Lost Lantern Whiskey sits in downtown Vergennes, Vermont, but here’s the thing—they’re not your typical distillery. Founded by Adam Polonski and Nora Ganley-Roper in 2020, this operation functions more like whiskey curators than traditional distillers. Polonski, a former finance guy who caught the whiskey bug hard, partnered with Ganley-Roper to create something entirely different in the American whiskey landscape. Their storefront on Main Street serves as both tasting room and headquarters for what they call “independent bottling”—sourcing exceptional barrels from distilleries across America and bottling them under their own label.
The concept came from Polonski’s frustration with the limited selection of single barrel whiskeys available to consumers. He spent years building relationships with craft distilleries nationwide, learning their stories and tasting their best barrels. Rather than build their own distillery, they decided to become storytellers and quality gatekeepers for small producers who make incredible whiskey but lack distribution muscle. Each Lost Lantern release tells the story of its source distillery, complete with detailed provenance and tasting notes that read like love letters to American craft distilling.
When you visit their Vergennes location, you’re experiencing whiskey discovery rather than production tourism. The space feels more like a sophisticated wine bar than a distillery, with carefully curated bottles lining the walls and detailed stories behind each selection. Polonski and Ganley-Roper are usually on-site, eager to share the narratives behind their latest finds and help visitors understand what makes each whiskey special. It’s intimate, educational, and refreshingly honest about the craft spirits industry.
