Cocktail Class at the Trail Distillery

Trail Distilling is located approximately 24 miles south of downtown Portland, OR (or 6 miles from Hwy 205 headed east on OR 213 in Oregon City). The distillery was founded in 2015 by owners Jerry & Sara Brennan and opened to the public for “tastings, tours and private events” on October 27, 2016. [1]

The Holiday Cocktail Class came up on our radar for “Things to Do” during the 2017 Christmas season when searching events on Facebook. The distillery offers cocktail classes throughout the year.

Owners

The owners of Trail Distilling found their love of spirits, and the distillery process, while traveling overseas. It became a life-long dream, and goal, to open a distillery. They took it upon themselves to learn everything they could about running a distillery and what it takes to make award winning spirits.

Although the distillery is still young, the company has already earned accolades for their spirits. According to a press release from April 6, 2017, the distillery received two silver medals at the American Distilling Institute (ADI) 2017 competition. [2]

Distillery Tasting Room

The tasting room is beautifully designed and decorated. It has the feel of a country lodge crossed with an urban warehouse with timber beams, a barn door, and metal accents but has the class of an upscale, city lounge. The antiques, sitting area, and patriotic décor, make it warm, cozy and inviting.

At the entrance is what appears to be a restored World War II-era motorcycle and sidecar. [3]

Towards the middle of the tasting room is a set of sofas that encircle a coffee table with a stunning chess board displayed. An antique Straube Player Piano sits in the background.

To the left of the entrance is a gorgeous metal and timber bar where the company spirits are displayed and one can taste the products made at the distillery. It is also the area where they hold the cocktail classes.

Cocktail Class

Upon arriving at the tasting room for the cocktail class, the attendees will find approximately three bar tables, that each seat four people, and one long table arranged for the class. The owners typically keep the class size small so all are close enough to see the cocktail demonstrations and to keep the event personal.

Attendees will also be given a menu with the recipe for each of the cocktails to be demonstrated.

The class is interactive in that an attendee is brought up to the bar to help mix and pour the cocktail recipes. A different attendee is chosen for each recipe, so several have the opportunity to stand behind the bar and give their best performance at being a mixologist. There is also a company mixologist assisting with the cocktail preparation.

While the cocktails are being mixed, Jerry (the emcee for the class) shares how their passion for spirits and the distillery process got started and what it took to get Trail Distillery open.

Part of the fun is a trivia contest filled with questions about the different spirits and the distillery process. The first person with the correct answer receives a raffle ticket. The ticket numbers are drawn at the end of the class and prizes include promotional items from the distillery with the main prize being a beautiful cocktail set.

Once each cocktail is prepared, Sara helps to serve the samples to the attendees. She also interacts with the attendees and gets their feedback on the cocktails.

At the end of the class a tour of the distillery is offered to anyone who is interested.

Thoughts

It is evident from the owners, the décor, and the inviting atmosphere of the distillery tasting room that much effort, passion and hard work went into making this distillery a dream come true.

The class was entertaining and the cocktails were delicious. Even though the drinks served were samples, the serving size was generous and more than enough to get a quality taste of the cocktails.

The owners are charming, warm, and welcoming. Their passion shines through.

For those who love the products, and want to take more than one cocktail class a year, Trail Distillery offers a Trail Club membership which includes distillery workshops and cocktail classes along with a few other perks.

To find out more about Trail Distilling you can find them here.

Website: http://www.traildistilling.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traildistillery/
Email: info@traildistilling.com
Phone: (503) 479-0003
Address: 21553 S Highway 213, Oregon City, OR 97045-9171
Location: Trail Distilling has a large sign at the front of their property. There is ample, free parking in the parking lot surrounding the distillery and tasting room.

Note – You must be 21 to access their website. Prices for the cocktail classes vary depending on the theme and what is included in the class.

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[1] News, T. O. (2016, November 07). Trail Distilling brings spirit to Oregon City. Retrieved January 10, 2018, from http://portlandtribune.com/cr/24-news/331000-210300-trail-distilling-brings-spirit-to-oregon-city

[2] Trail Distilling. (2016, April 4). TRAIL DISTILLING RECEIVES TWO SILVER MEDALS AT ADI’S 2017 COMPETITION [Press release]. Retrieved January 10, 2018, from http://files.constantcontact.com/7e6abb7b101/7da5bc22-9b00-4e15-9ddd-7afb2b0b5074.pdf

[3] Extremely Rare WWII Nazi Military BMW R75 Motorcycle and Sidecar. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2018, from http://www.icollector.com/Extremely-Rare-WWII-Nazi-Military-BMW-R75-Motorcycle-and-Sidecar_i9752725