Sample These Top Veteran-Owned Distilleries and Breweries

Community support and great booze are on tap from these veterans

Susan B. Barnes,

AARP

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Published October 13, 2022

/ Updated June 25, 2024

a woman stands with a drink in her hands at a distillery

Beth Bechtel, owner of Bear Island Brewing.

Angie Smith

Veteran-owned distilleries and breweries are popping up across the U.S. as those who have taken off their uniforms for the last time opt to serve in a different way.

Here are eight establishments where you can raise a glass to our country and those who have fought for it.

Courtesy Honor Brewing

Honor Brewing

Sterling, Virginia

Allen O. Cage Jr., a 24-year Army veteran, founded Honor Brewing in 2014 with a dual mission: to craft exceptional beer and to make a significant impact on the veteran community.

Partnering with numerous charities, the brewery spreads awareness and raises funds for veterans and first responders. For every standard case equivalent of beer sold through their distribution partner, one dollar is donated to a veteran or first responder organization nominated by the brewery’s retail associates.

One of Honor’s key initiatives, the monthly Charity Tap Line, exemplifies this community commitment. Each month, 10 percent of the proceeds from the brewery’s top-selling Classic Lager is donated to a different organization aligned with Honor’s mission.

The flagship lager is fermented over three weeks, delivering a “crushable and crisp” taste. Close behind in popularity is the Freedom IPA, a clear, pale beer that blends old- and new-school hops, offering a unique take on the West Coast IPA style.

The brewery’s journey began in Chantilly, Virginia, a suburb of the nation’s capital, where its inaugural location now hosts private events. Today Honor Brewing operates a 30,000-square-foot production facility and restaurant in nearby Sterling, Virginia.

Cage’s vision extends beyond beer production; he aims to foster a community hub where people gather, share stories, create memories and build lasting connections.

Honor Brewing beers are available across Washington, D.C., the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Northern Virginia, Virginia’s Tidewater region, and Richmond, Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, Virginia.

American Freedom Distillery

St. Petersburg, Florida

Horse Soldier Bourbon takes its name from the Green Berets who rode into battle in Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11. Among the founders are Mark Nutsch and Bob Pennington, who were horse soldiers in Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) 595, fighting alongside the CIA’s Team Alpha and Northern Alliance forces to recapture the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in November 2001.

Their story was immortalized in the movie 12 Strong, and the pair recently cowrote a book about their exploits. Along with fellow Special Forces veterans Scott Neil and Rob Schaefer and others, they established American Freedom Distillery and released their first aged spirit in 2018. In addition to their St. Petersburg, Florida, distillery and stillhouse, the team has broken ground on a second stillhouse in Somerset, Kentucky, and has other distilleries in Kentucky and Ohio. Connecting its product with the founders’ military roots, American Freedom Distillery hosts Whiskey and War Stories events.

Neil and his team have also created the Veterans Artisan Distillers Guild, which helps other veteran entrepreneurs learn the business. “From the hills of Afghanistan to the valleys of Somerset, Kentucky, we’ve learned that you are only as good as the company you keep,” Neil said. “We have built Horse Soldier Bourbon on true American values. It’s these same values that led us to build and grow while all the time living the American dream we were defending.”

Bear Island Brewing

Boise, Idaho

Husband-and-wife team Beth and Steve Bechtel were explosive ordnance disposal technicians in the U.S. Navy before returning home to Boise to begin Bear Island Brewing in their two-car garage. They recently expanded to a brewhouse and taproom in an old firehouse, fueled by their desire to honor first responders and those who have served in the military. Many of the Bechtels’ employees are veterans or related to one.

Bear Island’s taproom features the brewery’s foundational beers — Idaho Potato Ale, Bearfaced Brown, Prime In and Brewhouse #6 — as well as rotating taps of seasonal, specialty and guest pours.

Four Branches

Nashville, Tennessee

The four cofounders of Four Branches come from each of the four branches of the military, uniting to create bourbon to honor the sacrifices of veterans and share their stories.

They emphasize that they sip not to forget, but to remember, which is reflected in their trademarked phrases: Sip to Remember, and Serve Honorably and Drink Honorably.

Four Branches gives back to the military and first responder communities by supporting numerous nonprofit organizations and national charitable events. Since its founding in 2022, Four Branches has donated approximately $350,000.

The flagship Four Branches Founders’ Blend is a 96-proof Kentucky-style bourbon crafted from a blend of four distinct grain mash bills, sourced from different distilleries.

The cofounders live in different states, with one still serving in the Army, and Four Branches does not operate a physical tasting room. Instead, the cofounders travel across the country to participate in various events.

Four Branches bourbon can be purchased online at FourBranches.com and ships to 32 states. It’s also available in retail stores and restaurants in Tennessee, Kentucky, Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia.

Oakhurst Spirits

Oakhurst, California

Mike Benbrook retired as a chief petty officer after 20 years in the U.S. Navy. He and his late wife, Ally, owned an art gallery and a company that manufactured window shades. In 2017, they founded Oakhurst Spirits, close to Yosemite National Park, and were soon named one of the 25 Top Distilleries to Try in California by Travel Pulse.

Using locally sourced ingredients and supplies from local businesses, Mike creates Oakhurst’s craft vodkas, rum, brandy, bourbon and whiskeys in small batches to achieve one-of-a-kind tastes. An internationally recognized watercolorist, Ally died in 2019 at age 67. Her artwork is on display at the distillery.

Talea Beer Co.

New York City

LeAnn Darland graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis and spent five years as a signals intelligence officer, mostly stationed in San Diego. Inspired by a taproom close to her apartment, she entered the world of craft alcohol after an MBA and a job at Google. Today she and her business partner, Tara Hankinson, helm New York City’s first women-owned brewery, Talea Beer Company, a moniker created by merging their first names.

What started out as a brewery that hand-delivered its beers quickly turned into a brick-and-mortar spot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There are now Talea taprooms in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn; the West Village and midtown Manhattan. On offer are coffee, tea, cocktails, wine and, of course, beer.

a man stands behind a bar with bottles of alcohol in front of him

Courtesy Gorget Distilling Co.

Gorget Distilling

Lugoff-Elgin, South Carolina

Hugh Thomas, who served as a U.S. Air Force F-111 crew chief during the Gulf War, and his wife, Nikki, the daughter of a Vietnam veteran who spent 26 years in the U.S. Navy, are head distiller and operations manager, respectively, of Gorget Distilling.

Opened in 2015, Gorget crafts its rum, vodka, whiskey and bourbon in small batches using grains from local farms. Recently released products include Black Cherry Rum, SilveRum, Root Beer Rum and Stumphole, a 100-proof corn whiskey.

Broken Strings Brewery

Orlando, Florida

A new type of brewery opened in Orlando when Broken Strings came to town. Co-owner Adam Peyrouse brought logistics experience from his time as an enlisted member of the U.S. Air Force to his role as taproom manager of Broken Strings, which bills itself as a place that serves “the best beer and some crazy awesome music.”

The brewery features its own craft beers, with names like Rebel Yell, Social Graces and Liquid Vinyl, and offers live music in the taproom.

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