Oregon has played a key role in making whiskey since the dawn of America’s craft distilling movement—one of its major contributions being the birthplace of American malt with McCarthy’s Oregon single malt, which debuted in 1996. The city of Portland is best known for its craft breweries, lively food scene, and whimsical reputation for weirdness. But it’s also a whiskey city, with a distilling culture that dovetails nicely with Oregon’s wine and beer background. This culture stretches far beyond Portland, spilling across the rest of the state, too. Here’s a sampling of prominent distilleries that have helped put Oregon on the whiskey map.
PORTLAND DISTILLERIES
Westward Whiskey
FOUNDED 2004
westwardwhiskey.com
Westward Whiskey wasn’t the first to brew an ale and then distill it, but the Portland distiller has certainly perfected the craft. “We have a rich brewing history in the Northwest, and a lot of us at Westward come from the brewing side,” says master blender Miles Munroe. “It’s part of our culture. We truly are brewers making whiskey.”
Westward’s process begins with water from the Bull Run watershed on Mount Hood. A 90-minute mash made of two-row malted barley and ale yeast is prepared, cooled, and fermented. Then the distiller’s beer is double distilled in a low-reflux pot still. The distillate is then entered into lightly charred (level 2 and 3) American oak barrels, where it’s aged between 4 1/2 and 6 years. “We’re essentially brewing a pale ale, distilling it like a scotch, and aging it like a bourbon,” notes Munroe.
Westward’s primary offerings include its American Single Malt, Cask Strength, Oregon Stout Cask, and Pinot Noir Cask—the stout casks are from Westward’s collaborative breweries and the pinot casks are from regional wineries. The distillery also produces several limited-edition releases each year, and its whiskey club members get first crack at buying a bottle. Tours and tastings of distillery exclusives ($30) are offered, and there’s a tasting room at Portland International Airport.
ONE TO TRY
94 Westward Cask Strength American Single Malt, 62.5%, $100
Creamy vanilla, baking spice, jalapeño peppers, dark chocolate, black coffee, and chicory
Eastside Distilling
FOUNDED 2008
eastsidedistilling.com
Eastside Distilling started out as a rum importer located on Portland’s Distillery Row in 2008. Over the past 15 years it has expanded its repertoire to tequilas, gins, rums, vodkas, and whiskeys including bourbon and rye. For its Burnside lineup of whiskeys, Eastside finishes sourced bourbons, ryes, and other whiskeys from around the country in Quercus garryana casks, in various toasts and chars, anywhere from 30 to 90 days, depending on the spirit.
In all, the Burnside whiskey portfolio offers consumers six expressions, including West End Blend, its workhorse Burnside Oregon Oaked Blended bourbon, Goose Hollow RSV, Oregon Oaked rye, Buckman RSV, and Burnside Black Bourbon Casked rye.
Eastside Distilling’s tasting rooms closed in March 2020, but plans are underway to reopen them in the future.
ONE TO TRY
89 Eastside Burnside Goose Hollow Reserve Bourbon, 46%, $50
Lemon cupcake, candied orange, powdered doughnut, and a drizzle of honey
Bull Run Distilling
ESTABLISHED 2010
bullrundistillery.com
Before becoming a whiskey distiller, Lee Medoff was a winemaker and craft brewer. In 2004 he helped start House Spirits Distillery, producing vodka, gin, and single malt. Medoff sold his share of the company in 2010 and started Bull Run Distillery, where he initially focused on making single malt. After several years of producing whiskey on-site, Bull Run took a hiatus from distilling in 2015 due to changes in Portland’s distillery regulations. Medoff shifted focus to its merchant bottling program, sourcing bourbon and rye, while also barrel-finishing house-made single malt.
“Sometimes I feel like a kid with a toy chest, being able to play around with all these different whiskeys and experiment with finishing,” says Medoff. He relies on wineries throughout Oregon, Washington, and California for his finishing barrels. Bull Run’s American whiskey, finished in pinot noir barrels, has been its most widely available expression. Those anxious to see more of Bull Run’s single malt will be pleased to know its distilling hiatus is coming to an end. The company is now in the final stages of upgrading its facility and will begin making its own whiskeys again this year, with the first release expected in 2027. Many of Bull Run’s whiskeys, including small batches of single malt, can be sampled at its tasting rooms in Portland and Carlton.
