It’s a big month for us at Port Chilkoot Distillery! This October, we’re turning ten years old. We are so grateful for everyone who has been on this journey with us, locals and travelers alike. It’s been a wild ride the last ten years, and we couldn’t have done it without our community here in Haines or our tenacious employees. Let’s take a journey through the past ten years!
2012: Port Chilkoot Distillery LLC was founded by Sean Copeland and Heather Shade. In July, we began the restoration of the historical Bakery building. Sean, co-owner and carpenter, fully restored the building and installed custom-made timber frame and wood features. We had our stills shipped in from Louisville, Kentucky, birthplace of the bourbon. Much of what you see today is Sean’s handiwork.
2013: Our first batches of whiskey were produced and barrelled in October. While we waited patiently for these products to come to fruition, we released our Icy Strait Vodka and 12 Volts Moonshine in the month of November. We celebrated our first product release on November 2nd.
2014: After HB309 was passed to allow Alaskan Distilleries to have tasting rooms, we jumped on the opportunity. On Halloween of 2014, we officially opened our tasting room and welcomed our very first employee, Macky Cassidy, into the mix. We also released our future award-winner, 50 Fathoms Gin.
2015: What a year for awards! We won the business competition ‘Path to Prosperity,’ sponsored by Spruce Root and The Nature Conservancy. And only a year after its release, 50 Fathoms Gin won a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Also in the year 2015, we released our Green Siren Absinthe and our first single-barrel batches of bourbon.
2016: In this year, we were featured in the Nature Conservancy Magazine, a nonprofit organization that works to ‘create a world where people and nature can thrive.’
2018: Green Siren Absinthe won Best in Category at the American Distilling Institutes’ 10th Annual Craft Spirits Competition. Meanwhile, our gin was being featured in Sunset Magazine.
2019: All this hype and award winning led to us needing a new production facility. It was built in 2019.
2020: We continued to expand, adding more space to our tasting room and production area.
2021: Our latest release, Seaworthy Rum, makes its debut.
Now, we celebrate our tenth year with full hearts! Join us on Friday October 14th for a celebration in our tasting room. From 4-8pm, there will be great food, signature cocktails made with spirits you know and love, classic Alaskan views, distillery tours, and a very limited-release single-barrel bourbon. Don’t miss out!
