Portland’s Craft Distilleries and Spirits Scene has matured into one of the city’s most distinctive maker economies—right alongside its world-famous craft beer and Willamette Valley wine industries.
What began in the early 2000s as a handful of experimental stills in Southeast Portland’s industrial warehouses has grown into two walkable clusters of independent producers: Distillery Row on the Central Eastside and the Northwest Distillers District. Visitors and locals can tour working stills, taste small-batch spirits made with Oregon grain, fruit, and botanicals, and take bottles home—supporting a sector that feeds tourism, restaurant cocktail programs, and local agriculture.
The 1.5-mile stretch of the Central Eastside remains the historic heart of the movement. New Deal Distillery opened here in 2004 as one of the smallest licensed distilleries in America at the time and still anchors the row.
distilleryrowpdx.com | New Deal Distillery | Distillery Row
New Deal Distillery (900 SE Salmon St) specializes in vodkas (including the cult-favorite spicy Hot Monkey), gins, brandies, and an expanding whiskey lineup, all made with Bull Run water and local ingredients when possible. Informal tours and daily tastings keep the operation approachable.
Nearby, Westward Whiskey (65 SE Washington St) focuses on grain-to-glass American single malt. Founded by the same team that launched Aviation Gin, Westward sources and malts local barley, brews its own wash, and finishes whiskey in stout, pinot noir, and other casks for bold, balanced expressions that regularly earn national praise.
westwardwhiskey.com | Westward Whiskey
Stone Barn Brandyworks (3315 SE 19th Ave) takes a European-inspired approach. Husband-and-wife founders Erika and Sebastian Degens turn local fruit into seasonal brandies and liqueurs (green walnut is a signature) alongside rye whiskeys. The tasting room feels more like a neighborhood tasting salon than a factory.
Other Distillery Row stops worth seeking out include Straightaway (cocktails and spirits) and Rolling River Spirits.
A short hop across the river, Slabtown and the Northwest industrial edge host another tight cluster.
Freeland Spirits (2671 NW Vaughn St), Oregon’s first woman-owned and -operated distillery, opened in 2017 under founder Jill Kuehler. Master Distiller Molly Troupe produces elegant London Dry-style gin (packaged in distinctive teardrop blue bottles) and pinot-barrel-finished whiskey. The modern tasting room offers full cocktail service, flights, and snacks—making it one of the most visitor-friendly spots in the city.
freelandspirits.com | Freeland Spirits
Bull Run Distillery (2259 NW Quimby St), founded by longtime Portland distiller Lee Medoff, runs some of the largest stills in the state and emphasizes Oregon whiskey, vodka, aquavit, and other focused spirits. Aria Gin (2304 NW Savier St) keeps things simple and classic with a single, award-winning London Dry-style gin.
Oregon ranks among the highest states for distilleries per capita. The Oregon Distillers Guild, founded in 2007, continues to advocate for the industry, host events such as Oregon Distilled, and promote the state as a spirits tourism destination.
For local restaurants and bars, these producers supply distinctive house spirits and limited releases that differentiate cocktail lists. For visitors, the tasting rooms create walkable itineraries that pair easily with food-cart pods, Central Eastside eateries, and Northwest dining. For the broader economy, the sector supports grain farmers, fruit growers, barrel makers, and tourism dollars that stay local.
Copper stills remain the visual and technical heart of the craft:
Portland’s craft spirits scene no longer plays second fiddle to beer. It has its own identity—rooted in local agriculture, experimental finishing, and a collaborative industrial-district culture—and it continues to grow as both a tourism draw and a genuine contributor to the city’s maker economy. Whether you’re a bartender hunting unique ingredients, a visitor planning a tasting itinerary, or a local looking for a new weekend ritual, the stills of Distillery Row and the Northwest Distillers District are open for business.