ONE TO TRY
93 Bull Run 15 year old Pinot Noir Cask Finished Bourbon, 48.89%, $50
Fruit, spice, vanilla, and cinnamon
Also Worth a Look
Aimsir Disitlling Co.
Founded in 2016, Aimsir produces bourbon and cold-brew bourbon, along with gin, vodka, and aquavit. Visit The Emerald Room to taste Aimsir’s spirits straight or in a cocktail.
Freeland Spirits
Its bourbon is made with a mashbill of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley and finished in Oregon’s Elk Cove Vineyard’s pinot noir barrels. Freeland also produces gin and Geneva gin. Distillery tours are offered on Fridays and Sundays and its tasting room offers tastings and cocktails.
New Deal Distillery
Founded in 2004, New Deal offers brandy, gin, vodka, liqueurs, and its Distiller’s Reserve whiskey lineup that includes a wheat, rye, and bourbon. Walk-in tours and samples are available at its on-site bottle shop.
503 Distilling
Gin, vodka, rum, canned cocktails, Gambler 500 whiskey, and draft cocktails can be sampled at 503’s Cocktail Lounge.
While You’re in Portland
PORTLAND STAYS
KEX Hotel
Located a couple miles from Westward, the KEX Hotel once was an apartment building that is now one of Portland’s most popular hotels. Remodeled in a Pacific Northwest- meets-Iceland style, this hotel offers quirky yet comfortable private rooms, or rooms with bunk beds if you’re so inclined. There’s a bar and restaurant in the lobby to boot.
Jupiter Hotel
Located on East Burnside Street in northeast Portland, the Jupiter is vintage Portland with funky rooms. Next door, Jupiter Next is home to Hey Love restaurant, popular for its comfort food and cocktails.
Sentinel Hotel
One of Portland’s oldest hotels, the Sentinel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offers a classic look and feel with a convenient location in Portland’s Pearl District.
EAT & DRINK
Jake’s Famous Crawfish
Located a hop, skip, and a jump from Bull Run, and next to the Sentinel and Powell’s, Jake’s Famous Crawfish first opened in 1892 and has a great seafood menu. Try the famous Dungeness crab cakes or pan-fried oysters.
Produce Row Café
Located within walking distance of Westward Distillery, and in the heart of Portland’s Industrial District, Produce Row Café serves up great burgers, sandwiches, soups, and a killer beer cheese mac. The atmosphere speaks to its industrial past; a blue-collar joint with a touch of class.
Goose Hollow Inn
With a nod to Eastside Distilling’s Goose Hollow Reserve bourbon, find your way to the Portland-famous Goose Hollow Inn, home to the self-proclaimed “best Reuben on the planet.” And yes, it’s worthy of such praise.
SIDE TRIPS
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
OMSI is a great experience, especially for someone traveling with kids. Along with a submarine tour, OMSI has a planetarium exhibit year-round. Featured exhibits and first-run movies vary throughout the year.
Portland Rock Gym
Just off East Burnside Street, Portland Rock Gym offers indoor rock-climbing opportunities on its 17-foot boulders and 40-foot climbing wall. Classes are available for first-timers.
Powell’s City of Books
The largest independent new and used bookstore in the world, Powell’s is a Portland landmark. It’s possible to spend an entire day here getting lost in a trove of new, used, and rare books and magazines.
DISTILLERIES BEYOND PORTLAND
Hood River Distillers/ Clear Creek Distillery
HOOD RIVER • ESTABLISHED 1985
Oregon’s oldest craft distillery, Clear Creek was founded in 1985 when the late Steve McCarthy began making brandy. Soon after, he traveled to Ireland, and then Scotland, and once back in Oregon he was inspired to make America’s first-ever single malt whiskey, and became forever known as the pioneer of the style.
Clear Creek was purchased by Hood River Distillers in 2014, which moved the operation from Portland to its own distillery in Hood River, about 60 miles to the east. The facility is located along the Columbia River, with Mount Hood lying about 15 miles directly south. In addition to McCarthy’s whiskey and Clear Creek brandies, Hood River produces a range of vodkas, gins, and liqueurs.
