Fusing Spirits, Food, and Atmosphere into an Unforgettable Evening
Nestled in N Williams, Shine Distillery isn’t just another distillery. It’s a unique offering in a sea of Portland Distilleries. Me and a girlfriend decided to go and check it out.
In 2019 Jonathan Poteet, a veteran in the brewing world, unveiled his vision for Shine Distillery—a concept that defied the norms. Unlike traditional distilleries, Shine embraced the spirit of a brewpub, offering an expansive food and cocktail menu alongside its lineup of vodka, gin, and whiskey. The outcome? A space that encourages patrons to not only relish the spirits, but to relax in a laid back environment with their favorite foods.
Shine has multiple seating offerings depending on the type of experience that you are looking for. There is a kid friendly dining room and bartop directly across from the distillery on the main floor. There is also a 21+ seating section on the second level and a small bartop. Or you can make the best choice and sit on the roof top patio which is also 21+. We arrived just in time to watch the sunset.
We tried the Pink 75, a twist on my favorite cocktail. The pink gin is flavored with pink hibiscus and it really complemented the lemon and prosecco. This was absolutely one of my favorite 75s. I also tried the Lavender Love made with gin, lavender, lemon and egg white. It was frothy, tart and delicious. We also of course had to try a tasting flight. We were able to sample the gin, hibiscus gin, vodka, and minty vodka. They were all clean, easy to sip, and tasted exactly as the ought to.
We didnt try any food this time around as we really just wanted to enjoy a cocktail but you can find things like burgers, pretzels, artichoke dip, and pasta. They also have a happy hour from 4pm-6pm which we will be coming back to!