Garden State Distillery sits in downtown Toms River, New Jersey, where founders Bill Tambussi and George Dedes turned their shared passion for craft spirits into a full-scale distillery operation in 2013. The duo, both with backgrounds in hospitality and business, saw an opportunity to bring artisanal distilling to Ocean County and spent two years navigating permits and perfecting recipes before opening their doors. Their 3,000-square-foot facility houses a custom copper still system and produces vodka, gin, bourbon, and seasonal spirits in small batches. Tambussi and Dedes didn’t just want to make spirits—they wanted to create a gathering place where people could see the entire process from grain to glass. The distillery operates with a hands-on approach, with the founders often on-site explaining their techniques and sharing stories about their journey from concept to production. They source corn from local New Jersey farms when possible and age their bourbon in charred oak barrels stored on-site, creating a true grain-to-glass operation in the heart of the Garden State. Visitors can watch the distillation process through large windows, taste spirits directly from the source, and buy bottles that were literally made in the room next door. The space feels more like a working laboratory than a tourist attraction, with fermentation tanks, bottling equipment, and aging barrels creating an authentic production atmosphere. It’s the kind of place where you’ll learn something new about distilling while enjoying spirits that couldn’t be made anywhere else.