McCarthy’s single malt is made with water from Mount Hood’s Elliot and Coe glaciers. The mashbill of peated two-row barley is fermented and distilled before being aged in Oregon oak barrels for 3 to 6 years. Hood River’s Trail’s End bourbons use an aging process similar to McCarthy’s, but with a twist. These 8 and 10 year old sourced Kentucky bourbons are finished in Oregon oak barrels, while it also offers an 8 year old finished in Clear Creek apple brandy barrels. Hood River has a modern tasting room in the center of town, where you can sample and purchase its spirits.
While You’re There
STAY: HOOD RIVER HOTEL Built in 1911, the Hood River Hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places and located in the heart of downtown.
EAT & DRINK: CELILO RESTAURANT & BAR Foodies from all over flock here to partake in a creative menu that features seafood, steaks, burgers, and pasta, with a fancy flair. Try the pan-seared salmon or the pan-fried lentil cakes. It features a well-stocked bar with spirits and beers on tap.
SIDE TRIP: E-BIKE RIDE Windsurfing is the obvious choice in Hood River, but for those less inclined, rent an electric bike from Oregon E-Bikes and cruise the Mark O. Hatfield Twin Tunnel Trail, a five-mile car-free stretch of the historic Columbia River Highway.
Also Worth a Look
Pilot House Distilling, Astoria
Pilot House’s lineup includes A-O single malt and limited-release whiskeys, absinthe, gin, vodka, and more. Tasting rooms are located in Astoria, Canon Beach, and Portland.
ONE TO TRY
95 McCarthy’s 6 year old Oloroso Finished Single Malt (2023), 56%, $120
Smoked meat, barbecue, apple, cherry, bitter chocolate, and charcoal
Crater Lake Spirits
BEND • FOUNDED 1996
It started with a trail run through central Oregon’s high desert, when Jim Bendis noticed the intoxicating smell of the juniper forest. After taking stock of his surroundings, Bendis went on to start a gin distillery in Bend. Since introducing Crater Lake gin in 1996, vodka, rye, and malt whiskey have been added to its lineup. Black Butte malt whiskey is distilled from a wash of Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte porter that is then aged in No.-4 char new American oak barrels.
Like tapping into the juniper forests, the history of rye grain in central Oregon inspired the company’s line of ryes. “There’s a huge tradition of rye grain in this part of the country and it grows well in adverse climates,” explains CEO Alan Dietrich.
All of Crater Lake Spirits’ whiskeys are crafted at its Bendistillery in Tumalo—a 15-minute drive from downtown Bend—where a filtration system utilizes crushed volcanic rock to purify the water. Factor in central Oregon’s climate, where temperatures can fluctuate by as much as 50 degrees in a day, and you have a recipe for uniqueness. “There’s a huge advantage to being here,” says Dietrich. “A 2 year old product aged here rivals a 5 year old rye in the southeast or something that’s 8 or 9 years old in, say, Scotland.”
Crater Lake Spirits has tasting rooms in Bend and at Bendistillery in Tumalo.
While You’re There
STAY: RIVERHOUSE ON THE DESCHUTES Book a room with a view overlooking the Deschutes River. Conveniently located, the hotel has a pool, hot tub, spa, and restaurant with a terrace overlooking the river.
EAT & DRINK: DESCHUTES BREWERY BEND PUBLIC HOUSE A downtown fixture that appeals to locals and tourists alike. With a draft list that is as impressive as it is expansive. Its menu features good pub fare, including pizzas, sandwiches, and burgers.
SIDE TRIP: GOLF AT TETHEROW There are over 25 golf courses near Bend, but none more spectacular than Tetherow, consistently ranked as one of the top 100 courses in the country by “Golf Digest.” This semi-private championship course takes non-member tee times up to 180 days in advance.
ONE TO TRY
89 Black Butte 5 year old malt, 47%, $75
Vanilla, malt, dark chocolate, baking spice, raisins, mint chocolate-chip ice cream, and a barrel-char note
Branch Point Distillery
DAYTON • FOUNDED 2016
When Steven Day launched Branch Point, he located it in the heart of Willamette Valley wine country, about 30 miles southeast of Portland. His philosophy is that whiskey should reflect its place of origin. “We’re trying to be as authentically Oregon as we can, from start to finish,” says Day, who is head distiller and co-owner with his wife Debra, and also a practicing neurologist.
