Wonderful spot that feels authentic to the owners passion for creating the best bourbon and cocktails possible. Doug and Jen greeted everyone and spent time making us feel at home. Don't skip this place if you're traveling through, just a few minutes will see you walking out with stories and a few bottles. read more

The Georgia Bourbon Snow Cream is to die for. Amazing flavor that feels like a perfect holiday, whether you're in Georgia or not. Quick and nice service to purchase.we stop by each time we go through Rabun. read more

Moonrise Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Clayton, Georgia

Man you got to check these guys out. I know for you Atlanta folks it's a bit of a drive, but if you are anywhere already in North GA it's definitely worth a detour to come try. My thoughts, I wasn't as crazy about their bourbons. To me they seemed a little light and lifeless compared to my tastes. I am a fan of a robust flavor, like Angels Envy, Woodford Reserve, Jeptha Creed... etc and this wasn't quite there. Their ryes though were pretty good, especially that single barrel selection. I enjoyed those even though they are a lighter rye mash bill, it makes for a nice smooth finish that is easy drinking. The staff is fantastic. What a great bunch of folks from the owner on through the tasting bar and the cocktail bar. Granted we got a lot of attention since they weren't busy on a Sunday at noon, but still. Beautiful venue and they had a really good live music artist going. I'll stop again and I really want to do their tour. Fin on! Go check them out! read more

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Ryan was a wonderful host. Very personable. We enjoyed the gin and vodka drinks. We will definitely be back!

A nice little distillery located on the side of the road. Inside is very rustic. They had live music going when we were there. You can try their Whiskey and Bourbon and do a flight of them. They have a tasting bar as soon as you walk in. The older gentleman that was working the tasting bar was incredibly nice. You can order cocktails here if you'd like but you'll have to head over to the bar located in the room next to the tasting room. It's pretty spacious. read more

Looking for something different while we were in the mountains for wine tasting because well as much as we like wine and little whiskey here and there provides a nice diversion. This place was really cool. Nice venue and layout. Staff was friendly although the bartender seemed a bit 'aloof' for most of the time we were there. Tastings were there thing but he seemed to not like to pour them. It seems a few others have felt the people behind the bar were a little off putting. But as with all reviews take them with a grain of salt. It is definitely worth a visit and you form your own opinion. Either way we did get to try some good whiskeys and talk with some locals which the place seemed full of. You can buy all of their mixers in the store as well. Fun place! read more

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Went to buy some rum. Was there for ten minutes without a word from the staff. They were too busy talking with snooty looking people to chat with us. I guess we did not look rich or snotty enough for them. So we left without buying anything. Nice looking place though read more

We hit up the speakeasy in downtown Clayton and LOVED it! The drinks were fantastic and it definitely had the cozy speakeasy vibes. The Staff was friendly and super helpful in guiding us around the menu and different spirits they distill. Highly recommend as a place to grab a drink and chill! read more

Fun stop. Nice staff and good quality samples. Looks like it could be a really fun place on the weekends! read more

Moonrise Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Clayton, Georgia

Stopped in on a weekend and we're pleasantly surprised. We tried so many things and everything was tasty and pretty unique. Our service was excellent.... From our greeting by Rita, to our drinks served by Doug (the owner). We left with a few bottles to drink and will definitely be back. We stopped by earlier in the day on a weekday and it was a little less busy and a little quieter. So depending on what atmosphere you prefer, choose your day/time accordingly. They also had live music on the weekend. It was pretty crowded but also not a rowdy crowd. Can't wait to go back! read more

Moonrise Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Clayton, Georgia

I felt very welcome upon entering the establishment. The staff and even the patrons that were taste testing were very friendly and informative. I ended up buying a bottle of Distillers Select bourbon, Georgia Bloody Mary, Georgia Peach Tea and some bourbon barbecue sauce. I will go back there if I am in this part of the country agian! read more

Walked in the door 30 min before closing. It was my son's 21st birthday. They would not serve us said they stop serving 30min before closing. Change your closing time to when you close the bar. That is when you are really closed. After that you're just waiting on people to leave. read more

A gem. Truly an awesome experience. Booked the distillery tour with no real expectations but looking for something to do in the area while visiting. Highly recommend. I mean HIGHLY. The owner and master distiller Doug has a passion for what he does and it shows during his tour. The smells and feels of each room during the tour accentuate the experience. The tasting offered at the end were above and beyond what I even imaged the experience would entail. Even with a charge for the tour. We ended up spending over $500 with multiple visits during our trip to take back home and will definitely be back for more. Doug's wife Jen ran the store and bar and she is the sweetest. They even provided suggestions on places to eat in town and sites to see. Very friendly American family run operation. . I can see why they have won awards. Great people. Great booze. Great atmosphere. Great time. read more

