Whenever I travel whether it be for business or pleasure, I am always on the look out for great cocktail bars and distilleries to visit. I now must find a reason to head to Grand Rapids, MI as its Long Road Distillers was just named Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery as part of the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Travel Awards.

Known for their locally-sourced line of gins, vodkas, aquavits and whiskies, Long Road topped a list of 20 nominees from around the country that were chosen by a panel of American spirits experts. Readers and fans then had the opportunity to vote for their favorites over the course of four weeks.

"This is an incredible honor for us," said Jon O'Connor, co-owner and founder of Long Road Distillers, via a statement. "We have a ton of respect for every nominee on the list, and some have been leaders in our industry for years. To even have had the chance to compete against them was a big deal for us."

“Unlike some competitions where the judging takes place behind closed doors, this contest put the power in the hands of those that enjoy our spirits and have supported us over the past few years," adds Kyle VanStrien, co-owner and founder of Long Road Distillers. "We're humbled by this win and proud of our team for constantly living our mission of crafting world-class spirits right here in West Michigan!"

Long Road's spirits can be found at the distillery on Grand Rapids' West Side and at over 700 locations in Michigan. Hopefully, with its latest honor, the word (and the spirits) will start to spread beyond the borders of The Great Lakes State.