Raising a glass to the first distillery built on tribal lands.
By Becky Garrison
When the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation (also known as the “People of the Sands”) was established at the confluence of the Chehalis and Black Rivers in Southwest Washington in 1864, they were subject to the Indian Trade and Intercourse Act signed by President Andrew Jackson in 1834 that banned distilleries on tribal lands. After Chehalis tribal leaders selected their site on their property for their future distillery, designed the facility, and submitted plans to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Washington, D.C in 2017, they received word from the BIA that their plan was illegal. If they chose to continue with their plans to distill spirits on their lands, the BIA could level a $1,000 fine, as well as send agents to smash their stills Prohibition style.
At the tribe’s urging, their local member of Congress Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) sponsored H.R.5317, a bill that repeals this 1834 law. After extensive lobbying by the Chehalis tribal leaders, this bill received bipartisan support from both houses of Congress. After this bill was passed in 2018, the Chehalis Tribe along with the other 573 Indian tribes legally recognized by the BIA of the United States could legally distill spirits on their land.
The name “Talking Cedar” profoundly reflects the tribe’s identity. The word “Talking” evokes the rich oral history of the Chehalis people, whereby their stories are passed down through the generations. Cedar trees have represented important symbols in the Northwest for generations. As each ring represents a year of growth, these trees tell the story of what they’ve seen and witnessed across the generations. Also, these trees provided the tribe with material for key daily items, as well as symbolizing the tribe’s connection to their environment.
According to Harry Pickernell Sr., Chehalis Enterprises’ Chief Operating Officer, they began with great partnerships that didn’t quite work out. “So, we learned how to do distilling and brewing along with getting a great team together,” he reflects. In his estimation, their patience and hard work paid off with rave reviews from their guests and awards for their products.
A State-of-the-Art Distillery & Brewery
Their 35,000-square-foot distillery, brewery, and restaurant is situated on the tribe’s 5,420-acre reservation. This space includes a15,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art production facility located on the Chehalis Tribal Reservation. Their distillery featured 31,000+ liter fermentation tanks, custom Italian pot stills, a 25-ft continuous still that’s the largest west of the Mississippi, and 90-liter hillbilly stills with the capability to produce 10,000 barrels of whiskey per year and nearly 1.5 million gallons of other spirits. Also, they are home to a 60 BBL brewhouse, which gives them the capacity to produce nearly 1,860 gallons of beer in a single batch. This venture employs over 80 people including tribal members.
The brewery and distillery sit behind their farm-to-fork restaurant that includes two bars and a retail shop where their products are available for sale. Currently, their spirits are available for retail sale in Washington State, Oregon, and Idaho with their beers available in Washington State with plans to expand their distribution.
As part of their commitment to the land, their brewing and distilling processes start with pristine water from their artesian well with a water treatment facility on-site to minimize their environmental impact. In addition, they collaborate with local farmers in developing the best Pacific Northwest wheat, barley, and other grains for use in their beers and spirits. Also, they forage botanicals like fir tips and yarrow used in their gin on their property, as well as use 100% recycled glass for their gin bottles.
Helmed by Master Distiller and Head Brewer Ryan Myhre, formerly of Big Time Beer Company (Seattle, WA), Talking Cedar brews a range of beers such as their featured brew Chehalis Light, a classic American Light Lager. Other beers include a Raspberry Blonde, a Juicy IPA, a Pacific Northwest IPA, and a Pilsner. After mashing and fermenting, their spent grain is used by local farmers as cattle feed.
At their distillery, they produce over ten spirits including their award-winning Kayak gin, the first legally distilled spirit made on Native American land. This spirit made from mountain water and foraged botanicals captures the Pacific Northwest natural flavors with a bold blend of Douglas Fir and Juniper is tempered with Mountain Yarrow and Nootka Rose.
Their forthcoming vodka line will be called Tail Feather which will be produced with locally grown, sustainably produced, and sourced wheat from nearby Boisfort Valley. In Myhre’s estimation, as wheat vodka is not as neutral as corn vodka, it can be a bit challenge to make vodka using white. “After many trials and errors, we’ve found a way to produce a very high-quality wheat vodka on their column still,” he reflects.
Also, they produce a series of hand-crafted, small-batch flavored whiskeys. Cask-finished brandies, and other specialty spirits that are infused with natural ingredients. For example, their Freezer Jam is made with real berries, their Ginger Drop uses real ginger, honey, and lemon, their Sugar Sand is sweetened with natural maple syrup, and their Cabin Coffee contains real espresso and natural maple syrup.
Talking Cedar’s Whiskey Program
Under the direction of Matt Hofmann, co-founder of Westland Distillery and current General Manager of Talking Cedar, they launched a comprehensive whiskey program. During his 13-year tenure at Westland, Hoffmann played an instrumental role in the creation of the American Single Malt category, which was formalized by the TTB on December 18, 2024.
His accolades include being named Whisky Magazine Craft producer of the year, Forbes 30 under 30, Imbibe person to watch, and StarChefs Seattle Rising star. Also, the whiskeys he produced at Westland were awarded as one of the top twenty whiskeys in the world in 2023 and 2024.
Their single malt whiskeys done in the Scottish style originate in the brew house where they brew their wort instead of a traditional wash. Also, they have a separator that gives them the capacity to do grain distillations, which they employ for any whiskeys made with unmalted grains.
Their current whiskeys include Blenders, a collaboration done with Westland Distillery that consists of a blend of eight Westland barrels and eight Talking Cedar barrels aged between two and nine years in a mix of 1st- and 2nd-fill charred American oak casks. Future plans include adding rye whiskey to their portfolio, as well as continuing to experiment with other Pacific Northwest grains.
Contract Distilling and Brand Partnerships
In addition to producing their own beers and spirits, Talking Center also provides contract distillation for select industry partners. For example, Seattle-based Copperworks Distilling Company used to brew wort for their American Single Malt whiskeys. Among their brewing and distilling partnerships include work with Livewire’s RTD cocktails, Bird Creek’s Single Malt whiskey, Pacific Northwest Beer, Packwood Brewing Co., Douglas Lagered Beer, and Three Magnet’s Self-Care non-alcoholic beer.
Hoffman notes they won’t be at capacity for quite some time. “I’m impressed by the scale of ambition and equipment at Talking Cedar and feel it has the potential to become one of the United States’ foremost distilleries,” he opines.
Connecting with the Community
Producing award-winning products, the tribe also strives to do good with their products as all profits from their beers and spirits go towards humanitarian and cultural preservation initiatives on the Chehalis reservation. These programs include teaching their ancestral Chehalis language to the younger generation, as well as supporting initiatives to revive Chehalis leatherworking and weaving.
Their location in Rochester, WA is situated halfway between Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. This proximity to two urban cities enables them to market themselves as a destination hub easily accessible for a day trip or a weekend getaway. Guests can stay at the tribe’s 170-room Eagles Landing hotel or the 400-room family-friendly resort and waterpark called Great Wolf Lodge while enjoying the tribe’s multiple restaurants and an adults-only casino.
