Team spirit: Portland’s House Spirits Distillery opens a stylish new tasting room

With the American craft distillery movement in full swing, it comes as no surprise that even niche producers are taking their operations to the big time. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the wellspring of all things artisanal, is House Spirits Distillery, the maker behind craft spirits such as Aviation American Gin, Volstead Vodka, Westward Oregon Straight Malt Whiskey and Krogstad Aquavit, just to name a few.

Business must be good seeing as House Spirits inaugurated a new facility this week, which makes it the largest (and most inviting) distillery in the Pacific Northwest region. House Spirits’ new home includes expanded production facilities and a stylish new tasting room designed by the design firm Osmose Design, who have also created interiors for Stumptown Coffee Roasters and the ice cream parlour, Salt & Straw.

For House Spirits’ tasting room, Osmose Design set out to create an elegant, yet exciting experience by carving out a large viewing window that frames the distillery’s large stills and manufacturing space. A Corian-topped bar in front of it provides a stylish perch for visitors to sample the goods. Halfway across the room, an eye-catching archive showcases the company’s limited edition bottles, which are displayed on Douglas fir risers. The company’s full range of offerings is displayed in wooden cubby shelves on another wall, together with awards and accolades won over the years.

By using a minimal material palette of black MDF wood, Douglas fir and aluminium, the tasting room retains a sense of sophistication without being overly serious. A splash of patterned Bolon tiles runs across the concrete floor, while a display case of branded merchandise, bar accessories and cocktail books means you probably won’t leave empty handed.