California’s Largest Distillery Trail Runs Right Through Wine Country
Most visitors come to Paso Robles for the wine — and they should. But if your travel group includes someone who would rather sip bourbon than Cabernet, or if you simply want a day that breaks from the tasting room routine, the Paso Robles Distillery Trail offers one of the most compelling craft spirits experiences on the West Coast. With 13 member distilleries spread across San Luis Obispo County, it is California’s largest organized distillery trail, and nearly every stop on it tells a story rooted in the same agricultural grit that built the wine industry here.
The trail launched in 2015, when five local distillers — Re:Find, Pendray’s, KROBĀR Craft, Bethel Rd., and Tin City Distillery — decided they would go further together than apart. A decade later, the organization is a member-run nonprofit with an executive director, a printed trail map stocked in hotels and visitor centers across the county, and two signature annual events that draw spirits enthusiasts from well beyond the Central Coast.
How the Distillery Trail Works
The Paso Robles Distillery Trail is a self-guided, road-trip-style experience. Pick up a printed map at any member distillery, your hotel front desk, or the Paso Robles visitor center, and chart your own course. There is no set route and no required order — you visit whichever distilleries interest you, at your own pace.
Most tasting rooms are open Thursday through Monday, though hours vary by location. Tastings typically run $10–$20 per person and include samples of three to five spirits. Several distilleries also offer cocktail flights, behind-the-scenes production tours, and barrel tastings that go deeper than the standard pour.
For the committed spirits explorer, the Copper Card is worth knowing about. This pocket-sized card — made from actual copper — functions as a membership pass. Holders receive complimentary tastings at every member distillery, access to private tours and club-only releases, and a hammer stamp at each stop they visit. It is the spirits equivalent of a wine club passport, and it gives you a tangible reason to return.
Distilleries Worth Seeking Out
The trail spans distilleries in Paso Robles, Templeton, San Luis Obispo, and as far south as Grover Beach. Here are the producers that define the experience.
Re:Find Distillery
Re:Find may be the most original origin story on the trail. Winemakers Alex and Monica Villicana of Villicana Winery watched excess grape juice — the sacrificed liquid from the saignée winemaking process — go down the drain year after year. Rather than waste it, they began distilling the juice into spirits. Each year, Re:Find repurposes the equivalent of a 70-acre vineyard’s worth of grape juice into vodka, gin, and other grape-based spirits. The tasting room is in Tin City, making it an easy add-on to a wine-focused day in the district.
Local Tip: Re:Find’s Cucumber Vodka is a bartender favorite across SLO County. Ask for their recommended cocktail build when you visit.
Address: 2725 Adelaida Rd, Paso Robles (Tin City)
Hours: Check their website for current hours and reservation requirements.
Calwise Spirits Co.
Aaron Bergh, Calwise’s founder and current president of the Distillery Trail’s board of directors, comes from distilling lineage — his great-great-grandfather ran a moonshine operation during Prohibition until federal agents destroyed his still with an axe. The top of that original still now hangs in the Calwise distillery, and it inspired the name of their Axe Hole Whiskey. Calwise produces both grape-based and grain-based spirits, a deliberate nod to the region’s dual agricultural identity. Their bourbon, gin, and brandy are all made on-site from California-grown ingredients.
Local Tip: Ask about the Axe Hole Whiskey backstory when you visit — it is one of the best origin tales on the trail.
Address: 3340 Ramada Dr Suite B, Paso Robles
Hours: Check their website for current hours.
KROBĀR Craft Distillery
One of the five founding members of the trail, KROBĀR has built a reputation for handcrafted small-batch spirits with a focus on quality ingredients sourced from the Central Coast. Their tasting room offers a laid-back atmosphere where you can sample gins, whiskeys, and seasonal releases while learning about the distillation process from the people who actually run the stills.
Local Tip: KROBĀR’s barrel-aged gin is an unusual find — if it is available during your visit, it is worth trying.
Address: 1701 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo
Hours: Check their website for current hours.
Tin City Distillery
Located in the heart of Tin City, this distillery fits the industrial-creative energy of the district perfectly. They produce a range of spirits including whiskey, vodka, and specialty liqueurs, and their location means you can easily combine a spirits stop with visits to nearby wineries like Giornata, Desparada, or Levo. If you are already planning a Tin City day, adding a distillery visit is a natural fit.
Local Tip: Tin City Distillery is walking distance from most Tin City tasting rooms — no need to move your car.
Address: Tin City, Paso Robles
Hours: Check their website for current hours.
Bethel Rd. Distillery
Max and Luke Udsen grew up as winery kids — their father, Niels Udsen, founded Castoro Cellars in 1983. After a lifetime absorbing their father’s knowledge of viticulture and fermentation, the brothers channeled that expertise into spirits. Bethel Rd. focuses on crafting spirits that reflect the agricultural character of the region, using locally sourced ingredients and traditional distillation methods. The family connection to one of Paso’s legacy wineries gives the tasting room an authenticity that is hard to replicate.
