Distillery Tours · Los Angeles
Distillery Tour Los Angeles
LA's craft distilleries, one private party bus, and a driver who handles every mile so nobody in your group has to. Taste. Ride. Repeat — with the designated-driver problem solved before it starts.
The short version
What is a distillery tour by party bus in LA?
A distillery tour in Los Angeles is a chauffeured crawl through the city's craft spirit makers — Greenbar Distillery and The Spirit Guild in the Downtown Arts District, R6 Distillery near LAX in El Segundo, Stark Spirits in Pasadena, and a handful of others — where your group tastes gin, whiskey, rum, vodka and small-batch oddities straight from the source. Doing it by private party bus turns four scattered addresses into one seamless day: the bus picks you up at your door, holds your coolers, keeps the music going between stops, and waits at each distillery while you tour and taste.
The whole point is that nobody has to be the sober driver. LA's distilleries are spread across downtown, El Segundo, Pasadena and Culver City — a nightmare to rideshare between and impossible to do safely if everyone's tasting. Party Bus Transport LA runs the route on transparent, all-inclusive hourly pricing, with tours usually booked for five to seven hours. Call 626-840-3453 to build yours.
Why a bus, not a rideshare caravan
The bus is what makes a distillery tour actually work
Tasting rooms are the reason you go. The transportation is the reason the day succeeds or falls apart. Here's what a private party bus solves that a string of rideshares never will.
Nobody's the designated driver
The entire premise of a distillery tour is that everyone gets to taste. That only works if the person behind the wheel isn't in your group. Your chauffeur is a licensed professional whose only job is getting all of you home.
The distilleries are scattered
Downtown, El Segundo, Pasadena, Culver City. Rideshares between them will eat your day and your budget in surge pricing. One bus threads the whole route on a schedule your driver already knows.
The ride is part of the party
LED and laser lighting, a fog machine, a real sound system, a wet bar with coolers and ice. Between tastings, the bus keeps the energy up instead of killing it in a back seat with a stranger driving.
No parking, no waiting, no herding
The bus stages where it won't get ticketed while you tour. When you walk out, it's already there. No group text trying to reassemble seven people across three Ubers.
The stops
The distilleries worth touring in Los Angeles
Craft distilling only became legal to showcase in California in the last decade, so LA's scene is young, tight, and clustered — which is exactly what makes it perfect for a bus tour. These are the real, currently-operating tasting rooms we route groups through. Reservations are almost always required, so we lock them in when we plan your itinerary.
The Downtown Arts District cluster
Four of the city's best sit within about a mile of each other on the edge of Downtown — the natural anchor for most tours.
Greenbar Distillery
The one that started it all. Founded in 2004 by Litty Mathew and Melkon Khosrovian, Greenbar is LA's oldest distillery and makes the world's largest portfolio of organic spirits — Tru vodka, Slow Hand whiskey, Crusoe rum, IXÁ tequila, City gin, Grand Poppy amaro, Fruitlab liqueurs and Bar Keep bitters. The hour-long tour walks you across the distillery floor past the stills, giant barrels and infusion vats, then into a tasting of their organic lineup. They plant a tree for every bottle sold — close to a million so far. Tours run select days by reservation only, no walk-ins, so this is one we book ahead for your group.
The Spirit Guild
You'll know it by the stained-glass windows and sunburst wooden door. Opened in 2016, The Spirit Guild makes its Astral Pacific Gin and Vapid Vodka entirely on-site — fermented, distilled and bottled in-house — from California clementines, which give the gin a zesty citrus character with pink peppercorn and pistachio on the finish. The tour is compact and hospitable, tasting included, with a discount on any bottles you take home. A perfect second stop after Greenbar, minutes away.
Our/Los Angeles
The LA outpost of the Our/Vodka project — a single small-batch vodka made with local ingredients, where each run is intentionally a little different from the last. The brick-walled space is built for hanging out, and the tour-and-taste is short and easy, making it a great low-key third stop when the group wants to keep moving.
The Obscure
Quietly crafting exceptional spirits with a devoted following, The Obscure leans into the personal, exploratory end of the spectrum — an intimate setting and personalized tastings that reward groups who actually care about what's in the glass. A strong pick to round out a downtown-focused day.
Beyond downtown
If your group wants more than the DTLA cluster — or you're starting from the Westside, South Bay or the Valley — these are worth the miles, and the bus makes the distance a non-issue.
