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Vibrant theater, opera, and dance companies have set up their headquarters in this building where industrial-grade alcohol was once canned. Perigee restaurant on the second floor serves up an excellent tasting menu from its open kitchen.

Fronted with enormous windows to let in natural light – designed to diminish the fire hazard of producing alcohol under gas lighting – this 1873 building is the perfect setting for the several art and photography galleries within.

While many of the Distillery buildings still smell faintly of the grain and alcohol once stored within, this 1879 building renews its scent of malt and hops daily, as the Mill Street Brewery. Traditional handcrafted beers include an organic lager and a robust coffee porter. While sipping samples at the bar, check out the display of vintage distilling equipment.

In the 1860s, the boiler house heated the entire distillery. Other buildings in the complex housed a carpentry shop, a blacksmith, and a canteen. They have now been converted into two restaurants, including 1832 Pizza and Pasta Bar, with patio seating in summer, and Brick Street Bakery.

Wooden barrels for aging whisky were manufactured here; stenciled instructions to workers are still on the walls. Today, the Sandra Ainsley Gallery, exhibits glass art, including lavish sculpture by American Dale Chihuly.

The majority of arts organizations and artists in the Distillery complex have their offices, workshops, and studios in this building where cartons of liquor were once stored. Many artisans display their unique works, including embroidery, jewelry, and handwoven clothing, in the boutiques here.

The pumps in this redbrick building led from the underground water reservoir, in case of fire; others were used for alcohol flow. It’s now home to the delightful Balzac’s café. Beans are roasted Mondays and Fridays.

This massive limestone structure is the complex’s oldest. Its exterior retains features, such as a winch, from the days when the shoreline – and ships – came right up to the building. Inside are excellent art galleries.

Upscale contemporary furniture and home accessory shops, among others, occupy the complex where a huge tank used to store molasses for rum once stood.

Machines used by the distillery for alcohol production are dotted throughout the building, as are craft boutiques and specialty food shops.