The local nature of Branch Point’s whiskeys is reflected in its three core offerings: Oregon wheat, Trit, and Single Pot Still. All are predicated on starting with locally grown grains. The Single Pot Still incorporates a huskless barley variety named Buck that was developed by Oregon State University.
In keeping with traditional distilling methods, Day uses open-top fermenters in a 90-hour process, then double distills in copper pot stills from Vendome, after which the whiskey is aged in low-char American oak barrels. “Oregon winemakers talk about ‘low intervention’ pinot noir,” he says. “In some ways I’m doing low-intervention whiskey. I’m not forcing the whiskey to be something it’s not, but rather letting the grains come through and show their unique flavors.”
While You’re There
STAY: THE DUNDEE HOTEL The Dundee, located just four miles from Branch Point, offers easy access to dozens of restaurants, shops, and wineries in the heart of town. The décor of this modern hotel features wine-centric colors and the works of local artists. It has five on-site wine tasting rooms from Oregon vintners Evening Land, Le Cadeau, North Valley, The Dundee Wine Library, and Cougar Crest.
EAT & DRINK: TINA’S RESTAURANT Tina’s in Dundee uses locally sourced ingredients to complement its dishes, and the rack of lamb is a favorite. The wine list is joined by a decent selection of whiskeys.
SIDE TRIP: BOOK A WINE TOUR Dundee is in the heart of Oregon wine country and there are a plethora of wineries to choose from, including Stoller Family Estate, located across the street from Branch Point Distillery.
ONE TO TRY
90 Branch Point Trit, 46%, $55
Sweet and sour yeast, semi-sweet chocolate, and lightly roasted coffee
Rogue Spirits Distillery
NEWPORT • BREWERY FOUNDED 2003/DISTILLERY 2006
Rogue Ales & Spirits first made a name for itself as a craft brewery before transitioning to spirits; first rum, then gin and vodka, and in 2006 Rogue introduced its flagship single malt, Dead Guy. “When we went with whiskey it was a conscious decision to make products of Oregon,” explains head distiller Jake Holshue. “We’ve taken that into the next phase with the different expressions we can make with Dead Guy whiskey.”
Rogue whiskeys are handcrafted, from brewing each distinct wash, through distillation in Vendome stills, then aging and bottling. Located in Newport, the distillery is a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean. “We don’t see high fluctuation in temperatures,” says Holshue. “Where we do see more fluctuation, and really what makes us unique, is we get a lot of barometric pressure differentiation, especially with the storms coming off the coast.”
Rogue also has its own cooperage, Rolling Thunder Barrel Works, where cooper Nate Lindquist crafts roughly one American oak barrel a day. The various expressions of Dead Guy whiskey include its black label, a stout cask finish, and a wine cask finish. One made specifically for Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto is Morimoto single malt, with 10% of the malt smoked with cherry and alder woods. All its whiskeys, gins, and vodkas can be tasted at the distillery in Newport, as well as tasting rooms in Portland (Rogue Eastside Pub & Pilot Brewery) and at Pier 39 Public House in Astoria.
While You’re There
STAY: NEWPORT BELLE B&B There’s lodging galore in Newport, but none like this 97-foot paddlewheeler that is permanently moored in Yaquina Bay’s South Beach Marina.
EAT & DRINK: CLEARWATER RESTAURANT A quintessential Oregon Coast restaurant located on Yaquina Bay, Clearwater offers incredible views with a menu that is rich with Oregon seafood.
SIDE TRIP: YAQUINA HEAD LIGHTHOUSE Dip your toes into tide pools, stroll on the beach, then explore Oregon’s tallest lighthouse at 93 feet.