R6 Distillery
Family-owned and operated since 2014 and named for the six members of the R6 family, this El Segundo distillery pours flights of house whiskey, gin and vodka plus cocktails, all designed in-house, inside a 1920s-and-30s-inspired space that also hosts private events. Ideal if your group is coming from the South Bay, the beach cities, or straight off a flight into LAX.
Stark Spirits
A true microdistillery opened in 2013 by Greg Stark and Karen Robinson-Stark, tucked into Pasadena's Lincoln Corridor. Their award-winning range covers California single malt and peated whiskey, a 151-proof rum, Skyline gin, an orange brandy called Sunshine, and a caraway aquavit — and tours are led personally by the makers. Tours run by reservation, so this is a plan-ahead stop and a natural anchor for groups in Pasadena, Glendale or Burbank.
Los Angeles Distillery
A small-batch, handcrafted operation on the Westside that offers an authentic, hands-on look at the craft of distillation. There's no food on-site, so we time this one around a meal — Culver City's food halls are minutes away — making it an easy anchor for Westside and Marina-area groups.
A note on Lost Spirits. If you remember the famous immersive "boat ride" distillery experience once named the best distillery tour in the world — that was LA's Lost Spirits, and it has since relocated to Las Vegas. We keep our itineraries to distilleries actually operating in the LA area, so you never get routed to a room that isn't there anymore.
How the day runs
A distillery tour, start to finish
Every tour is custom-built around your group, your pickup point and which distilleries you want. But most days follow the same simple shape.
We plan the route and book the tastings
Tell us your group size, your neighborhood and your vibe. We build the itinerary, confirm reservations at each distillery (most require them), and lock the timing so you're never waiting or rushed.
The bus picks you up at your door
No meeting point, no parking. The bus arrives at your home, hotel or office — coolers iced, lights on — and the day starts the moment you step aboard.
Tour, taste, and ride between stops
At each distillery you tour and taste while the driver stages the bus nearby. Between stops the bus is yours — your playlist, your drinks, your group. A typical tour hits three to four distilleries.
Everyone gets home safe
When the last tasting's done, the bus drops the group wherever you need. No one drove. No one has to figure out how to get home. That's the entire reason to do it this way.
A classic itinerary anchors in the Arts District — Greenbar, then The Spirit Guild a few minutes away, then Our/Los Angeles to keep it easy — with a lunch stop worked in and time padded for LA traffic. Groups coming from Pasadena often build around Stark Spirits; South Bay and LAX-area groups around R6; Westside groups around Los Angeles Distillery in Culver City. Plan on five to seven hours to do it right without feeling rushed.
Pricing
Transparent, all-inclusive hourly pricing
No bait, no "call for price," no hidden fees. You book the bus by the hour — most distillery tours run five to seven hours — and the rate depends only on the size of the vehicle your group needs.
Sprinter (10–14)
Intimate groups doing tastings. Fits tighter distillery lots and hillside pickups.
Party Bus (20–30)
The sweet spot for birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette groups, and team outings.
Large Bus (35–50)
Big celebrations and full-department corporate events, everyone on one bus.
Every rate is all-inclusive: vehicle, professional chauffeur, fuel, sound system, LED and laser lighting, fog machine, a wet bar with cooler and ice, BYOB, climate control and tinted windows — zero hidden fees. Not included: driver gratuity (15–20% is customary), your BYOB supplies, distillery tasting and tour fees (paid at each venue), and any overtime beyond your booked hours, billed in 30-minute increments. See the full breakdown on our party bus rental Los Angeles prices page, or call 626-840-3453 for an exact quote.
Who books distillery tours
Made for the group that's over the same old night out
Birthdays
A milestone birthday that isn't another bottle-service table. Tour, taste, and let the bus be the venue between stops.
Bachelor & bachelorette parties
Daytime, boozy, photogenic and safe. The Arts District cluster plus a great sound system makes for a bachelorette day that beats a crowded club. Ask us about our bachelorette party bus setups.
Corporate outings
A team offsite people actually want to attend. Shared tastings break the ice better than any conference room. WiFi-equipped executive sprinters available.
Date days & anniversaries
Book a smaller sprinter for a couples' distillery day — no driving, no parking, just the two of you and a chauffeur handling the rest.
Out-of-town guests
Showing visitors a side of LA they won't get from a bus-tour of the Walk of Fame. The craft-spirit scene is a real local story.
