Your map to the single malts of the Pacific Northwest
Launched in 2023, the Northwest Whiskey Trail stretches from Oregon to British Columbia—the first distillery trail to cross an international border. Sampling the spirits along this trail affords whiskey aficionados a unique opportunity to savor award-winning whiskeys with the unique characteristics of Pacific Northwest single malt.
Each of these whiskeys speaks to both the distiller’s signature style, and the terroir of their region. Among the factors influencing a spirit’s character: topography, weather, climate, geography, presence of specific soils and flora, and the conditions in the distillery or warehouse where the spirits are made and stored.
A number of these distillers hail from the craft brew scene, informing their distilling process. They may brew their wort similarly to brewing beer, sans the hops (the starting point for traditional distilleries is called a “wash”), or experiment with aging their whiskeys in various casks, again similar to beer. Distillers source grains by partnering with farmers and malthouses similar to how winemakers work with growers to select the best grapes.
For a distillery to be included in this trail, they need to produce at least one single malt whiskey and be located in British Columbia, western Oregon or western Washington state. Following are the distilleries currently participating in this whiskey trail starting in British Columbia and heading down through Oregon.
MACALONEY’S ISLAND DISTILLERY & TWA DOGS BREWERY
VICTORIA, BC
Vancouver Island’s pristine surrounds infuses Macaloney whiskies with bracing sea air. Founder Graeme Macaloney built his distillery around traditional Forsyth’s copper pot stills, which produce fruity and smooth spirits that are then aged in curated oak casks sourced from Portugal, Spain, Scotland and Kentucky.
Join an immersive brewery and distillery tour for a unique opportunity to touch, smell and taste a wide selection of craft beers and whiskies. In particular, be sure to check out their Kildara, an Irish-style whisky that was declared World’s Best Pot Still at the prestigious World Whiskies Awards in 2023. There’s a reason Macaloney’s is the first stop on the trail!
The copper Forsyth stills at Macaloney’s Island Distillery.
SHELTER POINT DISTILLERY
CAMPBELL RIVER, BC
Situated on the coast and surrounded by 380 acres of farmland, Shelter Point Distillery distinguishes itself from other distilleries on this tour by growing its own barley. The combination of estate-grown barley, pure aquifer water and salty air gives their award-winning single malts a singular taste. Their releases include a 12-year-old Single Malt and their Smoke Point single malt whisky, aged in barrels smoked with driftwood from the shoreline and nearby woods around the distillery.
COPPERWORKS DISTILLING
SEATTLE AND KENMORE, WA
Co-founder Jason Parker crafts his whiskeys with the same dedication to flavor he utilized brewing beer as the first head brewer for Pike Brewing Company. He differs from more traditional distillers through his use of brewer’s yeast and temperature-controlled fermentation, as well as sourcing specialty grains from growers who dry farm or have a Salmon-Safe certification. These sustainable practices led the American Distilling Institute (ADI) to award Copperworks Distillery of the Year in 2018.
Their specialty single malt releases—Maltsmith, Farmsmith and Peatsmith—each showcase aspects of Washington’s terroir through malts, barley and Olympic Peninsula peat. Each iteration explores the impact single crops, farms or growing years have on your glass. Their flagship downtown location hosts educational whiskey workshops where you can view their process firsthand, while the Kenmore tasting room hosts the farm-to-table restaurant De La Soil, a curated selection of craft cocktails and boozy slushies, and a wide range of community gatherings.
In addition to their single malts, Copperworks also makes vodka, gin and boozy slushies.
WESTLAND DISTILLERY
SEATTLE, WA
Established in 2011 in SoDo, Westland Distillery represents the second distillery in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to producing American single malt whiskey. In addition to their flagship single malt, they experiment with wine and beer cask finishes, including their “Garryana” series, using barrels from oak indigenous to the PNW. Their 8th and 9th editions of this series were awarded as among the top 20 whiskeys in the world by Whiskey Advocate. Also, their Colere and Solum series explore how barley and peat, respectively, inform the flavor of their whiskeys.
Their recently redesigned tasting room is the perfect homage to living room comfort and the developing legacy of American single malts, perfect for settling in and trying their award-winning spirits.
The new tasting room at Westland Distillery in SoDo.
TALKING CEDAR SPIRITS
ROCHESTER, WA
Talking Cedar, the first tribal-owned distillery in the U.S., was established after a discriminatory law from 1834 preventing Native Americans from distilling alcohol on tribal lands was finally overturned in 2018. Their 35,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art production facility—a combination of distillery, brewery and restaurant, located on the Chehalis Tribal Reservation—includes 31,000-liter fermentation tanks, custom Italian pot stills, a 25-ft continuous still and 90-liter moonshine stills. All told, Talking Cedar has the capability to produce 10,000 barrels of whiskey per year and nearly 1.5 million gallons of other spirits.
Collaborating with Matt Hofmann, co-founder of Westland Distillery, Talking Cedar launched a comprehensive whiskey program, which includes single-cask offerings and a Blenders American Blended Malt Whiskey—made from eight Westland barrels and eight Talking Cedar barrels aged between two and nine years in a mix of 1st- and 2nd-fill charred American oak casks.
WESTWARD WHISKEY
PORTLAND, OR
For over 20 years, Westward Whiskey’s motto to “brew like a craft ale, distill like a single malt, and age like a bourbon,” has defined their whiskey portfolio. They craft their flagship whiskey from American Northwest two-row barley, fermented with craft ale yeast that’s double-distilled and matured in new, lightly charred and heavily toasted American oak barrels.
For a fully immersive experience, book a distillery tour, followed by a tasting. From their flagship whiskey, they produce a range of expressions including a cask-strength whiskey that represents their spirit in its purest form, but they use a wide range of casks—including pinot noir, stout barrels and smoked casks.
HOOD RIVER DISTILLERS
HOOD RIVER, OR
Over 25 years ago, the late Steve McCarthy, founder of Clear Creek Distillery, decided to make his own single malt after sampling Scottish single malt whiskies during a trip to Ireland. By combining the tradition of Scotch whisky with Oregon character, he produced McCarthy’s 3-year Single Malt, a whiskey that has the distinction of being the first American single malt whiskey.
After Hood River Distillers acquired Clear Creek in 2014, Master Distiller Caitlin Bartlemay honors McCarthy’s legacy by producing a range of McCarthy single malts including McCarthy’s 6-year Oregon Single Malt Whiskey, which uses 100% peated barley from Scotland and is matured in 100% garryana oak. Other iterations include whiskeys finished in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks.
To participate in this tour, pick up a Northwest Whiskey Trail passport at any participating distillery and collect a stamp at each destination. As the passports do not expire, travelers can visit these distilleries in whatever order works for their travel schedule. Once the passport is full, it can be redeemed at the final distillery for an exclusive, limited-edition Northwest Whiskey Trail Glencairn glass.