ONE TO TRY
86 Rogue Dead Guy American Single Malt, 40%, $55
Hops, dry nuttiness, grain, and tropical fruit
Ransom Spirits
SHERIDAN • FOUNDED 1997
Ransom Spirits is one of few distilleries in Oregon that grows its own barley; they do so on a 40-acre organic farm. And while that might set Ransom apart from other distillers in the state, master distiller Matt Cechovic likes to think it’s only part of the reason. He points to the distinctive and sometimes complex mashbills, distillation process, and barrels used for aging. “We put a lot of effort into growing the grain and coming up with these unique mashbills,” he says. “We love the flavors that we get off our pot still and we don’t want to cover up that stuff with a bunch of new oak.”
Ransom whiskeys are distilled in direct-fired French cognac Alembic stills. It mashes and ferments in small batches, incorporating barley grown on its farm with locally sourced malted barley. One of its signature whiskeys, Rye, Barley, Wheat, incorporates six grains into its mashbill. After distilling, the whiskey is aged in gently used pinot noir barrels. “Using those used barrels, you get the complementary flavor of oak, but yet the grains still come through,” adds Cechovic
In 2021 Ransom jumped into the bourbon scene when it introduced a mixture of its own 12 year old bourbon and bourbon sourced from Indiana.
Ransom’s spirits can be tasted at the Great Oregon Wine Co. & Distillery tasting room located in Dundee, a 30-minute drive from Sheridan.
While You’re There
STAY: THE ALLISON INN & SPA This luxury resort in Newberg, 30 minutes from Sheridan, offers palatial rooms, a restaurant, and, of course, a spa.
EAT & DRINK: THE DUNDEE BISTRO Seasonal menus draw from local farms and ranches for house-made pastas, soups, sauces, breads, and pizzas. Its substantial wine list, plus cocktails, completes the experience.
SIDE TRIP: EVERGREEN AVIATION & SPACE MUSEUM A short drive from Sheridan, Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is located in McMinnville, where Howard Hughes’s Spruce Goose, the world’s largest wooden airplane, is on display, along with the SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest jet ever made.
ONE TO TRY
87 Ransom WhipperSnapper, 42%, $30
Sweet corn, lemon candy, wood, and chocolate
A DESTINATION DISTILLERY
McMenamins Edgefield
TROUTDALE • ESTABLISHED 1998
It all began when brothers Brian and Mike McMenamin opened a brewpub in southeast Portland in 1983. Forty years later, the McMenamins’ empire includes 46 properties throughout Oregon and 10 in Washington. These aren’t just any properties; they are refurbished buildings on once-abandoned sites—20 of which are on the National Register of Historic Places—and new structures built with salvaged materials. They include hotels, restaurants and pubs, spas, pools, theaters, breweries, bakeries, a coffee roaster, winery, creamery, golf, two distilleries, and more, and offer on-site activities, festivals, and entertainment.
Operating in what was once a potato shed on a 74-acre poor farm, McMenamins Edgefield Distillery’s head distiller James Whelan leans heavily into the company’s roots as a craft brewer. In 2002, he was one of the first to embrace the concept of using beer in the distilling process, producing Hogshead, pot distilled from 100% malted barley.
“The idea behind our whiskey was to basically distill our own beer,” says Whelan. “It started out with our unhopped Hammerhead ale.” Today, they rotate four different recipes that start with beer: their Ruby ale, Terminator stout, Hammerhead ale, and Whelan’s personal recipe, Ananda.
Because McMenamins’ whiskeys are available only at its properties, you must visit one of its restaurants and pubs to sample. Bottles are available at many McMenamins restaurants, including the Edgefield tasting room.
ONE TO TRY
NR Hogshead, 46%, $50
Available at McMenamins pubs and restaurants only.
While You’re There
STAY: MCMENAMINS EDGEFIELD McMenamins Edgefield includes 100 guest rooms, a par-3 golf course, soaking pool, amphitheater, and restaurants, plus its own winery, brewery, and distillery complete with a bar.
EAT & DRINK: MCMENAMINS EDGEFIELD There’s no need to leave the property when there are four restaurants to choose from, including the Little Red Shed, Black Rabbit, Loading Dock Grill, and Power Station Pub. All serve pub-style food and McMenamins craft beers, wines, and spirits.
SIDE TRIP: COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE A 20-minute drive east on Interstate 84 will put you in the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area and historic Multnomah Falls, the most visited attraction in the Pacific Northwest. Make the climb to the top and look over the 620-foot falls.
