Pilot House Distilling

Overview of the Distillery

Pilot House Distilling is located in the historic Astoria, Oregon, and since 2013 has produced a wide range of craft spirits. The site combines single-malt whisky production with gin, freshly infused vodkas, agave spirits, absinthe, and a range of award-winning canned cocktails. Tasting rooms in Astoria and Cannon Beach invite visitors to guided tastings, where staff explain the processes behind the products.

History

Larry Cary founded Pilot House Distilling in 2013 in downtown Astoria. In the early years, production was primarily focused on gin and vodka, while whisky was set aside for internal maturation. In 2017, the distillery actively worked to change state regulations so that the sale of canned cocktails could take place in Oregon; this effort led to the launch of Astoria Mary, described as Oregon's first canned cocktail. Since then, the range has expanded significantly and today includes, among other things, single-malt whiskies, freshly infused vodkas, agave spirits, absinthe, and a range of ready-to-drink canned cocktails. The products are available in stores and tasting rooms as well as through distribution to several U.S. states.

Raw Materials and Production

Pilot House began as a small craft distillery focused on gin and vodka, and has concurrently built its own whisky stocks that mature on site. The single-malt designation indicates that malted barley is used for the whisky production. The distillery's portfolio also includes freshly infused vodkas, which points to the use of infusion techniques to add fresh flavor components. In addition, ready-to-drink canned cocktails are produced, a process that requires both spirit production and subsequent preservation and packaging. The website describes tasting rooms as part of the storytelling, but does not state technical details about still types, fermentation times, or storage capacity.

Maturation and Barrel Types

Whiskies from Pilot House mature in the distillery's own warehouses. The text highlights an early strategy of letting whiskies mature in-house, while gin and vodka were the primary offerings. However, no specifics are given regarding which barrel types, previous contents, or finish programs are used, only that the maturation occurs in-house as part of product development.

Whiskies

The range runs from single-malt whiskies to gin, freshly infused vodkas, agave spirits, absinthe, and several variants of canned cocktails, including Astoria Mary. The products are described as award-winning and are sold both in tasting rooms and through online sales to selected U.S. states. The range combines classic spirit categories with experimental formats such as ready-to-drink canned cocktails.

Visit the Distillery

The distillery operates tasting rooms in Astoria and Cannon Beach, where visitors can take guided tastings and discussions about production and ingredients. Staff walk guests through individual tastings and answer questions about processes and products. Products are available for purchase on-site, and online sales enable shipping to certain U.S. states. The website does not specify regular opening hours or concrete booking requirements.

Philosophy and Craft

Pilot House combines traditional distilling craftsmanship with innovation-oriented product development. The company uses fresh infusions, local ingredients in tasting rooms, and has actively pursued regulatory changes to enable the introduction of new product formats such as canned cocktails.