Smugglers' Notch Distillery

Overview of the Distillery

Smugglers' Notch Distillery is located in Jeffersonville, Vermont, and is a family-run distillery founded in 2006 by Ron and Jeremy Elliott. From an award-winning vodka, they built a range of bourbons, gins, rye, rum and liqueurs as well as local maple products. The distillery combines small-batch craftsmanship, Vermont spring water, and collaboration with local sugaring operations, and today operates several tasting rooms around the state.

History

Smugglers' Notch began as a father-and-son dream in 2006, when Ron and Jeremy Elliott decided to build a local distillery in the shadow of the famous mountain pass. Jeremy drew on his chemistry background, took a leave of absence to learn distillation, and worked on a vodka recipe, while the pair kept the business in the family. Shortly after launch, the vodka quickly garnered high acclaim: within the first year the product earned several top ratings and medals. Since then the business has grown organically, expanded its range to include bourbon, gin, rye, rum and liqueurs, developed barrel-aged maple products via a local partnership and established several tasting rooms in Burlington, Stowe/Waterbury, Manchester as well as a 10-acre flagship in Jeffersonville. Production moved from family-run stills to a combination of craft and automation, while the focus on quality and flavor remained central. Stowe Sparkle marks a final joint project from the founding team prior to co-founder Ron Elliott's passing in 2025.

Raw Materials and Production

Raw materials range from Idaho-sourced sweet corn and winter wheat in the vodka to classic bourbon grains such as corn, rye, and malted barley in the whiskey offerings. The distillery uses Vermont spring water as the source for dilution and highlights this local water source as part of the product's character. One of the documented technical choices is the use of particulate filtration for the vodka instead of traditional charcoal filtration, which consciously preserves more of the natural flavor nuances. The products are produced in small batches and many bottles are hand-filled, while bottling and aging capacity has grown enough to allow more automation. Management combines a scientific approach to development with classic barrel-aging for the aged spirits and experiments with local flavorings, including maple collaborations.

Aging and Barrel Types

The distillery uses barrel-aging for its bourbons, rums and rye products and also uses spirit casks to create barrel-aged maple syrups (bourbon-, rye- and rum-aged). Straight Bourbon is described as the result of careful aging and precise blending. The partnership with local maple sugaring enables both infusions and barrel-aging experiments centered on local flavor profiles.

Whiskies

The range mainly includes vodka (including special editions such as Stowe Sparkle), bourbons, rye, various gins, rum and a range of liqueurs — among them a Vermont Maple Cream Liqueur as well as maple-based products such as Maple Gin and Vermont Bourbon Maple Cream Liqueur. The company also offers barrel-aged maple syrups and flavored vodkas. The products are sold through the online shop and in the distillery's own tasting rooms around Vermont and represent both hand-filled small-batch portions and some more widely available bottles.

The Style and Flavor Profile of the Whiskies

Across the descriptions there is a clear corn sweetness, especially in vodka and bourbon, a nutty/rye character in blends with rye, and oak influences with vanilla. The bourbon product directly mentions aromas of sweet corn and "nutty rye," a full, oaky mid-palate, and finishes with chocolate and caramel notes. Stowe Sparkle highlights a gentle sweetness and sits atop the distillery's highly regarded vodka base.

Visit the Distillery

Visitors can experience Smugglers' Notch in several tasting rooms: flagship distillery & tasting room in Jeffersonville (5087 Vermont Route 15) open daily 10:00–18:00, Barrel House in Waterbury Center (2653 Waterbury Stowe Rd) open daily 10:00–18:00, Church Street tasting room in Burlington (28 Church Street) open daily 11:00–19:00, Manchester (18 Depot Street) open daily 10:00–18:00 and Stowe (112 Main Street #6) open daily 10:00–18:00. The locations offer tastings, bottle and merchandise sales, and insights into history and production; the Jeffersonville facility also houses larger visitor and retail facilities.

The stated hours are: Jeffersonville: daily 10:00–18:00; Waterbury Center (Barrel House): daily 10:00–18:00; Burlington (Church Street): daily 11:00–19:00; Manchester: daily 10:00–18:00; Stowe: daily 10:00–18:00.

Philosophy and Craft

The company emphasizes flavor, patience, and a scientific approach to product development. Jeremy Elliott's chemical background is combined with a desire to produce locally and in small batches, while partnerships with local maple producers provide a clear focus on Vermont-specific flavor profiles. The core is to prioritize quality over speed and to create products 'created locally by passionate people'.

Awards and Recognitions

• Double Gold (2010, Double Gold)

• 95 Points / #1 Domestic Vodka (2010, 95 points; #1 domestic vodka)

• Gold Medal (2010, Gold Medal)

• Maple Cream Liqueur Award (2020, Maple Cream Liqueur - 2020)

• 802 Gin - Score (90 Pts.)