Cocktail & whiskey enthusiasts
For the group that actually cares what's in the glass — grain-to-glass tours, single malts, and makers who'll talk process as long as you'll listen.
Good to know
How to plan a distillery tour that runs smoothly
A few things worth knowing before you book. Reservations matter. Most LA distilleries run tours by reservation only and some open just a few days a week — Greenbar and Stark Spirits in particular. We handle those bookings as part of planning your itinerary, but that also means distillery tours are best booked at least a couple of weeks ahead, especially for weekends.
You can drink on the bus. Our buses are BYOB with coolers and ice included, so the tasting doesn't have to stop between distilleries — as long as everyone aboard is 21 or older. Tasting fees and any bottles you buy are paid at each venue. Pace it. Distillery pours are often higher proof than wine or beer, and the tastings add up across three or four stops, so build in a food stop — we'll route one in.
Group size drives the vehicle. Smaller tasting groups of eight to fourteen ride best in a sprinter, which also fits tighter distillery lots; larger celebrations move to a 25- to 50-passenger bus. And it's a licensed, insured operation — Party Bus Transport LA holds California Public Utilities Commission TCP authority and commercial insurance, owns its own fleet, and employs its own chauffeurs. We're not a lead broker selling your trip to the highest bidder.
Where we run
Distillery tours across greater Los Angeles
We pick up anywhere in LA County and route to any of the region's distilleries. The tasting rooms concentrate in the Downtown Arts District, with outliers in El Segundo, Pasadena and Culver City — and our chauffeurs know the fastest way between all of them at any hour.
Pickup neighborhoods include Downtown LA, Hollywood and West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and the Westside, Pasadena and Glendale, Burbank and the San Fernando Valley, the South Bay and beach cities, and Long Beach. If your group is somewhere else in the metro, we still come to you — the bus starts wherever you are. Explore the full Party Bus Transport LA lineup, or pair the distillery run with a wine tour or brewery tour if your group can't agree on just one.
Distillery tour FAQ
Common questions
How much does a distillery tour in Los Angeles cost?
You book the bus by the hour and most distillery tours run five to seven hours. Rates depend on vehicle size — roughly $150–180/hr for a 10–14 passenger sprinter, $185–250/hr for a 20–30 passenger party bus, and $250–350+/hr for a large bus. That's all-inclusive: driver, fuel, sound, lighting, wet bar, BYOB, no hidden fees. Distillery tasting fees are paid separately at each venue, and driver gratuity (15–20%) is customary. Call 626-840-3453 for an exact quote.
Which distilleries will we visit?
It's your call — we build the itinerary around your group. The most popular anchor is the Downtown Arts District cluster: Greenbar Distillery, The Spirit Guild, Our/Los Angeles and The Obscure, all within about a mile. Beyond downtown, groups add R6 Distillery in El Segundo, Stark Spirits in Pasadena, or Los Angeles Distillery in Culver City. A typical tour hits three to four stops.
Do we need reservations at the distilleries?
Usually yes. Most LA distilleries run tours by reservation only, and some — like Greenbar and Stark Spirits — open only a few days a week. We confirm all the reservations as part of planning your route, which is why distillery tours are best booked a couple of weeks ahead, especially for weekends.
Can we drink on the party bus between stops?
Yes. Our buses are BYOB with coolers and ice included, so the party continues between distilleries — provided everyone aboard is 21 or older. Bring what you like; the wet bar and cooler are part of every rate.
How long is a typical distillery tour, and how many people fit?
Plan on five to seven hours to comfortably tour three or four distilleries with a food stop and traffic padding. Group sizes run from about 8 in a sprinter up to 50 on a large party bus — we match the vehicle to your headcount so you're never cramped or overpaying.
Do you provide a tour guide, or just the bus and driver?
We provide the licensed chauffeur, the vehicle, and full itinerary planning including your distillery reservations. The tours and tastings themselves are led by each distillery's own staff — the people who actually make the spirits. Your driver keeps the schedule and handles all the logistics so the day flows.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Party Bus Transport LA holds California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) TCP authority and carries commercial insurance. We own our fleet and employ our chauffeurs directly — we're not a lead broker. Our credentials are verifiable, and certificates are available before you book.
Build your LA distillery tour
Tell us your group, your neighborhood and your date. We'll route the distilleries, book the tastings, and put the right bus at your door — all on transparent, all-inclusive pricing.
Get a free quote 626-840-3453