Barr Hill sits on Gin Lane in Montpelier—yes, that’s the actual street name—where Caledonia Spirits has been making honey-forward spirits since 2009. Todd Hardie founded the operation after leaving his career as a beekeeper, which explains why raw honey from his own apiaries ends up in nearly everything they produce. The distillery occupies a converted warehouse that feels more like a working farm operation than a polished tourist destination, with copper stills visible through large windows and the sweet smell of fermenting honey mash greeting you at the door. Hardie’s background as a commercial beekeeper wasn’t just a career change—it was the foundation for an entirely different approach to distilling. He’d spent years managing hives across Vermont and understood how terroir affects honey the same way it influences grapes or grain. When he decided to start distilling in 2009, he brought that knowledge with him, using raw honey as both a fermentable sugar and a flavoring agent. The result is spirits that taste distinctly different from anything else coming out of New England. What you’ll find here isn’t your typical whiskey-focused craft distillery tour. They’re making gin, vodka, and liqueurs that all showcase Vermont honey in different ways, and the tasting experience reflects that unique focus. The space feels authentic and unpretentious—more working distillery than destination experience—but that’s exactly what makes it interesting. You’re seeing how someone took expertise from one field and successfully applied it to create something genuinely original.