Freeland Spirits

Freeland Spirits is a woman-owned and operated craft distillery in Portland, Oregon, best known for a bourbon finished in Pinot Noir barrels and a rye whiskey grown entirely on Oregon soil. Founded in 2017, the distillery has built its identity around a "farm to bottle" philosophy that ties every expression back to the state's grain and fruit.

History & Heritage

Freeland Spirits traces its origin to a 2016 conversation between founder and CEO Jill Kuehler and rancher Cory Carman, an exchange that crystallized into a distillery built around Oregon terroir and women in craft spirits. Kuehler opened the doors in 2017 in Portland's Slabtown neighborhood, and the company remains privately held, with Kuehler still at the helm as founder and CEO. Molly Troupe serves as Master Distiller, overseeing both the gin and whiskey programs and the distillery's expansion into fully grain-to-glass production.

The distillery has grown from a single Portland tasting room into a small regional footprint, adding a tasting room at Portland International Airport in the North Concession Hall near Gates D and E, open daily from 8 AM to 8 PM. The original Vaughn Street location remains the production home and the site of public tours.

The Whiskey

Freeland Spirits Bourbon began as a sourced product, a blend of 3-year and 12-year-old bourbon built on a mash bill of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley. What sets it apart is the finish: five months resting in French oak Pinot Noir barrels sourced from Elk Cove Winery in the Willamette Valley, a step that layers red-fruit and wine-cask character over the base bourbon. The bourbon has earned 94 points from Wine Enthusiast and gold medals at both the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge.

Freeland has since moved toward whiskey it distills itself. Freeland Rye Whiskey is now released and bottled in bond, made from a mash bill of 75% Organic Dark Northern Rye, 20% Organic Purple Karma Barley, and 5% Organic Buckwheat, all grown in Oregon. Master Distiller Molly Troupe worked with Camas Country Mill to select heritage and ancient grain varieties, stone-milled to preserve flavor before fermentation and distillation on the distillery's German-made 500-gallon copper pot still, nicknamed "Hellbitch." The result is a 100-proof, 100% Oregon-grown-and-distilled rye that the distillery aged several years before release, marking Freeland's transition from a sourced-whiskey label to a true grain-to-glass whiskey producer.

Gin remains the other pillar of the house style. Freeland Gin is built through a dual-distillation process, combining the copper pot still with a vacuum still (rotovap) that preserves delicate botanical character. The gin carries juniper alongside 13 other botanicals, including fresh cucumber, rosemary, mint, and thyme, and the technique extends into limited releases like Forest Gin, which incorporates foraged local ingredients.

Why It Matters

Freeland Spirits occupies a distinct niche among American whiskey producers: a woman-founded, woman-operated distillery using Oregon's wine industry and grain economy to shape its whiskey program rather than importing barrels or grain from Kentucky's usual supply chains. The Pinot Noir-barrel finish on the bourbon and the fully Oregon-sourced rye mash bill both reflect a terroir-driven approach that is unusual outside the Pacific Northwest. The distillery has been recognized locally for four consecutive years as Best Distillery in Portland and two consecutive years for Best Spirits Tasting Room in Willamette Week's Best of Portland Readers' Poll (as of 2025), and was named Forbes' pick for Best Distillery to Visit, underscoring a reputation built as much on hospitality and production values as on the whiskey itself.

Visiting the Distillery

Freeland Spirits offers distillery tours and tastings at its Portland production facility, typically Wednesday through Sunday at 3 PM. The experience includes a guided walk through the production floor and a tasting flight of six spirits, for a total of $35 per person ($10 deposit online, $25 balance paid in person). A second, walk-in tasting room operates daily at Portland International Airport for travelers passing through Gates D and E.