Local Tip: If you have already visited Castoro Cellars, ask the Bethel Rd. team about the crossover between their winemaking and distilling — the family connection adds real depth to the visit.
Address: 1266 N Bethel Rd, Templeton
Hours: Check their website for current hours.
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Pendray’s Distillery
One of the original five trail members, Pendray’s has been producing craft spirits alongside their port-style wines for years. The distillery offers a distinctive tasting experience that bridges the gap between wine and spirits — a fitting stop for visitors who want to see how the two traditions intersect in Paso Robles.
Address: 95 Booker Rd, Templeton
Hours: Check their website for current hours.
Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills
The largest distillery on the trail by production volume, Rod & Hammer’s has achieved broad distribution outside of SLO County. Their downtown SLO tasting room is a polished experience — cocktails, flights, and a range of whiskeys that have won national recognition. If you are extending your trip to include time in San Luis Obispo (a 30-minute drive south of Paso), Rod & Hammer’s is a worthwhile stop.
Address: 855 Aerovista Pl, San Luis Obispo
Hours: Check their website for current hours.
Other Trail Members Worth Exploring
The trail also includes Autrey Cellars (brandy specialists), Donati Spirits, Grain + Vine, SLO de Vie (a Grover Beach distillery founded by owners with Portuguese and Russian heritage), and Willow Creek Distillery. Each offers a distinct tasting experience, and the printed trail map will help you plot a route based on your location and interests.
The Trail’s Signature Events
Two annual events anchor the Distillery Trail calendar and are worth planning a trip around.
Distillery Trail Weekend takes place each August — the 2026 edition is scheduled for August 7–9. Over three days, each member distillery opens its doors for extended tastings, distillery tours, mixology demonstrations, live music, and food pairings. It is the most immersive way to experience the trail in a single weekend, and it is the one event where you are likely to meet the distillers themselves behind the bar.
From the Barrel is a speakeasy-themed celebration of barrel-aged spirits and craft beer, held annually in an undisclosed location. Guests enter through a hidden door to find craft cocktails, live music, a cigar lounge, and small bites — all featuring barrel-aged creations from trail member distilleries. The 2026 edition took place in March; check the trail website for future dates.
How to Build a Distillery Day Into Your Paso Trip
The Paso Robles Distillery Trail pairs well with a wine trip — it does not have to replace one. Here are a few ways to work spirits into your itinerary.
The Tin City Combo: Start your morning at two or three Tin City wineries, then close the afternoon at Re:Find Distillery and Tin City Distillery, both located in the district. You never have to move your car, and you finish the day with a different flavor profile entirely.
The Non-Wine Day: If you have a three-day trip and want to give your palate a rest from wine on day two, chain together three or four distilleries on the trail map. Add lunch at Fish Gaucho downtown and a walk around the Paso Robles town square, and you have a full day that feels completely different from the vineyard visits before and after.
The Group Peacekeeper: Traveling with someone who prefers whiskey to wine? Split up for an afternoon — one half visits a Westside winery, the other hits the distillery trail — and reconvene for dinner at one of Paso’s excellent restaurants. Everyone is happy.
Make It A Long Weekend
With so much world-class wine to sample in Paso Robles, we’d suggest extending your wine tasting adventures into a long weekend. From cozy inns to plush resorts, we’ve rounded up the best places to stay in Paso Robles.
Practical Tips for the Distillery Trail
A few things worth knowing before you go.
Designate a driver or book a tour. The distilleries are spread across a wide area, and tastings add up. Breakaway Tours, Central Coast Transportation, and Uncorked Wine Tours can all arrange custom itineraries that include distillery stops alongside wineries.
Start with the trail map. Grab one at any member distillery, your hotel, or the visitor center. It will help you cluster stops geographically and avoid backtracking.
Ask about the Copper Card. If you are planning to visit three or more distilleries — on this trip or across multiple visits — the Copper Card pays for itself quickly and adds a collector element to the experience.
Check hours before you go. Some distilleries keep limited schedules, especially midweek. A quick website check saves a wasted drive.
More Than Wine Country
Paso Robles built its reputation on wine, and that reputation is well-earned. But the distillery trail is a reminder that the same agricultural creativity, entrepreneurial stubbornness, and collaborative spirit that produced 270 tasting rooms also gave rise to California’s largest distillery trail. The winemakers-turned-distillers, the Prohibition-era family legacies, the repurposed grape juice turned into vodka — these stories are as distinctly Paso as any Cabernet or Rhône blend.
Whether you are a dedicated spirits enthusiast or a wine lover looking for something different on day three, the Paso Robles Distillery Trail is one of the most underrated experiences in the region. Pick up the map, grab a Copper Card, and go find out what happens when wine country decides to raise the bar.
For more things to do beyond the tasting room, explore our attraction directory or browse itineraries to plan your next visit.
