First-ever Ohio Distillery Trail looks to boost storied industry
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On the trail. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
The Ohio Distillery Trail, the first statewide program linking dozens of distilleries from Cleveland and Columbus to Cincinnati and beyond, is ready to serve you.
Why it matters: Ohio is home to the second-most distilleries of any Midwest state, after Michigan. The trail hopes to raise awareness and boost business for that storied spirits industry, which features nearly 80 distilleries.
Driving the news: Organized by the Ohio Distillers Guild, the trail launched May 22.
How it works: Patrons sign up via the guild's website, download the mobile-only passport and receive deals and discounts for the participating distilleries.
- As people complete stops on the trail, they're added to an online leaderboard.
The big picture: The inspiration was the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, a program sponsored by the Kentucky Distillers' Association featuring 46 stops. It reportedly draws more than 2 million people annually.
Zoom out: Other well-known distillery trails exist in states like Tennessee, Texas, Colorado, Washington and Michigan.
- Tourism group Columbus Experience launched the Columbus Distillery Trail in Ohio's capital city in 2022.
Zoom in: The Ohio Distillery Trail so far features 40 participating distilleries with 10 in Northeast Ohio, including Cleveland Whiskey, Western Reserve Distillers in Lakewood and Four Dogs Distilling in Akron.
- There have already been more than 250 check-ins, including at least one at every distillery on the trail, since it launched last week.
What they're saying: "There are a few big distilleries that most enthusiasts in Ohio have heard of, but there are tons of smaller ones only people in those areas are familiar with," Joe Bidinger, co-founder of Echo Spirits Distilling in Columbus, tells Axios.
- "Now that it's summer, we hope people plan weekend trips and vacations ... that include exploring all of Ohio's distilleries."