There are plenty of reasons to plan a trip to Hermann, Missouri. What’s worth a pour in your glass is a pretty good one.
Hermann may be best known as the heart of Missouri Wine Country, but these days, wine is only the beginning. Within a few minutes of downtown, you can sip wine in historic cellars, drink a German-style lager brewed with hops from Bavaria, get a lesson in how to make the perfect Old Fashioned, or settle in with an award-winning whiskey and a well-made cocktail.
Better yet, you don’t have to choose just one.
Staying at Rickhouse Retreats puts you in the middle of it all. Our suites are located in downtown Hermann, within walking distance of several stops on this list, a short drive or ride from many more—and right next door to our favorite one!
So whether you came to Hermann for the whiskey, prefer your drinks with a lower proof, or simply want to see what’s worth a pour while you’re here, consider this your starting point.
Wineries in Hermann, Missouri
You can’t really talk about Hermann without talking about wine.
Long before whiskey, beer, or cocktails became a prominent experience in the local scene, vineyards covered the hills surrounding town. By the late 1800s, Hermann had become one of the country’s most important wine-producing regions. Today, that history is still very much part of the experience—but no two winery stops feel quite the same.
If you’re staying at Rickhouse Retreats and want to explore Hermann wine country, these are a few places worth knowing.
Adam Puchta Winery
A few miles outside downtown Hermann, Adam Puchta Winery feels like a trip into the rivervalley countryside without requiring much of a trip at all.
Founded in 1855, Adam Puchta is the oldest continuously owned family farm winery in the United States, with more than seven generations of the Puchta family carrying on the tradition. The winery sits along Frene Creek on the original family homestead and produces a wide range of Missouri-made wines.
This is a great stop when you want to settle in rather than simply taste and move on. The property offers plenty of room to enjoy a glass outdoors, and live music and special events are common throughout the year.
Why visit: The setting. The family history. And a chance to experience one of the places that helped make Hermann wine country what it is today. It’s one of the spots we visit when friends come to see us.
Stone Hill Winery
Stone Hill sits high above Hermann, overlooking town from one of its most recognizable hilltops. It’s set apart from downtown and gives you a glimpse at the “flat” part of the residential area as you make your way up.
Stone Hill’s history stretches back to the earliest days of Hermann’s wine industry. By the turn of the 20th century, it had grown to become the second-largest winery in the United States, with an enormous network of underground cellars beneath the property.
Those cellars are still one of the biggest reasons to visit today. Guided tours take guests underground while telling the story of Hermann’s rise as a wine-producing region, the devastating impact of Prohibition, and the eventual revival of the local wine industry.
You can also taste Stone Hill’s award-winning wines, explore the property and make a meal of the visit at Vintage 1847 Restaurant.
Why visit: If you’re interested in Hermann history, this is more than a wine tasting. It’s one of the best places in town to actually see the scale of the wine industry that once existed here.
The Dierberg Family of Wineries & Tasting Rooms
If you’re staying downtown, you’ll notice several wine destinations clustered along the east end of First Street and around Hermann Farm. Many of them are connected through Jim and Mary Dierberg and their family’s investment in preserving Hermann’s wine history.
- Hermannhof Winery occupies historic stone and brick buildings and cellars dating to the 1800s and offers Missouri wines in a setting that feels distinctly Hermann.
- Next door, the Dierberg–Star Lane–Three Saints Tasting Room offers a completely different tasting experience. Rather than Missouri wines, you’ll find wines produced from the Dierberg family’s vineyards in Santa Barbara County, California—including Dierberg Estate, Star Lane and Three Saints.
- G. Husmann Wine Company pays tribute to George Husmann, one of the most influential figures in the development of the Missouri—and American—wine industry.
- And at Reserve Cellars of Hermann, located at Hermann Farm, the connection between Hermann’s past and present continues with wines made from both Missouri and California-grown grapes.
Together, these properties offer an interesting way to experience several sides of wine without traveling far: historic Hermann cellars, Missouri wine traditions, California varietals, and the story of the people who helped establish Hermann as wine country in the first place.
Worth the Short Drive or Ride
While several tasting rooms are located right in downtown Hermann, a few more are waiting just a short drive or ride away.
- OakGlenn Vineyards & Winery sits high above the Missouri River, where the sweeping view is every bit as much a reason to visit as the wine. With plenty of outdoor space and frequent live music, it’s an easy choice when the plan is to grab a glass and stay awhile.
- Endless Summer Winery takes a less traditional approach, specializing in fruit and specialty wines—including its signature pecan wine. It’s small, unexpected, and a fun change of pace from Hermann’s more traditional wineries.
- Edelweiss Winery & Events offers a smaller, boutique winery experience just outside the heart of town, with a relaxed setting and outdoor seating that makes it an easy addition to a day of exploring.
