John Fitch Distilling Company sits in South Windsor, Connecticut, founded by Jim Cameron and Jeff Faulkner in 2015. These two friends turned their shared passion for craft spirits into Connecticut’s first grain-to-glass distillery, setting up shop in a converted industrial space on Glendale Road. Named after John Fitch, the Connecticut inventor who actually built America’s first steamboat (not Robert Fulton, as most people think), the distillery produces small-batch bourbon, rye, and gin using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Cameron and Faulkner didn’t stumble into distilling accidentally. Cameron brought decades of engineering experience, while Faulkner contributed his background in finance and operations. They spent years perfecting their recipes before opening, working with a 500-gallon copper still they imported from Germany. The duo focuses on traditional distilling methods but isn’t afraid to experiment—they age their spirits in new American oak barrels and have played with different char levels to create unique flavor profiles. Visitors walk into a working distillery where you can see the entire process from milling grain to bottling. The space feels industrial but welcoming, with exposed beams and the constant hum of production. Cameron or Faulkner often lead tours themselves, explaining everything from mash bills to the science behind distillation. You’re not just tasting spirits here—you’re getting an education from guys who genuinely love what they do and aren’t shy about sharing the technical details that make their products stand out.