Westward Whiskey in Portland, Oregon, was founded by Christian Krogstad and Thomas Mooney — both with deep roots in Portland's legendary craft beer scene. The distillery uses two-row pale ale malt and ale yeast for fermentation, creating a wash more akin to an unhopped craft beer than a traditional whisky wash. This approach produces a spirit with a distinctive richness and depth that sets Westward apart from both Scotch-style and bourbon-style American single malts.
The craft beer connection is not marketing — it fundamentally shapes the whisky's character. The ale yeast produces more esters and fruity compounds during fermentation than distiller's yeast, and the two-row pale malt provides a richer, more complex grain foundation. The result is a spirit that tastes of its origins in Portland's craft beverage culture.
Westward is one of the most important distilleries in the American single malt movement. Its quality has helped establish the Pacific Northwest as a serious whisky-producing region, and its beer-influenced production philosophy has created a genuine point of difference in a category still defining itself. For anyone interested in where American whisky is heading, Westward is essential tasting.
