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2026 Saratoga.com Fab Five Winners: Best Winery or Distillery

By Joe Legault

The 2026 Saratoga.com Fab Five winners for Best Winery or Distillery highlight standout tasting experiences in the Saratoga Springs area. This category honors wineries and distilleries known for quality products, engaging tastings, and inviting atmospheres. Plan a visit to these destinations for a well-crafted sip and a memorable outing.

Thirsty Owl Saratoga

1. Saratoga Winery

Sprawling across Route 29 just four miles west of downtown, this rustic, cabin-style destination pairs handcrafted, small-batch wines with a high-energy social scene. Visitors can settle into the expansive timber-frame tasting room or the outdoor courtyard to enjoy wood-fired pizzas, a rotating tap of local New York craft beers, and weekend live music events.

2. Keuka Spring Vineyards Tasting Room

Bringing the acclaimed terroir of the Finger Lakes straight to the Saratoga Marketplace on Broadway, this boutique tasting lounge specializes in vibrant, award-winning cool-climate varietals. Local wine lovers flock here for walk-in flights of crisp Dry Rieslings, Gewürztraminers, and smooth, single-vineyard estate reds guided by an exceptionally knowledgeable staff.

3. Thirsty Owl Saratoga

Situated on South Broadway near Lincoln Street, this dynamic wine bar and bistro serves up premier pours from its family-owned flagship vineyard on Cayuga Lake. Guests can book a table in the garden courtyard or belly up to the tasting bar to pair a flight of highly rated Pinot Noirs and Syrahs with a full menu of upscale Spanish-Mediterranean tapas.

4. Cooperstown Distillery Beverage Exchange at Saratoga

This sleek, upscale lounge sits right on Broadway, showcasing award-winning, New York-grain spirits. By day, visitors can browse the eclectic retail shop for bitters and custom barware, while at night, bartenders mix high-end craft cocktails using house-produced bourbons, ryes, and their signature baseball-shaped bottles.

5. THE STILL at Speckled Pig

Tucked inside the lively Speckled Pig Brewing Co. building on Washington Street in Ballston Spa, this intimate craft distillery brings a field-to-glass approach to hard liquor. Cocktail enthusiasts pull up a seat to sample house-made Kismet Gin, Spa Vodka, and cask-strength Hinds1ght Bourbons, paired with elevated tavern bites.

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About the Author: Joe Legault Joe is a dedicated editor from Lake Luzerne, NY, with a passion for hiking the Adirondack high peaks, running half marathons and 5Ks, and visiting local craft breweries like Common Roots and Dancing Grain. He enjoys writing about the region's can't-miss attractions and activities.

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