It’s not usually necessary to carry your passport when exploring the world’s whisky trails, but a newly launched whisky route straddles two countries—the U.S. and Canada. The new Northwest Whiskey Trail covers two U.S. states, one Canadian province, 540 miles, and at least one ferry. It’s designed as a way for visitors to experience the craft of whisky making on both sides of the border.
On the American side, the distilleries on the Northwest Whiskey Trail so far include Westward Whiskey in Portland, Oregon, and Westland Distillery and Copperworks Distilling in Seattle. Stops on the Canadian side are Goldstream Distillery, Shelter Point Distillery on Vancouver Island, Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers in Vancouver, and Macaloney’s Island Distillery in Victoria, British Columbia.
Among the experiences the trail has to offer are the beer barrel-finished whiskeys of Copperworks and Westward, whiskies produced from malt smoked in-house on Macaloney’s custom-made peat smoker, the barley and oak explorations of Westland, and the grain-to-glass whiskies distilled from barley grown on the farm at Shelter Point. Several of the distilleries produce other spirits in addition to their whiskies, and two of them—Macaloney’s and Deep Cove—offer in-house brewed craft beers. And while the trail doesn’t shun other forms of whisky, the emphasis is on single malt, which is produced by six of the seven distilleries. (Goldstream has a pure rye whisky in maturation at the time of writing, but no plans for a single malt.)
The Northwest Whiskey Trail is designed to highlight differences in the regional terroir of the whiskies, says Macaloney’s founder Graeme Macaloney, who first conceived of the idea. “These distilleries tend to use local ingredients from barley to peat moss to everything else,” he says, “Each distillery has its own distinct taste and pedigree.”
While noting that the trail could be visited in five days at a reasonable pace, Macaloney encourages visitors to stay awhile. “We want to encourage people to really explore each of the naturally beautiful areas that surround each distillery,” he says.
Distilleries of the Northwest Whiskey Trail
Copperworks Distilling, Seattle, Washington
Westland Distillery, Seattle, Washington
Westward Whiskey, Portland, Oregon
Deep Cove Brewers & Distillers, North Vancouver, British Columbia
Goldstream Distillery, Duncan, British Columbia
Macaloney’s Island Distillery, Victoria, British Columbia
Shelter Point Distillery, Campbell River, British Columbia
