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Thornton, IL

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Thornton Distilling

4.6 (114 reviews)
Closed • 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

Services - Thornton Distilling

Bartending services

Catering services

Venue valet services

Thornton Distilling Photos

THORNTON DISTILLING ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Outdoor seating
Happy hour specials
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Thornton Distilling

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Reviews With Photos

Touchtunes in an old fashioned like radio/ stereo setup
Grant A.

Came by on a weekday. First off it's not immediately clear how to get in from the parking lot and with the senior/ retirement center parking lot close by you're like did we park in the right place?? After that and getting in it's truly beautiful inside. Surrounded by history!! It used to be a brewery long time ago and they've preserved some fascinating memorabilia+ trinkets. Started off with a Gold Rush. Thought it was good but would have preferred it was made with more honey syrup. Girlfriend and I both ordered burgers. Came with cheddar, onion rings, BBQ sauce. She wanted cauliflower so I shared cauliflower with her. It was good tasting cauliflower because it was in some kind of buffalo or BBQ sauce like if you were getting wings. Also got an old fashioned that was pretty good.

John M.

I have been wanting to try this distillery ever since I saw a segment on them on one of the local TV stations. We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon around lunch time. They have a few parking spaces in the front of the building with a larger lot in the rear. It was not too crowded and we were seated immediately. Our server Michaela was very friendly and suggested a few food items for my wife which were GF. I started with the House Old Fashion and my wife had the Bee's Knees. Both were very good and cost 10.00 each. For lunch I tried their Pecan Whiskey BBQ wings. 5 wings cost 10.00. They were good size and very tasty but I didn't taste any of the Pecan Whiskey flavor. My wife had the Barbacoa Tacos which were filled with braised beef. She could only eat 2 of them so I had the third taco. Flavorful but I would have preferred more salsa or a dipping sauce. I wanted to try their Drop Dead Bourbon separately so I had a small tasting. I loved it so much I bought a bottle to bring home. Cost was 60.00. The history of this distillery dates back to 1857 and is one of Illinois' oldest standing distillerys and was once Al Capones largest bootlegging facility during prohibition. I would love to go back and try a few more of their hand crafted cocktails and one of their signature burgers.

Annette M.

We have had this distillery in Thornton IL on our radar for quite a while and this first full day of spring was perfect for a drive out. The building oozes historic charm going back to 1847. Our server and hostess were friendly and helpful. There is only a few spots to park in the front but a big parking lot in the back marked with a sign. It was lunchtime so we ordered wings and beef barbacoa tacos and both were very flavorful. The server suggested the tacos as they can be made gluten free. Besides the cocktails my husband asked to taste their straight bourbon called Dead Drop. He enjoyed it and bought a bottle to take home. I could feel the ghosts of bootleggers of the past haunting the place. Worth the drive to experience it.

Gold Rush cocktail
Analyn T.

We come here for drinks, food and history! Old Fashioned and cocktails are all good. They have the best chicken wings. Do their tours if you want to get a glimpse of the prohibition history and the underground tunnel (well it's now covered). All the staff here are always so nice... we've been coming here for years! Always a great time.

Lorri P.

Robin was ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!!!! Service was great!!! She was awesome! So knowledgeable about the brewery and gave us so much insight on the history. We so appreciated it because we love good historical stories! Our bartender Brandon was great too! Friendly and welcoming. They have a wedding space fyi and a nice patio as well to chill out in the summer! Looking forward to that! Next summer! We ordered the margherita pizza. It's a medium size and great to share! It is AMAZING! Filling and the tomato sauce is definitely homemade, best I've ever had! We had the cookie skillet too! OMG! Thee best!!!! It's nice, they have brunch on the weekends and they also do tours on the weekends! This is a 10/10! Highly recommended!

Bourbon Barrel Burger

I had the Maison Mule cocktail which was amazing. When you go there order it. My cocktail was accompanied with a delicious Bourbon Barrel Burger and fries. The service was the great the wait time did not exist. I highly recommend Thornton Distilling. The place feels like family!

Katie N.

Just ok for me. The vibe and history is what makes this place unique. As others have stated, the parking is kinda a drag. (Only a few spots out front and have to walk around the back to a lot.) I tried two of their cocktails, the planters punch and the lazy lemonade. The lazy lemonade was a frozen cocktail. Service was a little rude. Inside felt a little cramped.

Ann-Marie H.

Such a great experience! We had Kevin as our spirit guide, and he was absolutely amazing. Fun fact--he's also a SPED teacher and a bit of a historian, which made the tour even better. He gave us a lot of history, not just about the distillery but also about the town and Chicagoland in general. The food and drinks were great, and the tickets were only $15, which included a drink--such a perfect deal. After the tour, we stayed for lunch, and everything was decently priced. The food had that classic bar food taste, which, of course, means it was good! This is definitely a place I'd bring my parents or anyone interested in history, spirits, or beer-making. They have ample parking in the back, and from what I understand, it's also a great venue for parties and weddings. Our food came out quickly, and overall, it was an awesome experience. Highly recommend!

Menu

Food was good, but don't count on there being brunch available. They posted on Thursday that they do brunch Saturday and Sunday, but they didn't have it on Sunday. Really was hoping for a good brunch spot in the area since there still isn't. Service was good. Ambiance was good.

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9 years ago

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4 years ago

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Andrew H.

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8 years ago

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5 years ago

Amazing venue, the drinks were top notch and the staff was very welcoming and friendly.

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

perfect experience--wow! The soulful-est cocktails

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7 years ago

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Andrew H.

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8 years ago

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8 years ago

The people that own this place are the absolute best!!!!!! The building itself is total eye candy and the liquor is pretty good too!!!!!

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8 years ago

Such a unique place! The workers are friendly, the atmosphere is welcoming & the drinks are great!

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7 years ago

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8 years ago

Awesome drinks, the best flat breads. Wonderful atmosphere! Brie was a very knowledgeable bar tender! Give it a try!

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Page 3 of 3

Ask the Community - Thornton Distilling

Review Highlights - Thornton Distilling

“We started chatting with John, the owner at the bar and he gave us a tour of the well which was super cool.”

Mentioned in 9 reviews

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3 Floyds Brewing - Entrance

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Maplewood Brewery & Distillery - Cuppa neat is always going to be superb

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Thornton Distilling - distilleries - Updated October 2026

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