Fodor's Expert Review Lakes Distillery

England's largest whiskey distillery, converted from a Victorian model farm, serves as a great visitor attraction. Hour-long tours get you up close to the process and include a history of illicit distilling in the area and a thrilling aerial film that follows the River Derwent from source to sea. Visits include a tasting of either gin or whiskey; the home-produced whiskey has a slightly smoky flavor with hints of spice, and the gin is distilled with wild juniper picked in the fells of the Lake District. The popular bistro, in the old milking parlor, offers high-quality dishes such as a distiller's lunch—a take on the traditional ploughman’s—and slow-cooked pork with caramelized apples and mash. Desserts are especially good, and seating spills out into the courtyard in good weather.