Boyden Valley Winery & Spirits sits on a working farm in Cambridge, Vermont, where the Green Mountains meet the Lamoille River Valley. David and Linda Boyden started this operation in 1998 as a winery, then expanded into distilling in 2008 when they saw an opportunity to create spirits from their own fruit and local Vermont ingredients. The property spans 250 acres of rolling farmland, with the distillery housed in a converted barn that maintains its rustic agricultural character while housing modern equipment. They produce vodka, gin, and fruit brandies alongside their wine operation, making them one of Vermont’s few farm-to-bottle operations that controls everything from growing to distilling. David Boyden comes from a farming background and saw distilling as a natural extension of their agricultural operation. The transition from wine to spirits happened gradually—they started experimenting with apple brandy using their own apples, then expanded when Vermont changed its laws to make small-scale distilling more feasible. Their master distiller works with a 500-liter copper pot still from Germany, focusing on small batches that reflect the seasons and available fruit. The philosophy here centers on using what the land provides, whether that’s apples from their orchard or maple syrup from neighboring farms. Visitors get a genuine farm experience here, not a polished corporate tour. You’ll walk through the vineyard and orchard before seeing the distillery operation, and the Boydens or their team explain how weather, soil, and timing affect both wine and spirits production. The tasting room overlooks the Lamoille River Valley, and you can often see the source of your spirits growing right outside the window. It’s agricultural tourism in the best sense—you leave understanding how Vermont terroir translates into the bottle.