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

Arkansas

Hot Springs Distilling LLC

Hot Springs,

Arkansas

— Bourbon, Rye, Moonshine

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

COCKTAILS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

DISTILLERY SNAPSHOT

📞 (501) 781-3187

🌐 http://hotspringsdistilling.com/

📍 121 Ross St, Hot Springs, AR 71901, USA

ABOUT THIS DISTILLERY

Hot Springs Distilling sits on Ross Street in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas, making it one of the few craft distilleries operating in this historic spa town. Founded by Ben and Kim Hemphill in 2017, the operation started as a labor of love after Ben transitioned from a career in technology and Kim from healthcare administration. They spent nearly two years navigating local regulations and converting a former commercial space into a working distillery, becoming the first legal distillery to operate in Hot Springs since Prohibition. The couple focuses on small-batch bourbon, rye whiskey, and moonshine using traditional copper pot stills in a setup that produces roughly 200 gallons per batch. The 3,000-square-foot facility combines production space with a tasting room that showcases their spirits alongside cocktails made with their own distillate. What started as weekend hobby quickly evolved into a full-time operation when Ben realized he could apply his analytical background to perfecting mash bills and fermentation processes. Kim handles the business side while Ben oversees production, creating a true mom-and-pop operation in Arkansas’s famous resort town. They source corn from local Arkansas farms when possible and age their whiskeys in 15-gallon barrels to speed maturation in Arkansas’s humid climate.

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WHAT SETS THEM APART

Hot Springs Distilling stands out as the first legal distillery in Hot Springs since the 1920s, bringing whiskey production back to a town famous for its natural springs and bootlegging history. The Hemphills use the town’s naturally soft spring water in their production process, the same water that made Hot Springs a destination for health seekers in the early 1900s. Their small 15-gallon aging barrels create higher surface-to-volume ratios that accelerate maturation in Arkansas’s hot, humid summers—letting them achieve flavor profiles typically requiring years longer in standard 53-gallon barrels. Ben’s tech background shows in his meticulous approach to fermentation monitoring and recipe documentation, treating each batch like a controlled experiment rather than relying purely on intuition.

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

FOOD AVAILABLE

COCKTAILS

RESERVATIONS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

You’ll walk into a compact but well-designed space where the copper stills dominate the production floor, visible through large windows from the tasting room. Ben or Kim typically handle tastings personally, walking you through their process while pouring samples of their current releases. The atmosphere feels more like visiting friends who happen to make whiskey than a formal distillery tour—expect genuine conversation about the challenges of starting a distillery in Arkansas and stories about perfecting recipes through trial and error. Tastings focus on comparing their different mash bills side by side, helping you understand how grain ratios affect flavor. The space smells like sweet mash and oak, and you can often hear the stills running during production days.

IS IT WORTH VISITING

If you’re exploring Hot Springs and enjoy meeting the actual people behind small craft operations, this hits the sweet spot. You won’t find elaborate tours or fancy gift shops, but you will get authentic interaction with founders who genuinely love talking about their craft. The spirits show promise for such a young operation, and the use of local spring water adds a legitimate connection to Hot Springs’ history. It’s perfect for bourbon enthusiasts who appreciate the story behind small-batch production and want to support local entrepreneurs. Don’t expect the polish of established Kentucky distilleries, but do expect genuine passion and the chance to taste spirits you can’t find elsewhere.

⚠️ VISITING TIPS

Call ahead or check their Facebook page before visiting since hours can vary based on production schedules and local events. Parking is street parking downtown, so arrive early during busy Hot Springs weekends when tourists flood Bathhouse Row. Ask Ben about his barrel aging experiments and how Arkansas weather affects maturation—he loves diving into the technical details. Try their moonshine if you typically avoid unaged spirits; theirs is surprisingly smooth. The tasting room can get crowded during peak tourist season, so weekday visits offer more personal attention. Don’t expect a long tour since it’s a small operation, but the conversation during tastings often runs longer than planned.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Hot Springs Distilling LLC — Visitor FAQ

How long have Ben and Kim been making whiskey?

They started Hot Springs Distilling in 2017 after spending nearly two years getting permits and converting their space. Ben had been experimenting with home distilling as a hobby before they decided to go commercial, making this a relatively young operation with spirits that show surprising maturity.

Why do they use smaller barrels for aging?

Their 15-gallon barrels create more surface contact between whiskey and wood compared to standard 53-gallon barrels, plus Arkansas’s hot humid climate accelerates extraction. This lets them achieve complex flavors in months rather than years, though the flavor profile differs from traditionally aged whiskeys.

Can I buy bottles to take home?

Yes, they sell bottles on-site of whatever they currently have in stock. Selection varies based on production schedules and what they’ve got aging, so if you taste something you like, grab it rather than assuming it’ll be available on a return visit.

GETTING THERE

Find Hot Springs Distilling LLC

📍121 Ross St, Hot Springs, AR 71901, USA

—

📞 (501) 781-3187

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