Boston Harbor Distillery occupies a restored mid-nineteenth-century industrial building at the Port on the Neponset in Dorchester, and the setting does half the work: brick, beams, and barrels right on the water. Founded by Rhonda Kallman, a co-founder of the Boston Beer Company, it produces Putnam New England whiskey, rum, gin, and Spirit of Boston, a spirit distilled from beer. The Taste of Boston sampler seats you barrel-side for a guided run through the house lineup.

Sessions run on Saturdays, when the distillery opens to the public, and the on-site cocktail bar makes it easy to stay for a proper drink afterward. It suits spirits fans who want a story with their whiskey and a stop well off the usual tourist circuit — this corner of Dorchester rewards the trip. 21-plus with ID.