3 Highly Rated Distillery Tours in Santa Ana

Santa Ana often gets written off as just Orange County’s administrative hub, a quick stop for county courthouse visits or errands before you head to the beach or Disneyland. But scratch the surface, and you’ll find a surprisingly robust craft spirits scene that’s been quietly blowing up over the last decade, with homegrown distilleries putting out small-batch, creative expressions that rival bigger names you’ll find in fancy liquor stores. If you’re tired of the same old bar crawls or tourist traps, a distillery tour here is the perfect low-key, interesting way to spend an afternoon.

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The best part about Santa Ana’s distillery scene is how unpretentious it is—none of the stuffy, snooty vibes you might run into at high-end tasting rooms in Napa or Brooklyn. Most of the spots are run by local friends and families who just love making good booze and sharing it with people, so you won’t feel out of place even if you can’t tell the difference between a vodka and a gin. We’ve rounded up the three highest-rated tours that locals and visitors swear by, all tested by regular people who don’t spend their entire paychecks on fancy liquor.

1. Olde World Distillery & Tasting Room Tour

This family-owned spot is easily the most beginner-friendly tour on the list, and it’s been a local favorite since it opened in 2018, run by a husband-and-wife team who started out making spirits in their garage before moving to a proper storefront in Santa Ana’s midtown neighborhood. The 45-minute tour walks you through every step of the process, from sourcing non-GMO corn and citrus from local OC farms to the distillation process in their custom copper stills, with zero confusing jargon thrown at you. They specialize in crisp, approachable expressions: their small-batch gin is infused with local Valencia oranges, their vodka is filtered through local avocado wood for a smooth, subtle earthy note, and their signature whiskey is aged in bourbon barrels for just 18 months to keep it from being too harsh for new drinkers. The tour wraps up with a guided tasting of four core expressions, plus a quick cocktail demo where you’ll learn to make a simple, delicious drink using one of their spirits.

This tour is ideal for first-timers, people who don’t typically drink straight spirits, groups with mixed experience levels, and even anyone visiting Santa Ana for a day trip who wants a low-effort, fun activity. It’s also totally accommodating for designated drivers or underage guests, who get free non-alcoholic citrus mocktails to enjoy during the tasting, so no one has to sit out the fun.

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• Best time to visit: Book a weekday mid-morning slot, ideally Tuesday through Thursday between 10am and 12pm. Weekends get overrun with birthday parties and bachelorette groups, so you’ll get more one-on-one time with the distillers to ask questions and linger over your samples. The mid-morning timing also beats the OC heat in summer, so you can explore nearby midtown cafes after your tour.
• Booking tip: While they accept walk-ins if there’s space, pre-booking at least 48 hours in advance guarantees a seat, plus a free branded tasting glass to take home. They also offer a 10% discount for groups of 4 or more if you book ahead, and hold spots for 15 minutes if you’re running late.

2. Santa Ana Craft Spirits Co. Behind-the-Scenes Tour

If you’ve been on a distillery tour or two before and want something a little more in-depth, this arts district spot is the clear pick. Run by a former fine dining chef who pivoted to spirits making after a decade in restaurant kitchens, this distillery focuses on bold, barrel-aged expressions that push the boundaries of traditional spirits categories. Their hour-and-a-half tour takes you through their production floor, their temperature-controlled barrel aging room (housed in a converted 1950s warehouse with exposed brick and local art), and even lets you sample straight from a freshly tapped barrel on select days. Core offerings include a 5-year small-batch bourbon with notes of caramel and orange peel, a spiced rum aged in ex-wine barrels, and a seasonal agave spirit made with California-grown agave that’s perfect for sipping neat or mixing into margaritas.

The tour wraps up with a guided tasting of six core and limited-release expressions, and you can add on a 30-minute food pairing experience for an extra $15, with chef-made bites like bourbon-infused dark chocolate truffles and rum-glazed pork belly skewers. It’s perfect for bourbon fans, food lovers, groups of friends who want a more immersive experience, and anyone who’s been on basic distillery tours before and wants to learn something new.

• Best time to visit: Aim for a Saturday afternoon between 1pm and 4pm, when they offer exclusive barrel sampling not available on weekdays. The adjacent Artists Village also hosts a weekly pop-up market and street art walk on Saturdays, so you can browse local vendors before or after your tour.
• Booking tip: The $15 food pairing add-on only has 12 spots per tour, so book at least 7 days in advance if you want to include it. Note any dietary restrictions when you book, and the chef will adjust pairings at no extra cost.

3. Citrus Heights Distillery & Heritage Tour

This spot is the most unique tour on the list, tied directly to Santa Ana’s little-known history as the heart of Southern California’s citrus farming industry in the early 20th century. The distillery is run by a third-generation OC family who grows their own citrus on a small orchard adjacent to the production space, and they make all their spirits in-house using that homegrown fruit. The 60-minute tour starts with a walk through the orchard (where you can pick your own citrus to use later in the tour, if it’s in season), then moves to the production floor where you’ll learn how they turn blood oranges, Meyer lemons, and even avocado blossoms into crisp liqueurs, flavored vodkas, and a unique citrus-forward whiskey. The tour wraps up with a hands-on workshop where you’ll make your own custom citrus liqueur using the fresh fruit you picked, which you get to take home in a custom labeled bottle.

This tour is perfect for couples looking for a fun, interactive date activity, families with older kids and teens, anyone who loves citrus-forward flavors, and people who don’t typically enjoy the taste of straight whiskey or gin. It’s low-key and playful, so it’s great for people who usually avoid distillery tours altogether, and they offer non-alcoholic citrus tasting options for non-drinkers so everyone can participate.

• Best time to visit: Visit between late January and early May when citrus is in season, so you can pick your own fruit off the trees during the orchard walk. The weather is mild enough for a comfortable stroll then, too; summer tours include free frozen citrus slushies but no fruit picking.
• Booking tip: If you’re with a group of 6 or more, pay the extra $10 per person for a private tour slot. You’ll get a dedicated guide, extra samples, and a larger custom liqueur bottle to split between your group, plus free on-site parking so you don’t have to deal with Santa Ana street parking.

Santa Ana’s distillery scene is such a fun, underrated hidden gem in Orange County, and what makes it special is that none of the spots feel like a tourist trap—they’re all run by locals who are genuinely excited to share their craft with visitors, whether you’re there for a quick tasting or a full afternoon experience. Even if you’re only in town for a day trip, stopping at one of these tours is a great way to get a taste of the city’s local culture that you won’t find at any of the big tourist attractions, and you’ll leave with a new favorite spirit (or a fun custom liqueur) to remind you of your trip.