These Jet-Setting Fishing and Drinking Experiences Will Have You Hooked

Rod, reel and…. rum? For those who enjoy fishing, the summer and fall months ahead bring myriad opportunities to combine the outdoor sport with your favorite drinks.

The combination makes sense for obvious reasons. 

“Both are associated with relaxation,” explains Phillip Dobesh, activities manager at The Ranch at Rock Creek, Montana, which offers an annual “Whiskey and Water” weekend. “In fly-fishing, it’s a time when you can find a flow state, or time seems to sort of stand still. You can look at the things around you, the bugs hatching, the way the water flows and where the fish will be.” 

While some fishing enthusiasts say they enjoy a contemplative sipper while waiting for fish to bite, others describe it as a way to celebrate after wrapping up a long day on the water. No wonder a good drink is often part of the fishing culture, Dobesh adds: “After a day of standing in the river, it’s a way to end the day, or ring in the sunset.”

And in some cases, the same environmental conditions that make for great fishing—pristine water, abundant local agriculture, temperature swings, etc.—also are conducive to making or aging certain drinks. Here are six experiences that make the best of this symbiotic relationship.

Whiskey & Water 

The Ranch at Rock Creek, Montana

This annual event (in 2025, taking place September 4 to 7) is a collaboration between The Ranch at Rock Creek— a luxury dude ranch located between Yellowstone and Glacier National Park—and Jefferson’s Bourbon, and marks the unofficial end to the summer.

“In September we get colder nights, and it makes the river colder,” which in turn makes the fishing better, Dobesh explains. The freestone mountain stream boasts seven species of fish: westslope cutthroat, rainbow, cut-bow, brown, brook and bull trouts, and the Rocky Mountain whitefish.

The event came about nine years ago, after Jefferson’s co-founder Trey Zoeller visited, and suggested aging Jefferson’s whiskey on premises to study the impact of weather fluctuations on the bourbon. (Zoeller is known for out-there experiments like aging whiskey on a seafaring boat.) 

One barrel is sitting on a horse wagon, which jostles the barrels daily, increasing contact between the oak and the liquid. The other is on a sunny hillside renamed Whiskey Ridge (though the original met its demise after “a woodpecker got very excited about chipping into the barrel,” Dobesh says, and was recently replaced.)

Zoeller now co-hosts Whiskey and Water, interspersing events like a fly-fishing competition  or fly-tying demo with a guided “whiskey hike” that involves sampling various expressions along a scenic trail, or a whiskey dinner featuring Jefferson’s Reserve. This particular event “is like a nightcap on summer,” Dobesh says.

Rum & Rods Fishing Competition 

Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn

This is a small-scale event, a fishing trip limited to about 10 people, held this year on June 7, 2025. “Whoever catches the largest fish wins,” explains Richard Huggins, who co-organizes the annual event. “We have a pool on board, $20 per person, so it adds up to $2000.”

In between angling for striped bass, porgy or bluefish, it’s about tall tales and enjoying rum. “Everyone brings their own drinks,” Huggins says. “Sometimes we have punch, a local tradition from Trinidad.” It’s a casual tip of the fisherman’s cap to the longstanding connection between seafaring types and rum, but “it’s more about having a good time,” he concludes.

Estate Fishing on The Macallan Estate 

Speyside, Scotland 

Best known for producing high-end single-malt Scotch, the sprawling 485-acre estate, where the distillery is located, includes a 1.5-mile stretch of the River Spey.

“The Macallan Estate’s stretch along the River Spey is truly exceptional,” says Gillian Swan, estate experience manager at The Macallan Estate. “As one of the U.K.’s most important salmon rivers, the Spey attracts anglers globally. Our stretch boasts diverse pools and runs, each with unique character and potential, along with stunning open views from our fishing beat and lodge over the Speyside landscape.”

The fishing experience is tailored to each group of guests, but typically includes a day’s fishing on the River Spey, accompanied by a ghillie (a Gaelic term for a guide on a fishing, hunting or hawking expedition), lunch at the fishing lodge and a tour/tasting at the distillery.

“There’s a certain magic to enjoying a dram right here on the Estate, by the very river that helps shape our whisky,” Swan says. “You might even be lucky enough to spot a kingfisher flashing by, an osprey soaring overhead or catch a glimpse of the red squirrels and pheasants that call our forests home…. even if the fish aren’t biting, you’ll always find yourself immersed in the wonders of nature here.”

The Estate Fishing Experience is available to book Monday to Saturday, from February to September. Note: in Scotland, fishing is not permitted on Sundays.

Fishing & Whisky Tour 

Scotia Tours, Scotland

A full-day expedition with this fly-fishing specialist might find you fishing for Atlantic salmon on the mighty River Tay; seeking trout and grayling in the River Tweed; or lure fishing for pike, “Scotland’s apex predator.” 

In addition, head guide Callum Conner is a registered Scottish Whisky Ambassador, and the outing includes a local whisky distillery tour; previous distillery visits have included Tullibardine and Blair Atholl.

Fly Fishing and Breweries Tour with Carolina Bound Adventures 

Bryson City, North Carolina

“We work up quite a thirst when we’re fly-fishing,” says Mark Van Osdal, who runs this all-in-one tour year-round in Bryson City, a small mountain town about an hour outside of Asheville and two hours from Knoxville and Greenville/Spartan in Tennessee. 

Participants start the morning on a guided fly-fishing adventure on trout creeks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, then head out with a “brew-bur driver” on a loop of four craft breweries in the afternoon. “Craft breweries are a big attraction in Western North Carolina,” Osdal notes.

Grand Tetons Luxury Whiskey Experience 

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Taking place July 10^th and 17^th, Grand Tetons Luxury Whiskey Experience is a collab between Bourbon Lore, a community of bourbon collectors, and Snake River Ranch, a working cattle ranch at the base of the Teton Mountains. 

Each day starts with a scenic float on the Snake River, culminating in guided fly-fishing on Snake River for Yellowstone cutthroat trout, which is indigenous to the area, or rainbow or brown trout. Later, the evening wraps with a rare whiskey tasting (Wyoming Whiskey co-founder David Defazio is one of the featured guests), and an al fresco meal with music and views of the Grand Tetons.

“Whenever you catch a particularly large fish, that calls for some mild celebration,” Defazio says. “You bring out the flask”—never glass on the boat, he cautions— “and pass it around. Or post-fishing, around the campfire, that’s when you bring out the better bottle.”

For this particular expedition, fishing takes place from drift boats, rather than wading into the water. “Once you’re on the boat, time slows down, everything feels more relaxed. The movement is very fluid,” he explains. “There are just moments when taking a small sip of whiskey seems to put a punctuation mark on the overall experience.” 

More Adventure Coverage

• Pair horseback riding and wine tasting at these resorts
• These stunning destinations bring their A-game for golf and wine.
• We’ve also rounded up the coolest places to camp in wine country, from coast to coast.
• If you’re looking for a place to lay your head, here are 12 of the best hotels for whiskey lovers around the world. 
• And Riesling, waterfalls and a thriving dining scene await in the Finger Lakes.

In the Shop

For Wine On-the-Go

This versatile messenger-style wine bag comes with removable bottle liners, a corkscrew and an aerator.

Shop All Wine Bags

The post These Jet-Setting Fishing and Drinking Experiences Will Have You Hooked appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.