Entry No. 30 — the Helena file — filed under: speakeasy
Gulch Distillers
This family-owned small-batch distillery near the corner of Last Chance Gulch and Lawrence turns Montana grain and fruit into nine spirits, with a particular bent for gin and fernet. Its upstairs tasting room is built around a handcrafted front-and-back bar made from over-100-year-old wood and drawers, pouring seasonal craft cocktails that lean on house-made syrups and shrubs. The space stays atmospheric and historic without feeling like a tourist trap.
The story
Just off the corner of historic Last Chance Gulch at 4 W Lawrence Street, this family-owned operation takes Montana grain and fruit and turns them into nine distinct spirits. Rather than playing it safe with standard craft whiskey, Gulch Distillers leans heavily into botanical experiments, herbal amari, and unexpected niche distillations like Farangi Ouzo—a Greek-style spirit produced right in downtown Helena.
Head upstairs and you will find a tasting room anchored by a custom front-and-back bar built entirely from century-old reclaimed wood and antique drawers. The space manages to feel atmospheric and old-Montana without falling into tourist-trap kitsch. Behind the wood, bartenders mix seasonal cocktails using house-brewed syrups, fermented shrubs, and rotating features like their community-focused Cocktail for a Cause program.
What it's like
Because Montana regulations keep distillery tasting room hours tight, doors open at 2:00 PM and shut promptly at 8:00 PM, with Sundays off entirely. Slip in around late afternoon to grab a seat at the reclaimed bar alongside locals avoiding the rowdier downtown joints. Order a flight to benchmark their house gins, then pivot to whatever fernet-forward seasonal cocktail is written on the board before the 8:00 PM cutoff catches you off guard.
The move: Work through a flight of house gins, then order whatever fernet-forward seasonal cocktail is on the board.
📍 Before you go Tasting room hours are limited: Monday-Saturday 2pm-8pm, closed Sunday.
- 📍 Helena
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 4 W Lawrence St, Helena, MT 59601
Hours: Added 2026-06-24 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Rathskeller at the Montana Club — When Gulch Distillers shuts its doors at 8:00 PM, walk one block over to duck into this subterranean basement speakeasy beneath a historic 1885 club.
- Curiouser and Curiouser — Pair an afternoon cocktail flight with a quick walk down the block to browse a retired philosophy professor's shop filled with hand-built urban folk art.
- Windbag Saloon & Grill — Walk two blocks down Last Chance Gulch after your drink to grab dinner inside a building that once housed an 1880s brothel and vaudeville hall.
Good to know
What are the tasting room hours?
They pour Monday through Saturday from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and are closed on Sundays. Always double-check hours before visiting.
What spirits do they distill on-site?
They process Montana grain and fruit into nine spirits, focusing heavily on gin, house fernet, and specialty items like Farangi Ouzo.
What is the tasting room bar made of?
The upstairs front-and-back bar was handcrafted using salvaged wood and antique drawers that are over 100 years old.
Do they serve house cocktails or just straight spirits?
They pour seasonal craft cocktails made with house syrups and shrubs, along with spirit flights and charitable cocktail features.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · helenair.com · Yelp
last checked: 2026-06-24