FEW Spirits sits in a former chop shop down a back alley in Evanston - the very city that gave the country Prohibition. That contradiction is the whole point. Founder Paul Hletko, a copyright lawyer turned master distiller, opened FEW in 2011 to honor his grandfather, who lost his brewery to the Nazis during World War II. He spent a year lobbying Evanston's city council to change local laws before the first drop ever ran off the still.

The grain-to-glass operation has since built a reputation on small-batch precision. Their rye whiskey earned Craft Whiskey of the Year from Whisky Advocate in 2013, and the lineup has only grown from there - straight bourbon, single malt cherry wood-smoked in small 500-bottle batches, a cold brew coffee-finished bourbon, and a rotating cast of collaborative releases with bands like Alice in Chains, the Flaming Lips, and the Smashing Pumpkins. In 2022, Heaven Hill acquired FEW, expanding distribution while production remains in Evanston.

Note that as of 2024, the tasting room has closed to the public following the acquisition - Illinois liquor law restricts on-site tastings for distilleries above a certain production threshold under large-distiller ownership. You can find FEW products at retailers across Illinois and in roughly 18 states via their online shop.