History

Cathedral Ledge Distillery is located in North Conway, New Hampshire, and is a small family-owned distillery. It is designed as a timber-frame (traditional wooden building) with a tasting room, and the place is child- and dog-friendly. They describe themselves as producing award-winning organic spirits directly where they are made, and offer tours to experience the production "where it happens." The distillery brands itself as NH’s only USDA-certified organic distillery and claims gluten-free products without artificial additives. There is emphasis on noble craftsmanship, transparency, and agrarian heritage.

Production / Manufacturing

Production proceeds with a traditional approach: spirits are handmade from grain-to-glass in their timber-frame farm. Whisky production follows a two-runs approach through a 300-gallon pot still with condenser and spirit safe; no column, thumper or doublers are used. Heat is controlled by a steam boiler with even heat, and the first run is a grain-in stripping run to extract as much flavor from the grain as possible. All whiskies are aged in new 53-gallon White American Oak casks; most whiskies are two-barrel-blended from #3 and #4-char cask. The water comes directly from Mount Washington and is so pure that it does not need to be filtered, preserving the minerals.

The distillery emphasizes sustainability and uses traditional craftsmanship techniques as well as a high degree of local involvement with farmers. The products are produced without artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, and there is an emphasis on transparency around ingredients and process.

Products / Whisky Series

Straight Bourbon Whiskey

• Raw material: 69% corn, 19% Danko rye, 12% malted barley. Taste: fruity, caramel, vanilla, cherry and rye bread.

Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey

• Raw material: 69% corn, 19% wheat, 12% malted barley. Taste: smooth, wheat, hint of nutmeg and jam.

Straight Rye Whiskey

• Raw material: 54% Danko rye, 34% corn, 12% malted barley. Taste: caramel, spice, vanilla, allspice, cocoa, pumpernickel.

Bottled in Bond (BIB) Bourbon

• Raw material: C69/R19/MB12; aged over four years, 100 proof. Tasting note: intense caramel, rye bread, cherry, vanilla.

Bottled in Bond Wheated Bourbon

• Raw material: C69/W19/MB12 (June 2025 Release). Taste and character follow the BIB concept for wheated bourbon.

Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey

• Raw material: R54/C3419/MB12. Taste: spiced with caramel and vanilla.

Barrel Strength Series – Bourbon ( #3 )

• 41 months in cask, 124.6 proof. Notes: nose of graham cracker, straw, mint; taste of toast, orange marmalade, strawberry and raspberry; long finish with pepper and cinnamon.

Barrel Strength Series – Rye Whiskey ( #4 )

• 38 months in cask, 125.4 proof. Notes: nose of cereal flakes, anise and oak; taste of berries, pepper and salt-taffy; long finish with allspice.

Maple Cask Finish Bourbon

• Finishes in cask, previously containing cinnamon flavors from maple syrup. Nose and taste described as maple and sweetness in the finish.

Organic Gin and Barrel Rested Gin

• Gin follows London Dry tradition with juniper, coriander and citrus, added in Barrel Rested version tailored to the newly used rye casks with vanilla and apple skins. Finish is long and spiced by rye and citrus.

Organic Vodka and Infused Vodkas

• Organic vodka made from corn and wheat, final product through NH’s tallest vodka column and without "mouth-feel" additives. Infused variants include Blueberry Vodka, Fig Vodka, Horseradish Vodka and Ginger Vodka.

Aquavit and Maple Liqueur

• Aquavit based on vodka with caraway, orange peel and spices. Maple Liqueur made from vodka and NH-produced maple syrup.

Tours / Experiences

• Tours: Daily tours at 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM; 30 minutes; $10 per person. Book online or contact 603-730-5696 for same-day tickets; walk-ins are welcome if space allows. Note: Tours do not include samples or cocktails.
• Tasting experiences: Tasting flights with up to 5 pours and 1 cocktail (there is no minimum). If alcohol is not desired, non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails are also offered.
• Shop and tasting: Taste locally in the open tasting room on the farm; the distillery states compliance with sales restrictions and that it is currently in operation.
• Shop and distribution: Local selection in NH State Liquor Stores and the option to have spirits shipped to certain areas.

Philosophy

• SUSTAINABILITY: All decisions are assessed through the lens of sustainability. Building, equipment and packaging are chosen with a focus on efficiency and waste reduction; a grain handling system minimizes a large portion of the supply chain’s single-use packaging, and a solar panel package provides all electricity. The distillery uses 100% post-consumer recycled bottles without plastic screw caps and offers two free charging stations for electric vehicles as an environmental initiative.
• AGRARIAN HERITAGE: Proximity to small family-owned farms and collaboration with farmers to produce raw materials and reuse waste in the ecosystem.
• HONESTY & TRANSPARENCY: Honest communication about the use of real ingredients and that all products are handcrafted "from grain to glass" without artificial additives and gluten-free, all verified by third parties. The distillery highlights the water source and the quality of the raw materials to ensure the highest quality and traceability throughout the process.