In a traditional beer town just minutes from one of North America’s great wine regions, Portland’s under-sung distillery scene is still largely under the radar nationally, but growing in vibrancy ever year. Many distilleries are part of the Distillery Row group, allowing guests to use the Passport Program for discounts, though the scene has grown beyond its traditional bounds in inner Southeast Portland.
The Best Distilleries in Portland
From Oregon single-malt to artisan aquavit, here are the distilleries delivering the booze
With so many newer distilleries, younger spirits like gin and vodka tend to predominate, though some of the older ones are achieving increasingly distinctive results with their whiskeys. Some of Portland’s most celebrated spirits include New Deal’s bourbon, Aria dry gin, Westward single-malt whiskey, and Stone Barn’s green walnut liqueur. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg — an iceberg that also contains Portland aquavit, absinthe, herb-infused liqueurs, and more surprises.
Here’s a list of some of Portland’s top distilleries. In the latest update, in April 2025, we removed four distilleries that have sadly closed: Vinn, Shine, Wild Roots, and Pilot House — though the latter is still open in Astoria and Canon Beach.
As usual, this list is not ranked but organized geographically. See a place we missed? Please email us: pdx@eater.com.
Additional reporting by Adam Sawyer.
The Best Distilleries in Portland
From Oregon single-malt to artisan aquavit, here are the distilleries delivering the booze
In a traditional beer town just minutes from one of North America’s great wine regions, Portland’s under-sung distillery scene is still largely under the radar nationally, but growing in vibrancy ever year. Many distilleries are part of the Distillery Row group, allowing guests to use the Passport Program for discounts, though the scene has grown beyond its traditional bounds in inner Southeast Portland.
With so many newer distilleries, younger spirits like gin and vodka tend to predominate, though some of the older ones are achieving increasingly distinctive results with their whiskeys. Some of Portland’s most celebrated spirits include New Deal’s bourbon, Aria dry gin, Westward single-malt whiskey, and Stone Barn’s green walnut liqueur. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg — an iceberg that also contains Portland aquavit, absinthe, herb-infused liqueurs, and more surprises.
Here’s a list of some of Portland’s top distilleries. In the latest update, in April 2025, we removed four distilleries that have sadly closed: Vinn, Shine, Wild Roots, and Pilot House — though the latter is still open in Astoria and Canon Beach.
As usual, this list is not ranked but organized geographically. See a place we missed? Please email us: pdx@eater.com.
Additional reporting by Adam Sawyer.
Quartz Mountain Distillers
Vancouver’s first distillery, Quartz Mountain opened in 2020 and now offers a wide range of bourbons, flavored and unflavored vodkas, and even moonshine. Quartz Mountain regularly rolls out new varieties of liquor — follow it on Instagram to see what’s coming out. The tasting room is open afternoons, Tuesday through Saturday, and offers distillery tours as well.
Aviation American Gin Tasting Room
Founded by distiller Christian Krogstad and bartender Ryan Magarian, Aviation Gin is still distilled in Portland but now owned by British beverage mega-producer Diageo — though minority stake owner Ryan Reynolds (yes, that Ryan Reynolds) remains the face of the brand. Portlanders’ instinctive skepticism of outside companies scooping up local brands might wilt under the power of Aviation’s charm offensive, with an especially in-depth tour, a visit to Reynolds’ “office” that doubles as an escape room-style game, and an elegant nouveau Art Deco bar with an array of gin cocktails. The gin itself is smooth and lightly floral, easily mixable or enjoyable over ice. Aviation is open to the public Thursday through Sunday afternoons, with tours available for $35 for those who book ahead.
Aviation American Gin
Freeland Spirits
Based in Northwest Portland, Freeland launched in 2017 with a juniper and cucumber-forward London-style gin, soon followed by a bourbon and a rye-heavy Geneva gin, all poured from distinctive teardrop bottles. Sidle up to the mod, midcentury-style bar at Freeland’s distillery in Slabtown for gin flights, house cocktails, and paninis. It’s open daily, and tours can be booked in advance.
Aria Portland Dry Gin
Aria Portland Dry Gin is an award-winning London-style gin, utilizing traditional gin ingredients and distillation techniques. The 10 botanicals found in Aria produce a gin that is intended to help craft cocktails soar but serves up neat or straight over ice just as well. Unlike many Portland distilleries, this facility produces only gin — no vodkas, whiskies, or brandies. The Slabtown tasting room is open in the afternoon, Thursday through Sunday.
Bull Run Distillery
Lee Medoff knows his way around an adult beverage. His circuitous route to Bull Run started with a position as a brewer for McMenamins, and he dabbled in wine-making and co-founded Portland-based House Spirits before moving on to open the Bull Run Distilling Company — where he now produces an enviable line of vodkas, single malt and blended whiskeys, aquavit, and a starka (vodka aged in oak barrels). Tastings are available Friday through Sunday.
Westward Whiskey
Westward Whiskey, founded in 2004 by Aviation co-founder Christian Krogstad, offers nearly a dozen bottlings, including a subtly vanilla single malt, meatier stout cask finish, and ultra-smooth pinot noir cask finish — with certain bottles only available to its whiskey club members. Tours are available by appointment only (each featuring a welcome cocktail and a flight at the tour’s end), but tastings are open to walk-in visitors, Mondays and Thursdays through Sundays. Portland visitors who missed Westward on their tour can grab a tasting last minute at PDX before their flight.
New Deal Distillery
From humble beginnings as the smallest licensed distillery in America, New Deal became the cornerstone of what is today inner southeast Portland’s Distillery Row. It’s open for tasting and flights daily from noon to 6 p.m. and though it sells hand-crafted gins, vodkas, and other liquors is still most beloved for its rye, wheat, and bourbon whiskeys, with a casual tasting area just feet away from the distillery operations. Informal tours are offered upon request.
Nathan Williams/Eater Portland
Stone Barn Brandy Works
Co-founders Erika and Sebastian Degens source local ingredients for their extensive line of handcrafted brandies, liqueurs, and whiskeys. Visit the distillery just south of Powell Boulevard to sample everything from a sour straight rye whiskey, a chocolaty dark roast rye the Degens aptly describe as “hoodie weather rye,” an assortment of fruit brandies and liqueurs, and the flagship green walnut liqueur, with its bitter green walnut flavor tempered with sour rye and soft-edged pinot noir brandy. The casual tasting room is an organic extension of the cozy distillery — sip on the patio on dry-weather days.
