Nebraska Makes Delicious Beer: Not Beer, Liquor Edition

Look, I feel you. Not everyone likes beer. My parents, for example, don’t like beer. It’s okay. I still love them despite their failings.

If you’re new to us and want to read our past pieces covering beer in the state of Nebraska (and Okoboji, Iowa), check out our Beer Brewing and Other Libations page.

This week, we’ll be taking a brief look at liquor and distilleries in the state. When we talked about Brickway and Lucky Bucket in previous pieces, we touched on their distilling businesses, but they’re not the only ones.

According to Distillery Trail, there are five active distilleries in the state. Three of them are in the greater Omaha area with another in West Point and the fifth in St. Paul.

Aside from Brickway and Lucky Bucket’s Cut Spike Distillery, Patriarch Distillers calls the Omaha area home in La Vista.

If you want to find other distilleries, you’ll have to travel beyond Lincoln and Omaha. Cooper’s Chase is in West Point in the northeastern part of the state while Loup River Distilling is in St. Paul.

Personally, I’ve had Cut Spike’s Whiskey and Vodka as well as Brickway’s Bourbon and Gin. No one at CornNation enjoys gin more than I do. Not even Jon, no matter what anyone tells you. Without going in depth because I’m not sure I have the vocabulary to talk spirits like I do beer (and wine will be a total disaster if I try), everything I’ve had from the Nebraska distilleries falls in to my “special occasions” category. They have great full-bodied flavor that make for smooth sipping and a exceptional experience whether neat, on the rocks, or in a mixed drink.

If you’ve had another spirit from The Good Life that you’ve enjoyed, please let us know in the comments. Everything in the Beer Brewing and Other Libations series is about helping these small Nebraska businesses grow while hopefully helping our readers find something they enjoy.

Next week we’ll be talking about Nebraska wineries, of which there are many and then we’ll finish this summer’s brief series with a brief update on changes in the Nebraska beer scene.

GBR