Tip a Glass at World-Class Louisiana Distilleries

Louisiana is one of America's largest producers of sugar, and it's found everywhere in the state, whether snowed upon beignets, stirred inside a hot café au lait or growing in tall, lean rows on the Cajun prairie.

And as you'd expect from a state that prides itself on being the birthplace of the cocktail, sugar has even found its way into locally distilled liquor. Here's where you can go to the source and discover spirits made across Louisiana.

Rum Distilleries in Louisiana

Rum distilleries using Louisiana-grown sugar have sprouted in south Louisiana in recent years, and their factories and products are a hit with travelers and locals alike.

Bayou Rum Distillery

Bayou Rum Distillery in Lacassine is the largest privately owned rum distillery in the U.S. The factory sits inside thousands of acres of cane fields off Interstate 10 just east of Lake Charles, and it produces award-winning rums bottled under the Bayou Rum label.

You'll get the feel of an upscale ski lodge when entering the factory through its gift shop. The décor is rustic, with substantial stained beams framing its open cathedral ceiling and polished metals surrounding a massive hardwood bar. The feel is echoed in an adjacent small theater where visitors are introduced to the history and evolution of both rum and Louisiana spirits in general.

It's a different experience behind the double doors that lead to the distilling area. There are a series of massive aluminum tanks and distilling machines, and the gymnasium-sized room is bathed in a sweet, syrupy scent. The tour concludes at the lavish upscale bar to sample varieties of Bayou Rum.

Oxbow Rum Distillery

Baton Rouge's Oxbow Rum Distillery features sugarcane grown on the banks of a Mississippi River “oxbow” in Pointe Coupee Parish as its prime ingredient and prides itself on producing some of the freshest product.

Other Notable Louisiana Distilleries

New Orleans' Atelier Vie, which produces traditional green absinthe as well as a red variety that's colored and flavored with hibiscus flowers, and Lula Restaurant Distillery, where you can pair your drink with a bite to eat from previous Commander's Palace Chef Jess Bourgeois.

Houma's Bayou Terrebonne Distillers specializes in clear Louisiana corn whiskey. Owners and cousins Nick Hebert and Rodney Lirette founded the distillery nearly a century after their grandmother made moonshine during the days of Prohibition to support her family.

Sulphur's Yellowfin Vodka Distillery sources ingredients locally, using homegrown sugar from Gramercy, Louisiana.

For more on Louisiana-made libations and where to get a taste, visit our Louisiana Libations site.