Moonrise Distillery - Peach tea - Distilleries Near Me - Clayton, Georgia

The rum and brandy was of very good quality. However, the folks that run this distillery are not very friendly. We walked in this afternoon and were met with a lukewarm welcome; we felt like we were an annoyance at first. Maybe coming later in the day is better. The ambiance was comfortable. The lady helping us warmed up at the end, but it was really not a great experience. Go in, get a flight for $20, and leave. The bartender didn't seem to have a passion/interest for sharing alcohol details, or maybe a disinterest in educating people who don't know much about the alcohol. read more

We really enjoyed our second visit to Moonrise -- great people, good music, a fantastic new tasting room (with trains!), and excellent spirits. We'll definitely be back! Our favorite cocktails were the snow cream with espresso and the Manhattan. Don't miss this place if you are visiting Clayton. read more

Amazing staff! Great location for gathering with friends. Very comfortable to chat, play games while enjoying locally created libations!! Thank you for helping us celebrate our anniversary! read more

If I could give it 0 stars I would. I found this place on Yelp and TripAdvisor and definitely should have gone with some of the reviews I decided to ignore. But the girl working the tasting room what a flaming B, told us to move our truck she's expecting deliveries. It's was pouring rain. Or where to move it to anywhere. Ok you make no sense. So the rest of us 5 of us stayed thinking she would say hey this is what we have, this is what it cost. Nothing nothing. Seems racist, same with the guy he walked around said nothing. I looked up something else went to the distillery down the street Rose and we spent well over $500. Don't be so quick to judge by the skin tone. I made sure to dirty your name at quite a few places and they all said the same everyone complains about the lady behind. Rude bad for business and heard she's just a worker. Get your thinking right: it's 2021 not 1800 idiot. read more

Folks - there is a reason why Moonrise Distillery has so many 5 star ratings! First of all, the owners are amazing people who are committed not only to this great Country, but also to making the finest Bourbon to be found in this country. Have they succeeded (?), well that will be up to you to decide as everyone has a different palate - but I can tell you this from an experienced whisky drinker - it is some DAMN fine bourbon and to not have tasted it would be a crime against humanity. Now..........do you really want to have that on your conscience? Just as good as the bourbon, or even better, are their Rye Whiskey and the addictive Snowcream cordial which will cause your eyes to roll back as it glides over your tongue almost immediately forcing you to pour another one, or five. And for those lazy Sunday mornings, try their pre-bottled Bloody Mary's which are the perfect blend of smooth and spicy. You'll never want to go to the trouble of making your own again. Looking forward to my next visit to Moonrise Distillery - it's worth every effort to travel all the way to Georgia as they treated me as family. Thanks Doug and Jenn. read more

Moonrise Distillery - Heaven - Distilleries Near Me - Clayton, Georgia

The highlight of Clayton. What a great experience touring the distillery. We met several wonderful people on our tour. This family owned distillery is fantastic. I learned so much about how my favorite libation is created. Our tour guide the man himself was great. After an explanation on how the distillery works, we got a tour of the barrels of whiskey. After that was the fun part. Tasted several delicious cocktails and just talked and laughed with our new friends. I almost forgot to mention we were able to bring our dogs along thru the entire tour. Thank you for a wonderful afternoon. read more

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My wife and I travel quite a lot and we like to visit breweries and distilleries wherever we can. LOVED this gem hidden in Northeast Georgia. We have been on multiple tours of these type of facilities but none have ever treated us like Jennifer and Doug (I hope I remembered correctly) did. There were just our little group of 4 and once the tour started it was awesome. Doug was explaining the history of distilling and how he used that history to learn from to make his product. It was the most detailed description I've ever had about distilling and since I brew beer at home I understood a lot of the process. My friends have a bit of a chemistry background so he really went into details about the chemistry of distilling. Along the way we sampled product, checked out the distillery area and the barrel storage area. Great visit and we will be back. They were so friendly and nice. read more

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Service non-existent. Won't be going back. Could not get a drink. Paying attention to other staff but not customers.

