An hour’s drive from the vibrant crowds and colourful markets of Oaxaca City, this six-bedroom
eco-retreat sits in the heart of the Valle del Silencio (Valley of
Silence). Dreamed up by Fausto Zapata, of artisanal mezcal label El
Silencio, the space has been designed to reflect the simplicity of
its surrounding wild landscape. Two-floor guest rooms are decorated
with reclaimed wood, distressed leather detailing and velvet
upholstery, while bathrooms flaunt enormous walk-in showers, rugged
stone sinks and walls crafted entirely from recycled El Silencio
bottles. Guests are invited to join daily mezcal production, where
agave plants are picked on-site, before being transported to the
palenque to be roasted. Or, skip the hard bit and make a beeline
for the tasting room, where you’ll be invited to sample a fresh
spirit (or three).

A hotel dedicated to gin? Yes, please. Slap bang in the heart of
London’s Notting Hill, The Distillery’s gin experience makes
for the ultimate spirited sleepover. Start off at The Resting Room,
where you can sample some of the world’s most legendary gins –
including the hotel’s own Portobello Road iteration. After working
your way through the antique drinks cabinet (and the 60-strong gin
list), sneak upstairs to find three cosy bedrooms. Highlights
include old-school vinyl collections and turntables, vintage
furnishings and plush bedspreads, plus sweeping vistas of the
iconic market street – we can hardly think of a better place from
which to watch the world go by, or to nurse a hangover. Like your
tipple with a nibble? Start at the in-house restaurant, where head
chef Greg Lewis puts his spin on traditional tapas dishes.

With its windswept moors, sheep-trodden lanes and Viking
villages, the tiny island of Raasay is where to go for a proper
Scottish dram. Take the scenic 25-minute ferry
ride from Skye: Raasay Distillery is a short stroll from the port.
Housed in a contemporary space wrapped in wild greenery, each of
the six guest rooms features floor-to-ceiling windows, pale woods
and warming tweeds. Weaving elements of the surrounding landscape
into its core, volcanic stone comes from nearby Dun Caan hillside,
while fossils and glass bottles can be spotted buried in walls.
Book into the one-hour whisky production tour, before finishing
with a drink in the Guest Lounge. Can’t squeeze in a road trip
anytime soon? Check out the hotel’s virtual tasting tours.

It’s no secret that we’re obsessed with hunting down world-class
wellness retreats, and one that involves booze? How could we
possibly resist. Nestled in the foothills of Utah’s Uinta Mountain,
the pine-backed Lodge at Blue Sky makes for the ultimate love
letter to the great outdoors. Activities such as mountaintop yurt
dinners, heli-hiking, equine adventuring and on-site vegetable
picking all pave the way for a guilt-free visit to High West
Distillery. Situated 1km from your front door, on the lodge’s
grounds, it’s the place to go for date-night jugs of ginger-laced
cocktails, lime-infused tequila and local whiskey. Hangovers don’t
exist here: the morning after, a restorative al fresco yoga session
takes care of mind and body.

Want to wake up in a king-sized bed, bathe in a clawfoot tub and
stuff your face on the likes of short rib nachos and bourbon brulée
at the Cocktail Room restaurant? The town of Ranier might be known
as being the gateway to Voyageurs National Park, but Cantilever
Distillery & Hotel calls for more than just a brief pit stop:
you’ll want time to enjoy its free yoga sessions, rooftop sauna,
lake access and restaurant (see above: did we mention the short rib
nachos?). While, yes, you’ll find us flitting between spa and sun
terrace, it’s the distillery tours we’re most excited about. Each
spirit is proudly hand-crafted using grains and water from the
region’s rocky Canadian Shield, so be sure to raise a glass to the
local farmers who made your drink possible.

There’s drinking from the barrel and then there’s sleeping in
the barrel… Tequila fans, prepare to bed down in one of the
world’s coolest (and trippiest) hotels. At Matices Hotel de
Barricas, 30 barrels, each named after a different type of tequila
produced in the on-site distillery, are decked out with colourful
murals, rain showers and a porch area offering impressive vistas of
the surrounding agave-strewn landscape. Take part in the nighttime
sensory tasting session or opt for a relaxed meal in the
underground restaurant – either way, prepare to return as a fully
fledged tequila connoisseur. Don’t miss: this place offers a
handful of tours around the local area, too, including a visit to
the ancient ruins at Unesco World Heritage wonder
Guachimontones.

A Chateau Zábreh bedroom would, in itself, be enough to win us
over – think wooden floorboards, four-poster beds, animal skin rugs
and traditional tiles – but add in the hotel’s experimental
wellness activities, and we’re on the verge of packing up and
moving in. Unlike most other distilleries, this one offers a
different kind of taste-test – a far more hands-on experience.
Taking place in the medieval cellar, beer oil massages promise to
loosen and stretch slumped office shoulders. If you shiver at the
thought of a pint, opt for the wine and almond oil bath, served
with an extra-large glass of frizzante and grape juice from
neighbouring Kölbl Winery.