Talking Cedar

Washington’s Talking Cedar is the First Distillery in America to Open on Tribal Land | Eater Seattle

"This massive new gastropub in Grand Mound, Washington, with its own brewery and distillery became the first facility in the country to legally produce alcohol on tribal land; as it prepares to fully ramp up spirits production in November it will make gin, vodka, and rum and open new business opportunities for its Indigenous owners. The tribe had to overturn a 184-year-old ban enacted in 1834 before the project could proceed, and the 35,000-square-foot distillery — built as a $24 million facility — has capacity to generate almost 10,000 barrels a year of whiskies and rums plus another 1.5 million gallons of other spirits. When the brewpub opened in late June it also operated a 60-barrel brewery producing imperial stouts, IPAs, and saisons, and during the pandemic the giant stills were used to produce hand sanitizer (about 30,000 gallons per day). The restaurant side is meant to complement the brewery and distillery with cocktails (currently from Heritage Distilling Co.) and pub food like made-to-order fried chicken; it’s following COVID precautions such as six-foot table spacing, 50 percent capacity, five-person party limits, mandatory masks, and outdoor seating, while quietly planning future tours, expanded seating, and a larger staff. Coverage in outlets including The New York Times and Forbes has drawn attention, and tribes nationwide have reached out to learn from the project." - Gabe Guarente