Discover Portland's Aimsir Distilling Co., a chic new distillery serving up stellar gin and bourbon, alongside a cozy Irish-inspired menu and lively ambiance.
"A distillery taproom and restaurant that closed due to difficulties in achieving long-term stability." - Dianne de Guzman
"Brand new local distillery Aimsir is offering a special five-course menu to go for Mother’s Day. For $75, the meal includes two mint juleps with Aimsir bourbon, a bottle of rosé, scones, spring salad, tomato-braised rockfish, potato gnocchi with nettle pesto, and a strawberry shortcake with mint and whipped cream. There’s also an optional $15 add-on for a kids menu. Orders can be placed online for pick-up between 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 8. Orders must be placed by May 6." - Alex Frane
"Kerns’s Aimsir opened in 2020, another example Portland’s growing distillery scene reaching outside of traditional “row” in inner Southeast. With a Gaelic name conveying time, weather, and place, Aimsir is still early in its spirits journey but has already achieved national acclaim for its Aitil gin, winning Best of Class Contemporary Gin in 2021 from the American Distilling Institute, and its bourbon, winning double gold from the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. These bottlings, along with aquavit, vodka, and more are poured in the gorgeous Art Deco Emerald Room open Wednesday through Saturday." - Adam Sawyer, Nathan Williams
"Part of the still-nascent-but-growing trend of distilleries with full restaurant menus, Aimsir sports an Irish food menu, gin, and whiskey. Its many drinks are available in cute bottles for pickup, including the excellent coffee-infused Remember the Maine, a lush, rich, and slightly caffeinated version of the classic. The house martini is an great introduction to the distillery’s gin, and there’s usually a collaboration drink with the neighboring Culmination Brewery. The cocktails —along with the Irish cooking like savory pies and pickled vegetables— are all available for pickup orders online." - Alex Frane
"One of the newest members of Portland’s micro-distillery scene, Aimsir specializes in gin and bourbon, including a coffee-cut bourbon. Instead of the usual water used to bring the barrel-proof spirit down to a bottle-proof, the distillers here use cold brew from Junior’s Coffee. That bourbon goes into a number of cocktails on the menu: The Coffee Maine is a caffeine-infused Remember the Maine—botanical, lush, and layered, it’s best enjoyed slowly as the ice gradually mellows the flavors. La Rouge is a rich, silky smooth drink that tastes like a coffee-infused Boulevardier. And any of the regular whiskey drinks, like the Old Fashioned and Manhattan, can be made with the coffee whiskey." - Alex Frane