- Sohns Winery & Wine Cellars is one of the newer names in the area, offering another opportunity to taste locally produced wines without venturing far from downtown.
All four are within about 10 minutes of Rickhouse Retreats, making “one more stop” a pretty easy decision.
Breweries in Hermann, Missouri
Hermann’s German heritage doesn’t end with the wine. If you’d rather have a pint than a tasting glass, there are a couple of worthwhile stops nearby.
Tin Mill Brewing Company
Located in a historic tin mill in downtown Hermann, Tin Mill Brewing Company specializes in authentic German-style beer. Most of its beers are brewed according to the German Purity Law of 1516, with barley and hops imported from Germany’s Hallertau region—the same region where its copper brewing kettles originated.
Grab a flight, pair your beer with a brat or pretzel, and settle into the Lager House or outdoor beer garden. It’s an easy stop from Rickhouse Retreats and a fitting way to experience another side of Hermann’s German heritage.
Worth a pour if: German lagers, a good pretzel and not having to move your car sounds about right.
Worth the Drive: Paddle Stop Brewery
About 20 minutes east of Hermann in downtown New Haven, Paddle Stop Brewery is a small craft brewery and taproom near the Missouri River. The relaxed setting, outdoor beer garden and rotating selection of house-brewed beers make it an easy detour—especially if you’re already heading east to explore the New Haven wineries.
Worth a pour if: You like finding the small-town brewery you probably wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.
Distilleries in Hermann, Missouri
Hermann may have built it’s reputation on being Missouri’s Wine Country, but whiskey has found a comfortable home here, too. From historic downtown tasting rooms to distilleries tucked into the surrounding countryside, there are several ways to add a higher proof to your weekend.
Lionheart Whiskey Co.
We admit we’re biased—but we’d send you here even if you weren’t sleeping next door.
Located in the heart of downtown Hermann, Lionheart Whiskey Co. is less about rushing through a tasting and more about actually connecting over a glass of whiskey. Settle into the historic tasting room for a guided flight, order a cocktail, browse the shop, or stay awhile and talk whiskey with the people beside you at the community table.
Lionheart’s lineup includes award-winning rye whiskey along with its newly released bourbon, available in both Small Batch and Single Barrel expressions. If you want to go deeper, book the Whiskey Experience Tour, which takes you behind the scenes before finishing with a guided tasting and hands-on Old Fashioned lesson.
And for Rickhouse Retreats guests, there’s one particularly convenient perk: when you’re finished, your suite is just upstairs.
Worth a pour if: You want great whiskey without taking it too seriously, a cocktail made by people who actually care what’s in it, or the shortest possible commute to rest after an Old Fashioned.
Fernweh Distilling Co.
Just north near the riverfront, Fernweh Distilling Co. produces its own lineup of bourbon, rye whiskey and vodka.
While the restaurant that once operated alongside the distillery has closed, Fernweh’s tasting room and gift shop remain open on weekends, with private tastings available by appointment during the week.
Worth a pour if: You want to taste another locally produced spirit while exploring downtown Hermann.
Black Shire Distillery + Hermann Farm Distillery
Black Shire Distillery offers two ways to experience its Missouri-made spirits.
Its downtown tasting room on Gutenberg Street serves flights and cocktails featuring Black Shire bourbon, rye, gin, vodka and other spirits. A short drive away, Hermann Farm Distillery takes you closer to the production side, with spirits made from locally grown grain and aged in Missouri-made white oak barrels.
The farm setting also connects the experience to Hermann’s agricultural and German heritage, making it an especially interesting stop if Hermann Farm is already on your itinerary.
Worth a pour if: Seeing the agricultural side of distilling are part of the appeal and you like your spirits with some extra flavor blended in.
Just Outside of Downtown: Copper Mule Distillery
Just outside downtown, Copper Mule Distillery trades the historic streets for rolling Missouri countryside.
The family-owned, farm-based distillery specializes in bourbon, with a scenic property and plenty of room to slow down and enjoy the setting. It’s only a few minutes from town but feels decidedly removed from downtown once you arrive.
Worth a pour if: You want bourbon with a view.
Worth the Drive: Wood Hat Spirits
About 25 minutes north of Hermann in New Florence, Wood Hat Spirits is worth the detour for whiskey drinkers interested in the grain-to-glass side of the craft.
Founder Gary Hinegardner produces whiskey and other spirits using locally grown grains, including heritage corn varieties, with an emphasis on Missouri ingredients from start to finish. Wood Hat was also the first craft distillery in Montgomery County since Prohibition.
It’s a decidedly different experience from Hermann’s downtown tasting rooms—small, hands-on, and focused on what’s actually happening inside the bottle.
Worth a pour if: You geek out over mash bills, local grain, or want to meet the kind of distiller who can probably tell you exactly which field the corn in your glass came from.