This distillery was a true gem! We thought we were going to a brewery (our fault we did t read) but glad we ended up here. The location and venue are well done. Doug and Jenn were incredible hosts and extremely knowledgeable. We got there a little after the tour started - they were kind enough to ask if we wanted to join but we didn't want to interrupt so we stayed in the tasting room with Jenn. The tastings were excellent. The bourbon was our favorite, followed by the bloody mary mix for me. We would highly recommend this experience and plan to stay awhile - it is a fun afternoon. We're going back for the tour - since my sweetheart is a chemical engineer he is anxious to see how the the magic happens! read more

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We loved everything about this place! Doug and Jen are a charming couple who know their bourbon. The tasting was wonderful. Doug was super knowledgeable and shared his story with us. We have toured and tasted many bourbons and Moon Rise was up there with the best of them. Please check them out read more

What an experience! If you have ever wondered about why good bourbon/alcohol is good, come be educated. I've been to many distilleries, including pretty much all the ones on the Bourbon Trail, many times. But honestly I felt like this one makes sure you understand why you like what you like. This is blue collar no nonsense real folks making a no nonsense product that they obviously have pride in. read more

I would not recommend this place. Stopped in with a group of nine other people and the staff was incredibly rude to us. The complained that we were there. There were only four other patrons and two servers. I've never been treated like that before. read more

My husband and I have toured MANY distilleries (yes, we may have an issue) and NONE compare to this one. Doug and Jen are first off , true hosts, they embody the meaning of southern hospitality. We learned more today in one hour that in all the tours we have taken combined. We learned about the history of how it's all made , but better yet the process used by Moonrise to create a delicious drink. The Vodka with ease earns its number one status in the beautiful state of Georgia ! I can go on and on but if you want to feel like family , learn how it's made , and taste the best of the best than Moonrise is the place for you. We are all ready planning our next visit! This time on a Sunday for the Sunday funday :) Rolllllll Tide ! read more

Incredibly rude! I've never walked out of an establishment prior to even sitting down.

Incredible find. Owner is an engineer who loves whiskey and the science behind a great product. One taste and you know it works.

Great makers or bourbon, gin and vodka and a whole lot more! No hangovers even if you drink the crap out of it !! Mix and match.. not a problem. I learned the hard way. But it's all good. read more

The young lady who was working that afternoon was extremely nice and very informative about the product. I enjoyed sampling various liquors at a reasonable price. I ended up purchasing a bottle to take home. I just wish I was in town for some live music! read more

For those of you who are bourbon lovers, this place is a gem off the bourbon trail!! A very talented master distiller make tasty bourbon!

I really had to think about this review for a bit, in order to give fair and balanced feedback, and to try and account for the unusual behavior of one of the owners as we prepared to leave.The short version: I enjoyed tasting their products but was completely uncomfortable with the in-person experience. The longer version: We had the opportunity to go by while on a trip to Dillard. The facility sits atop a small hill directly on the road, so it's easy to find. The parking area is in front and isn't large, so unless there's more space around back, finding a spot to park could be a challenge on a busy summer weekend. There are a couple of buildings - one smaller and one clearly the distillery itself. There's not much signage, so once parked, tried to figure out which building we were supposed to go into - luckily, one of the staff (family member) was walking through the parking lot and pointed us in the right direction. You start in the smaller building, where you buy your tasting or your tour - different price points. This is the building you'll return to if you decide to buy any of their products, t-shirts, shot glasses or the like. After buying your tasting/tour, you're supposed to walk across the lot to the distillery to start. It was here, while buying our tastings, we first began to feel uncomfortable. One of the owners (Jen, I believe) was assisting members of the previous tasting to complete their purchases, so our group of four waited several minutes. She then stepped over, completed the tour/tasting transaction for two of us, stepped back to the other group, then back to us several minutes later to complete the transaction for the other two and then back to the other group. One person, trying to balance a lot of customers is a situation I'm sympathetic to & patient with, however three things were lacking: 1) zero greeting/acknowledgment of our arrival, 2) zero information/instruction on next steps after we purchased our tasting and 3) zero masks or social distancing. We four were the *only* people in the small building wearing masks. After a few more minutes, the owner noticed we were still there and said, over her shoulder, to walk over to the distillery to join the tasting. Upon entering, we found ourselves in the distillery proper where we saw several tables, the other owner behind a small but well constructed wooden bar, and 10 people sitting at the bar. No social distancing. No masks. We decided to hang back a bit at a table. During the tasting, the owner regaled the group with information on the "shenanigans" pulled by the distilleries in the industry & his determination to provide a high quality product at a reasonable price point. I can definitely get behind that goal! He also shared bits of technical information (I liked this but those not interested in engineering, chemistry or similar may not find it engaging). He has very decided viewpoints on many subjects. It *is* his business, after all, which means he has the right to share those as he sees fit. We tasted four canned products - a margarita, a Bloody Mary, a whiskey tea and a bourbon lemonade. These are quite good. We then tasted several of his spirits: vodka, gin, bourbon, rye whiskey, limoncello and Snowcream: a bourbon liqueur (that also contains rum). Your palate and experience will be different but here's my feedback on the products: Vodka - not my normal drink but it seemed fine, especially if using a mixer Gin - I AM a gin drinker so I looked forward to this. They use a combo of botanicals so the gin does have more flavor and it's good, but all in all, I still prefer the St. Augustine Distillery gin and it's botanical/citrus notes. Bourbon - we tasted several proofs of bourbon, all very drinkable. Generally, I turn to my favorite scotch, rather than bourbon, so if you're a bourbon fan, you'll likely find something you love in this lineup. Rye whiskey - I prefer a rye whiskey to a bourbon and was not disappointed. This one is seriously good and makes a hella good Old Fashioned. Limoncello - this is a perfect blend. The lemon comes through without the syrupy sweetness of most limoncellos marketed in the US. This is the closest I've found to the limoncello of Italy. Snowcream - anyone will love this product, even those who don't normally drink spirits. It's well balanced. After the tasting, we decided to buy a few products and went back to the original building (wearing masks - still the only ones). We completed our $200+ purchase & then this happened: Jen leans over the high counter, close to my face, rubs my arm and says "good to meet you" or something similar. Quite startled me, not only because we're in a pandemic but (secondarily) because it was overly familiar & out of character based on my observation of her interactions (with us and the others) when we purchased our tasting/tours. Definitely left the impression that it was done BECAUSE of the masks. read more

