Distillery Row

So...I first learned of Portland's brewery scene when I visited with my brother way back when.  Apparently the distilling industry has taken off in recent years.

We decided to check it out.  There's a tour you can take, but we're too independent-minded to be at someone else's mercy.  So we hoofed it on our own, hitting three distilleries in a six block area.


First stop was Vinn Distillery.  Apparently these folks are distilling just down the road from our RV Park in Wilsonville, OR.  But their tasting room is in the distilling district, for obvious marketing reasons.  Chinese-Vietnamese heritage influences this family-run rice distillery.


It was located in a small warehouse-type space.  The folks were really nice, and we were able to taste four different libations.  Two were fortified rice wines, and exceptionally sweet at that.  The other two were vodkas made with rice.  The rice flavor really stood out in one of the two, a product line which they are still developing.



Next up was New Deal Distillery, an airy garage-type space.


There was quite a crowd there, so we took our time looking around. We found something pretty interesting...the beams were the largest we had ever seen. You can see the size comparison by looking at the standard issue electrical outlet.

While we were looking at beams, a film crew came by with an actor in a bear suit. They were promoting Grassroots, a movie that was opening in Portland that weekend.



We finally got to sample the goods. We skipped the hard stuff...vodkas and gins, opting for the liqueurs...ginger, coffee, and HOT MONKEY (chile-infused vodka).


We picked up several bottles to bring back...Evelyn, the Hot Monkey makes a GREAT bloody mary when mixed with V8. Get ready for our return! ;-)

Another thing we saw were these 'drinking vinegars' produced by a local Thai restaurant in Portland. These were used as mixers at New Deal.

Our final stop: Eastside Distilling, makers of rum, bourbon, and liqueurs.


While we were finishing up our free mixed drink at Eastside, I stumbled upon a very interesting discovery. Apparently, John loves pinball, which I had not had the opportunity to learn before. I found him attached to the Indiana Jones pinball machine in the back...since it was free, we ended up hanging out for quite a while. Quite a blast!