Drink up with these 5 veteran-made spirits

There's a culture in the military of service and honor, integrity and sacrifice; all those good things. There's also plenty of tradition in sitting down with a glass of something and talking about the glory days, remembering the friends lost and cherishing times spent together, on and off the battlefield.

---

Here are 5 veteran-owned companies bettering lives around the world with their innovative spirits:

Merica Bourbon

1. Merica Bourbon

If you like the "sweet taste of freedom," then pour yourself a glass of this fan favorite. With a smooth mouth-feel and complex flavor, this is definitely a bourbon you can get behind.

According to their website, "Merica Bourbon was born from military veterans who wanted to share the great taste of bourbon and freedom. It's all about the flavor. This bourbon is meant to be shared with friends, on the rocks or neat, reminiscing on the good moments in life. So pull up a chair and have a glass or three with us and let us celebrate freedom together."

Merica Bourbon was founded by Marine veteran Derek Sisson who brought us Famous Brands, and Army veteran Daniel Alarik, the mastermind behind Grunt Style.

Cheers, brothers.

Heroes Vodka

2. Heroes Vodka

Founded by Marine veteran Travis McVey to honor two of his friends he lost while serving, Heroes Vodka is the "Official Spirit of a Grateful Nation."

Since launching on Veteran's Day 2011, Heroes Vodka has given over 0,000 back to veteran-focused local and national nonprofits. If that isn't enough to get you to indulge, it should help that this vodka is actually delicious. Four times distilled, it's as easy to drink as this brand is easy to love. Their list of accolades and awards are impressive, including multiple gold medals in tasting competitions like the "Vodka of the Year" at the Melbourne International Spirits and New York City's 50 Best Domestic Vodkas Competition.

Desert Door

3. Desert Door Sotol

If you've never had Sotol, get ready to be hooked. Desert Door is made by hand in Driftwood, Texas from wild-harvested West Texas sotol plants by three military veterans who met at an Executive MBA program. Marine veteran Brent Looby, Navy veteran Judson Kauffman and Army veteran Ryan Campbell are the best example of how different branches can unite around alcohol and entrepreneurship.

According to their website, Desert Door Sotol tastes unquestionably of the land. The sweet citrusy and herbal flavor is reminiscent of a desert gin crossed with a smooth sipping tequila.

Tasting notes include herbaceous, creamy and vegetal. It leads with grass and earth on the nose with a touch of natural vanilla. Toffee, mint, cinnamon and clove combine with citrus in a distinct way on the palate. It finishes with minerality and a welcome vegetal quality that will make you wonder why you haven't met before and have you dreaming of your next encounter.

Desert Door Sotol stands alone as a great sipping drink, but it will level up your cocktails like never before. Our favorite? Use it in a "Desert Paloma" with grapefruit juice, lime juice and agave nectar and get ready for it to change your life.

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Fmedia%2FEKLKdwjXUAEh11i%3Fformat%3Djpg%26name%3D4096x4096&ho=https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com&s=105&h=269cf0ebe150653e9b9729654eebe61843f691d99e98e65346b7b33c31e0011c&size=980x&c=3812728665 crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//media.rbl.ms/image%3Fu%3D%252Fmedia%252FEKLKdwjXUAEh11i%253Fformat%253Djpg%2526name%253D4096x4096%26ho%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fpbs.twimg.com%26s%3D105%26h%3D269cf0ebe150653e9b9729654eebe61843f691d99e98e65346b7b33c31e0011c%26size%3D980x%26c%3D3812728665%22%7D" expand=1]

Hotel Tango Distillery

4. Hotel Tango Gin

Travis Barnes, like so many other incredible Americans, felt the call to enlist in the Marines following the terrorist attacks on 9/11. He left school at Purdue to serve his country. Following three tours in Iraq where he received multiple combat medals and incurred a Traumatic Brain Injury following an IED attack, Barnes received an Honorable Discharge and after graduating law school, pursued a new passion: distilling. The spirits are "fit to serve and made to share."

While Hotel Tango crafts bourbon, whiskey, voka, rum, cherry liqueur, orangecello and limoncello, their gin is our very favorite. With a new wave style that's citrus forward, it's pleasing to gin vets and newcomers alike. Serve with tonic or sip on its own.

You can't go wrong with this gin.

Willie's Distillery

5. Willie's Distillery

Willie, originally hailing from Appalachian moonshine country in western North Carolina, is a veteran of the Army and U.S. Forest Service, serving as an Army Ranger, Special Forces Medic, Hotshot Wildland Firefighter and Smokejumper. Clearly, he's a badass, as is his product line.

Notably, according to their website, Willie's Distillery mills, mashes, ferments and distills corn, barley and oats on site, as well as producing spirits from ingredients like molasses, cream and Canadian whisky. Their spirits are distilled in a custom Bavarian Holstein still, crafted by a family-owned company that has been building world-class spirits stills since 1958. If that isn't already incredible, they employ veterans in positions ranging from production and sales to management.

While Willie's has all sorts of spirits from vodka and bourbon to their legendary moonshine, our favorite has to be the coffee cream liqueur.

Nothing says White Russian like Willie's.

The lawyers make us say this: If you're going to drink, do it responsibly and make sure you have a sober driver. We're going to add: there's nothing more responsible than supporting these 5 veteran-owned companies.