Unlike any tour/ tasting I have done.... the passion of Doug came out not only in the quality of the spirit but in the love for the craft which he shared. Need to come back to enjoy a concert and yes I actually drank some of the BBQ sauce (it is that good!!) read more

Moonrise Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Clayton, Georgia

What an awesome place to participate in some great libations. Jennifer was a pleasure to chat with and gave great guidance on their selection. read more

I had heard of this distillery through the owners of an ice cream shop in Helen. We decided to try it and glad we did. It's a bit of a puzzle getting there. It's up high from the main road and there isn't a big sign to say, "Turn here!" So we missed it and went around, down a dirt road, but finally landed in the parking lot. We spoke with the owners and were impressed with their enthusiasm and success with their products. read more

Amazing tour and explanation of the distilling process. Both very entertaining and educational. And the tasting! Oh my gosh, simply unbelievable tasting spirits. read more

My wife and I were visiting the area, and stopped by to pick up a bottle of bourbon after someone recommended it. The people were so nice and welcoming that after we got back to our car, we decided we had to go back in for a drink. We're not sure who we enjoyed talking with more, the people at the bar around us, or the people behind the bar! Even though it's an hour drive for us, we've already planned our next trip back in 2 weeks. And after getting home and cracking open the bourbon.... its worth the drive! read more

Moonrise was recommended by my co-worker. We are from Jacksonville, FL. This place absolutely did not disappoint. Aside from the fact that product quality is Amazing, Doug and Jen were amazing hosts. Please visit this place if you are in the area. I promise you will leave with a better appreciation for the craft as well as the importance of keeping things local. They truly believe in honesty and good business practices. Thank you for one of the main highlights of our trip! read more

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Stopped on the way back to Franklin... just missed the last tour of the day with Doug through the Distillery... so Jenn gave us the history of their adventure at the bar inside while tasting their award winning Spirits. Will definitely be going back this week with a couple buddies for the full tour... and probably pack a lunch to enjoy at the outdoor tables. Can't wait to share the bourbon with my friends in St Augustine... and the bourbon BBQ sauce will be on the July 4th wings for sure!! read more

Moonrise Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Clayton, Georgia

This is an exceptional distillery. The owners are the best people, the location is lovely, and their knowledge and quality is unsurpassed. We were absolutely floored with what a delightful time we had, and can say that their bourbon and vodka are some of the best I have ever had. Their new products, including ready to drink margarita and ice creams that include bourbon pecan and apple crisp, are worth our six hour drive to consume! Truly. Their experience and passion are evident, and this was truly THE BEST visit we've had at a distillery in the United States. They are doing it right and winning dozens of awards while absolutely owning their craft. We were thrilled to happen upon this wonderful gem, and will be back every time we come up to North Georgia. They are busy, have a loyal following, and are a distillery who isn't afraid to do things better than the big companies. That is the mark of innovation, passion and creativity. This was the hit of our weekend. Do yourself a favor and plan a trip! read more