For Erin Bell, SILO Distillery isn’t just a place to make spirits. It’s a place to foster connection. Tucked inside a red barn in Windsor, Vermont’s Artisan Park, SILO blends craft distilling with local agriculture and maintains a deep commitment to community. Founded in 2013 as one of Vermont’s earliest distilleries, it’s now entering a new chapter under Bell’s leadership.
Bell’s path into distilling wasn’t exactly planned. She grew up in Connecticut, attended Hobart College in New York, and spent her early twenties working in bars before heading west on a road trip her father suggested. That trip turned into several years in Utah, working at ski resorts and watching craft beer culture take off. In 2013, a phone call pulled her back to Vermont when a family friend who owned a distillery was looking to bring in new employees with fresh ideas. Bell joined SILO in operations and marketing but quickly gravitated toward production. “I didn’t want to just market it,” she explains. “I wanted to understand the process.”
When SILO’s head distiller didn’t return in 2014, Bell stepped in. By 2019, she was head distiller and production manager, leading an all-women crew and expanding SILO’s presence across Vermont and the Northeast. When COVID hit, the team pivoted to producing hand sanitizer to keep staff employed. As the business began to drift away from her values, Bell made the difficult decision to leave in late 2020. After a few years running a furniture business, she found herself back where it all began. In 2025, the original owners were ready to sell SILO, and Bell and her father bought the distillery outright, relaunching it with intention.
SILO makes spirits that feel easy to enjoy but are still thoughtfully made. Using locally sourced corn, apples, maple syrup, and botanicals, the lineup includes vodka, gin, whiskey, cider, and aperitifs. Crowd favorites range from an un-aged whiskey sweetened with maple syrup to Hayloft, a small-batch blend of corn, rye, and malted wheat.
Experimentation plays a big role in shaping the menu. You’ll find a floral lavender vodka alongside a cacao vodka developed with a local chocolatier using cacao byproduct that would otherwise be composted. “It’s about giving something a second life,” Bell explains. That same curiosity carries through SILO’s collaborations with local farmers and into its cider program, which focuses on limited-edition, harvest-based releases that highlight apple varieties people might not normally consider.
Bell’s most personal creation is Vermaro, Vermont’s first amaro, set to return in 2026. Originally released in 2020, Vermaro is SILO’s take on a traditional Italian liqueur that quickly developed a following. Made with 14 botanicals (a nod to Vermont as the 14th state) and sweetened with maple syrup, it blends Italian tradition with unmistakably Vermont ingredients.
The newly renovated distillery space mirrors that same sense of intention. One side of the barn features soaring tanks beneath vaulted ceilings, while the other opens into a two-story tasting room anchored by a long L-shaped bar. Upstairs, a lofted mezzanine with exposed beams, oversized velvet couches, layered rugs, and sunlight streaming through the windows invites guests to settle in. “I want it to feel cozy and nurturing,” Bell says. “Like a place you actually want to hang out.”
As a female- and LGBTQIA+- owned distillery, SILO’s values are evident the moment you walk in. A Pride flag hangs behind the bar alongside Vermont and American flags, non-alcoholic options are always available, and the retail space highlights women-owned brands. “Spirits are what we make,” Bell explains, “but community is what we do.” By the time guests leave, she hopes they’ve felt welcome and connected. “Everyone belongs here,” she says.
Looking ahead, Bell is focused on growing SILO intentionally. In 2026, she plans to relaunch the original spirit line while expanding into limited-edition ciders, ready-to-drink cocktails, and new aperitifs rooted in seasonal ingredients and local partnerships.
AUTHOR
Nicolette Degrassi is a Boston based food and travel blogger. When she's not traveling the world, you can find her reading the latest Book of the Month novel or trying to perfect her sticky toffee pudding recipe. Follow her adventures on Instagram @nadegrassi.
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