every ingredient arrives by boat

🌾

Farm Fresh

Distillery sits on working farm grounds

🌊

Ocean Aging

Salt air changes how spirits mature

🍸

Island Botanicals

Gin you cannot find on mainland

👨‍🌾

Farmer Owner

Randy Hudson farms and distills here

🏝️

Only One

Nantucket’s first and only distillery

📞 (508) 325-5929

🌐 https://tripleeightdistillery.com/

📍 5 Bartlett Farm Rd, Nantucket, MA 02554, USA

ABOUT THIS DISTILLERY

Island Farm Operation Making Spirits by the Sea

Triple Eight Distillery sits on the grounds of Bartlett Farm on Nantucket Island, making it the island’s first and only distillery. Founded in 2000 by Randy Hudson, who also owns the Nantucket Vineyard, this operation started as a way to diversify the farm’s offerings beyond vegetables and wine. Hudson partnered with Dean Long as head distiller, and together they’ve built something genuinely unique on an island better known for scallops than spirits. The distillery occupies a custom-built facility right on Bartlett Farm Road, where you can smell the ocean air mixing with the scent of fermenting grain. They produce vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey using a combination of local ingredients when possible and carefully sourced grains. The whole operation feels like it grew organically from the farm itself, which makes sense since that’s exactly what happened. What you’re getting here isn’t just a distillery tour—it’s a peek into how a working farm diversified into spirits with serious intention. The tasting room overlooks the farm fields, and you can often see the vineyard operations happening simultaneously. It’s agricultural tourism that actually feels authentic, probably because Randy Hudson has been farming this land for decades and distilling spirits feels like a natural extension of that work.

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WHAT SETS THEM APART

Nantucket's Only Distillery Salt Air and Isolation

Being the only distillery on Nantucket automatically makes Triple Eight unique, but the island location creates genuine production challenges that most mainland distilleries never face. Everything from grain to equipment has to be ferried over, which means they can’t just call up suppliers for quick deliveries. This isolation has forced them to be more self-sufficient and thoughtful about their processes. The maritime climate also affects aging differently than you’d find on the mainland, with the constant ocean air creating different interactions between spirits and barrels.

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

FOOD AVAILABLE

COCKTAILS

RESERVATIONS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Working Farm Vibes Not Tourist Theater

The tasting room feels like a farmhouse that happens to serve spirits, which isn’t far from the truth. You’ll taste through their lineup while looking out at actual farm fields, and the staff can tell you about both the distilling process and the farming operations happening outside. Tours include the production facility where you can see their stills and fermentation tanks, though the scale is intimate rather than industrial. The whole experience has a relaxed island pace, and you’re likely to end up in conversations about Nantucket life as much as distilling techniques.

IS IT WORTH VISITING

Perfect Nantucket Addition Worth the Detour

If you’re already on Nantucket, absolutely stop by. This isn’t a destination that would justify a trip to the island by itself, but it’s a solid addition to your Nantucket itinerary. The combination of farm, vineyard, and distillery gives you a complete picture of agricultural business on the island, and the spirits are well-made with some interesting local character. It’s particularly worth visiting if you’re curious about how geography affects spirits production, since the island setting creates conditions you won’t find anywhere else.

⚠️ VISITING TIPS

Call ahead or check their website before visiting, especially during shoulder seasons when island businesses can have unpredictable hours. The location is easy to find on Bartlett Farm Road, and there’s parking available on the farm property. If you’re interested in the agricultural side, ask about what’s currently growing in the fields—the staff knows the farm operations well and can give you insight into how the seasons affect both farming and distilling. Try their gin if you’re usually a whiskey person; the island botanicals make it distinctive.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Triple Eight Distillery — Visitor FAQ

How does being on an island affect the spirits you make?

The maritime climate creates different aging conditions than you’d find on the mainland, and we have to plan everything more carefully since all our supplies come by ferry. The constant ocean air affects how our spirits interact with barrels during aging, creating some unique characteristics in our aged products.

Can I visit both the distillery and vineyard in one trip?

Yes, since they’re both part of the same operation on Bartlett Farm. You can taste both wine and spirits in the same visit, and the staff can explain how we approach both fermentation processes differently depending on whether we’re making wine or preparing for distillation.

Do you use any ingredients grown on the farm?

We incorporate local elements when possible, particularly in our gin where we can use botanicals that grow well in our island climate. Most of our grain comes from off-island since we don’t have the acreage for large-scale grain production, but we’re always looking for ways to incorporate what we can grow here.

GETTING THERE

Find Triple Eight Distillery

📍5 Bartlett Farm Rd, Nantucket, MA 02554, USA

—

📞 (508) 325-5929

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