Bayou Terrebonne Distillers

The sign on Bayou Terrebonne Distillers’ building reads “Tradition - Uncompromised.” That says a lot about the Houma-based company. The story of Bayou Terrebonne Distillers begins during Prohibition, when the founders' grandmother, Lily Lirette, made moonshine to support her family. Fast-forward nearly a century to 2017, and the family recipe is back.

The distillery is located on the banks of Bayou Terrebonne, housed in a renovated 1921 shrimp processing plant. There, the team makes small-batch white whiskey (named Contraband in honor of grandmother Lily) and Good Earth, a barrel-aged bourbon named for the English translation of Terrebonne. Louisiana corn is used in the distilling process, and the stills themselves were crafted locally. Bayou Terrebonne Distillers also distills a silver rum named Hard Scrabble and a dark rum named Hogshead, both made from Louisiana sugar cane.

In addition to tours and their gift shop, the distillery offers live music every weekend, and other events such as karaoke night, trivia night and more.