11 Great Sipping Spirits That Bring the Outdoors Indoors (2024)

Geoff is a Portland, Oregon-based environmental and social impact journalist. He also contributes to InsideHook, Bicycling, Forbes, among others.

Perhaps one of the biggest bummers of recent times in the temporary halt on enjoying a fine beverage inside a tent or around a campfire in your favorite forest or campground.

Fear not, though. Even if you’re stuck inside a minuscule, big-city apartment, there are a variety of spirits out there that can bring the taste and aroma of the great outdoors inside.

It might require just a bit of imagination, but these 11 spirits are more than just a nice-looking label. The juice inside is reminiscent of a piece of our great lands and might even take you back to that awesome night under the stars (until we can get back out there and make new memories).

Coldfoot American Single Malt Whiskey

Vibe: Dick Proenneke

Seattle's Filson teamed up with local distillery Westland for this special, 978-bottle release celebrating a select group of gold prospectors who stayed behind during a regional gold rush in the 1800s. It’s a 100-proof spirit meant for those who prefer a little more mettle in their expeditions.
Price: $100SHOP NOW

Westward Oregon Stout Cask American Single Malt Whiskey

Vibe: Portlandia, in a Good Way

This bottle brings together two things that Oregon does best: spirits and beer. Westward works with a variety of local brewers to source casks that were previously home to hefty stouts and finishes them for one year in said barrels. It’s a beer shop in a liquor store in a glass.
Price: $97SHOP NOW

Brennivin Icelandic Aquavit

Vibe: A Heavy Weekend in Reykjavik

Icelanders lovingly call this signature drink “Black Death” for reasons that become clear once your vision gets less so. As for the spirit itself, it's color free, unsweetened schnapps goodness that’s best ice cold and pared with one of the country's iconic hot springs—or at least looking at photos of hot springs.
Price: $40SHOP NOW

Distilleria Alpe Genepy Herbetet

Vibe: Apres Ski

For our Euro friends and those pretending to be quarantining in a ski chalet, look no further than this Italian herbal liqueur. Drink it like the Italians do after a day in The Dolomites—ice cold and neat.
Price: $35SHOP NOW

Amaro Braulio (AKA "Braulio", "Amaro Braulio" & "Braulio Amaro")

Vibe: Herbal Remedy for Boredom

For a long time, Braulio was an Italian secret best known in the bartending community as a versatile herbal liqueur that's oddly drinkable on its own—similar to Fernet-Branca. Now, it's finally becoming a bit easier to find outside your local watering hole, and the half-sweet, half-medicinal flavor profile is definitely worth the hunt.
Price: $50SHOP NOW

Ventura Spirits Wilder Gin

Vibe: Big Sur at Sunset

Wilder Gin is one of four all-California spirits produced just north of Los Angeles. Besides the funky label art, the juice inside really brings out the native state botanicals they use during distillation. It’s like a walk along a marine forest for your tastebuds.
Price: $35 (shipping available to select states only)SHOP NOW

Argonaut Speculator Brandy

Vibe: OG Frontier Times

Inspired by Gold Rush claim stakers and speculators, this bright brandy harkens back to a rugged era long before whiskey took over the brown spirit market. Tasting notes span from ripe pear and green apple to clove, nutmeg, and chamomile, with the spirit taken from grape to finished product under one operation in California. Go old school and try something new.
Price: $46SHOP NOW

Nuestra Soledad San Luis Del Rio Mezcal

Vibe: Rugged Desert Mountains

Mezcal is an unfamiliar category for many, but an easy way to find a good one is to look for producers that highlight single villages. Nuestra Soledad does just that, working with small villages in Oaxaca that encapsulate the Mexican sun and generations of tradition into a bottle.
Price: $59SHOP NOW

Del Maguey Vida Mezcal

Vibe: Campfire Stories

Beyond the cool Ken Price label art, Vida is a solid mezcal that’s one of the more popular options available right now. Even cooler, each mezcal in Del Maguey’s catalog belongs to a single region in Oaxaca’s Central Valley and represents the legacy of Zapotec Mexican producers. Dig it.
Price: $40SHOP NOW

Tincup Straight Rye Whiskey

Vibe: Colorado Rockies on the Rocks

Named after the old tin cups from which miners would drink after a hard day's work, this smooth, Colorado-made rye is a rather pleasant complement to a particularly unpleasant time. Mix up an Old Fashioned or sip it from the cup it comes with—either way it's perfect for drinking in your front yard pretending you're within view of the Front Range.
Price: $32SHOP NOW

Ardbeg Uigeadail Scotch Whisky

Vibe: Clothes soaked in multiple days of campfire smoke

For this one, we sought the advice of Hacking Whiskey author Aaron Goldfarb: “The outdoors always makes me think of islay whiskey with it’s campfire, peat, and ocean water notes. A bottle of Uigeadail fits the bill perfectly.”
Price: $76SHOP NOW

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