There’s a moment, somewhere along Highway 20 between Thermopolis and Worland, when you start to wonder if your GPS is playing a joke on you. The Big Horn Basin stretches wide and golden in every direction, the road dips and rolls, and then — almost without warning — you roll into Kirby, Wyoming. Population: about 92. And tucked right there on East Main Street, in a town smaller than most apartment complexes, sits one of the most surprising, smile-inducing stops in the entire state: Wyoming Whiskey Distillery.
If you’ve never made the drive, do yourself a favor and put it on the calendar. This is the bottle that put Wyoming on the whiskey map, and the place itself is every bit as good as the pour.
The Drive to Kirby: A Road Trip Worth Taking
Kirby sits about 12 miles north of Thermopolis, which makes it an easy add-on to a hot springs weekend or a Big Horn Basin loop. The drive in is pure Wyoming — cottonwoods along the Bighorn River, red rock bluffs in the distance, the occasional pronghorn watching you pass. It’s the kind of road that reminds you why we live here, the same wide-open country that shaped our ranching roots and agricultural heritage.
By the time you pull onto Main Street, you’ll have already eased into a slower gear. Kirby is quiet in that uniquely Wyoming way — a few houses, a lot of sky, and a distillery that, against all odds, is producing some of the most respected bourbon in the country.
Walking Into the Tasting Room
Push open the door and the first thing you notice is the smell — that warm, sweet caramel-and-oak perfume that only a working distillery can produce. The tasting room doubles as a gift shop, and it’s bright, tidy, and full of those little touches that tell you somebody loves this place.
“The gift shop and tasting room is very cute, clean, and a place where you could easily spend some time sampling their whiskeys. The staff is so incredibly friendly,” writes one visitor, Jenn P. — and honestly, that sums it up perfectly. The folks behind the counter aren’t just pouring; they’re talking grain, talking process, talking about which bottle pairs best with a Wyoming elk steak.
Tastings are free, which still feels like a small miracle. You’ll work your way through the lineup, and somewhere in the middle, you’ll find your favorite. For a lot of people, that’s the Small Batch Bourbon — soft, vanilla-forward, dangerously easy. For others, it’s Outryder, their bottled-in-bond American whiskey with a backbone of rye spice. And if you catch them on a good day, you might get to try a limited release like the gorgeous Queen of the Tetons.
“The grains are grown in Wyoming and much of the bottling is done by hand,” notes one reviewer. “We love the Outryder and the small batch whiskey, but all are excellent.” A visitor from the UK put it plainly: “If you love whiskey or whisky, I would highly recommend it. It’s a genuinely great product and the quality for such a young distillery is amazing.”
Grain to Glass, the Wyoming Way
What makes Wyoming Whiskey genuinely special isn’t just the location — it’s the philosophy. Every grain in every bottle is grown in Wyoming. The water comes from a limestone aquifer right here in the Big Horn Basin. Much of the bottling is still done by hand. That’s not marketing copy; that’s just how they do it.
It’s the same farm-to-table ethic that runs through so much of Wyoming’s food culture and wild game traditions — the idea that what’s grown, raised, or distilled close to home almost always tastes better. And the proof, as they say, is in the pour.
Don’t Miss the Longmire Easter Egg
One of my favorite little secrets: if you wander down the hall, keep an eye out for a Longmire-related photo on the wall. Fans of the show (and we are many in this state) will know exactly why it’s there. Ask the staff — they love telling the story.
The Gift Shop: Where the Wallet Gets Dangerous
Even non-drinkers find something to take home. The shelves are stocked with:
- Wyoming Whiskey bourbon BBQ sauce (incredible on smoked ribs)
- Bourbon-infused coffee beans
- Bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup
- Branded glassware, t-shirts, and sweatshirts
- Full bottles of every available release
If you really want to honor your visit, set yourself up at home for proper Wyoming tastings. A solid pair of heavy-bottom whiskey tumblers changes everything, and a whiskey tasting notebook is the easiest way to remember which pour you loved most. For the truly bourbon-curious, whiskey stones keep your Small Batch cold without watering it down, and a home barrel aging kit is a fun way to experiment between Wyoming Whiskey runs.
It Feels Like Visiting Friends
The thing that keeps people coming back isn’t just the bourbon — it’s the welcome. One longtime regular, Dottie P., wrote it best: “We go to Thermopolis every September and a visit to Wyoming Whiskey is part of our trip. By September we need to replenish our stock and it feels like we are going back to visit friends.”
That’s Wyoming hospitality in a nutshell. You come for the whiskey. You stay because the people behind the counter actually want you there. TripAdvisor rates it 4.8 out of 5 stars across 58 reviews and has named it a Travelers’ Choice winner — making it the #1 attraction in Kirby, which may be a small pool, but the sentiment is earned.
Plan Your Visit
- Address: 120 E Main St, Kirby, WY 82430
- Hours: 10 AM – 6 PM (check wyomingwhiskey.com before driving out — hours can vary seasonally)
- Tastings: Free in the tasting room and gift shop
- Tours: Distillery tours have historically run around $10 per person — call ahead to confirm current availability
- Bring: Your ID, a designated driver if you’re sampling broadly, and extra cash for the gift shop
- Bonus stop: Swing by the Wyoming Whiskey Barrel House in Jackson for a second tasting room on either end of a Teton trip
- Website: wyomingwhiskey.com
Pro Tips From a Local
- Pair the visit with a soak in Thermopolis’s hot springs — 12 miles south and worth every minute
- Go midweek if you can; summer weekends see more traffic
- Buy an extra bottle. You’ll thank me in October.
Keep Exploring Wyoming Food and Drink
Wyoming Whiskey is one of those places that reminds you how much good stuff is hiding in our small towns — places where the grain is grown down the road, the bottling happens by hand, and the people behind the counter remember your name on your second visit. It’s a perfect example of why we built this blog.
If this kind of road-trip discovery is your thing, stick around. We’ve got more Wyoming local spots, recipes, restaurants, and seasonal food guides waiting for you across the site. Pour yourself a glass of Small Batch, kick your boots up, and keep exploring — Wyoming’s table is wider than you think.
→ Plan your trip and browse the full bottle lineup at wyomingwhiskey.com.