Since its beginning as a small-batch, one-still distillery, Barr Hill  in Montpelier has been producing spirits that reflect the true characteristics of Vermont. Today, the company is boosting their commitment to sustainability by preserving thirty-two acres of native pollinator habitat.

Terroir is usually a word reserved for winemaking. Loosely translated to “a sense of place,” it encompasses the many natural elements that go into grape growing, including soil, climate, and geology. But terroir is also an apt word for the craft spirits produced by Caledonia Spirits’ Barr Hill Gin in Montpelier.

“Our spirits are ingredient-driven and inspired by the landscape around us,” says co-founder and head distiller Ryan Christiansen. “We work closely with farmers in our area, visiting and learning from them and exploring new ingredients, flavors, and possibilities.”

VERMONT-INSPIRED SPIRITS

Best known for their award-winning Barr Hill Gin, the distillery produces  spirits that are a true reflection of Vermont. The gin and vodka exhibit traits of raw honey and wildflower nectar, while the whiskies reflect oak and earth. “As distillers, our role is to highlight farmers’ passion and commitment to the land, extracting remarkable flavor from raw ingredients and creating that bridge between cocktail culture and agriculture,” Ryan adds.

When the company was founded in 2011, it operated with a single direct-fire still. Ryan and his team would transport cases of spirits in an old station wagon, and they offered free samples at the farmers’ market.

Although they’ve since expanded, their guiding principles remain the same. “Scale should never come at the expense of values,” Ryan says. “As we’ve grown, we’ve worked hard to keep our connection to agriculture, to the people who make what we do possible, and to the communities that support us.”

MAKING ITS DEBUT

The company has also expanded its product line to include its first rye whiskey for distribution. After a decade in production, Phyllis Rye Whiskey, named for Ryan’s grandmother and her namesake still, is made from Vermont-grown grains and aged in barrels made from grains grown in the Northeast and aged in barrels, many made from Vermont white oak sustainably harvested from the Champlain Valley.

“Bringing it to the world felt less like launching something new and more like fulfilling a promise we made years ago—to give the whiskey the time it needed and to do it the right way,” Ryan says.

FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY

Doing it the right way means keeping sustainability in mind. Whether whiskey, gin, or vodka, a spirit isn’t a spirit without the land it comes from, so protecting the land is at the heart of what Barr Hill does. Through its annual Bee’s Knees Week, it has created more than thirty-two acres of pollinator habitat. Ryan says preserving the natural habitat supports a wide range of wildlife and promotes biodiversity.

“For us, honey production and habitat work are connected. Healthy, diverse ecosystems lead to healthier pollinators, and better pollination ultimately means stronger farms, better ingredients, and more resilient communities,” he adds.

But sustainability doesn’t come at the expense of a great-tasting product. In its first year of operation, Barr Hill Gin—made with raw honey and wild juniper—won Double Gold at the New York InternationalSpirits Competition. Later that year, it won Best Gin of the Year at the Hong Kong International Spirits Competition. In addition, its sustainable Montpelier distillery was a finalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar in 2024.

CONNECTING COMMUNITIES

Ryan says that although craft spirits are the core of what they do, they view themselves as educators and their distillery as a community hub, where people can come together, not only to enjoy their spirits, but also to connect with one another and take in the landscape.

“The future for us is about going deeper into our role as educators and as members of a real community,” he says. “A distillery should reflect the agriculture around it, create opportunity locally, and invite people in to understand how spirits actually begin.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BARR HILL GIN

BARR HILL GIN

116 Gin Lane

Montpelier, Vermont

www.barrhill.com