A few weeks ago we stumbled upon an Instagram profile of a distillery in Phoenix, Arizona. Since Valerie and I are both from Phoenix, we got excited and couldn't wait to check it out!

We took a visit to Paradox Distillery after Phoenix Flea to celebrate Small Business Saturday and chatted with the owners, John and Mike. Paradox is one of the few distilleries in Arizona, and we think the first one in Phoenix since prohibition!

Paradox Distillery currently distills vodka, gin, and rum. We tried all of them and then got a cocktail — the Pineapple Sage Martini with gin, pineapple and sage. Their vodka is wheat-based and is super smooth. We loved the vodka so much we made a drink with it — the Very Berry Vodka — for Thanksgiving.

Paradox’s gin is made with a vodka base that they distill with a blend of juniper, rose, and cinnamon, which gives it a really unique and spicy taste. I’m excited to try this out in some new cocktail recipes for the holidays.

Their rum is also yummy and unique, made with panela, an unrefined sugar cane. They have some experiments going to see what their rum tastes like when aged in different types of wood!

We got a tour of the space and Mike and John explained how they distill each type of liquor. The whole process, which includes milling and mashing the wheat, fermenting, striping, distilling, and then hand bottling and labeling, takes about two weeks for one batch of vodka or gin and three weeks for rum.

“If we can do it ourselves, we’ll do it ourselves” — Mike, owner Paradox Distillery

John and Mike do everything themselves during evenings and weekends — they still have day jobs! — and their passion for the craft of distilling is evident not only in the taste and high quality of the liquors, but also in their space and equipment, which they also built from scratch.

We loved how they named each piece of equipment, which is necessary for record keeping purposes in the distilling business. Our favorite ones were named after muppets: Animal Beaker, and The Swedish Chef. There’s also Silent Bob and Jay!

Want to visit Paradox Distillery and see for yourself?

You can check them out every Sunday from 1–5pm. They have a cocktail menu, tastings, and tours.

Paradox Distillery

1725 W. Williams Rd. Suite 65

Phoenix, AZ 85207

602.714.7501