From Bass Pro to Bourbon Country
Springfield is the outdoor capital of Missouri — home to Bass Pro Shops' flagship store, gateway to the Ozarks, and a stop on the legendary Route 66. At Smoky Valley Distillery, we share Springfield's love of the outdoors and authenticity. Our distillery sits in the Smoky Hills of central Kansas, surrounded by hiking trails, lake country, and wide-open prairie that'll feel familiar to anyone who appreciates the Ozarks.
The difference? Our hills come with handcrafted bourbon, vodka, and whiskey — all made grain-to-glass in a historic 1919 building in Marquette, Kansas.
Getting Here from Springfield
Head west on I-44 to Joplin, then take US-69 N into Kansas. Pick up I-35 N to Wichita, then I-135 N through McPherson. Exit onto KS-4 W and follow it through Lindsborg into Marquette. The drive is about 4 hours and 30 minutes, crossing from the Ozark Plateau through the Great Plains to the Smoky Hills.
Alternatively, take US-160 W through southern Kansas for a more rural route that passes through some of the most untouched prairie landscape in the Midwest.
Buy Our Spirits
Vintegrity distribution is bringing our spirits to more Missouri retailers — ask your Springfield liquor store to carry Smoky Valley Distillery. The nearest current retailer is Brook's Liquor in Salina, KS. Our distillery retail shop in Marquette is open Thursday through Saturday with the full lineup.
Springfield to Smoky Valley — A Plains Adventure
Springfield visitors appreciate the outdoors and authentic experiences. Here's a weekend that delivers both:
Friday:
- Leave Springfield mid-afternoon and drive to Marquette (arrive by evening)
- Check into Preston House — our historic home that sleeps 11, within walking distance of the distillery
- Grab bottles from the retail shop for an evening on the porch
Saturday:
- Morning: Guided distillery tour and tasting — $10/person, 30-45 minutes covering all 10 spirits
- Afternoon: Hike the trails at Kanopolis Lake State Park — sandstone canyons, bluff overlooks, and the Faris Caves
- Evening: Live music at the distillery venue — 140-seat space with a 15x30 stage
Sunday:
- Drive to Lindsborg ("Little Sweden USA") for Swedish pancakes and art galleries
- Head south through Wichita for lunch at Old Town before turning east toward Springfield
Fantastic Spirits, No Cavern Required
Springfield has Fantastic Caverns — the only ride-through cave in North America. We have something equally rare: Kernza Whiskey, made from a perennial wheat grain that exists nowhere else in commercial distilling. The Land Institute in Salina developed Kernza to rebuild soil health on the Great Plains, and we turned it into a whiskey that tastes like Kansas itself — earthy, complex, and unlike anything you've tried before.
Our Smoked Straight Bourbon and Bud & Dewey's wheated bourbon have won over Ozarks whiskey drinkers who thought they'd tasted everything. Come prove us right.