How far is the distillery from Louisville?

Neeley Family Distillery is about 45 minutes northeast of Louisville in Sparta, Kentucky. It's in Gallatin County, off the main Bourbon Trail routes, so plan for a bit of a drive through rural Kentucky.

What makes their bourbon different from larger distilleries?

The Neeleys grow some of their own corn right on the property and handle most of the production themselves as a family operation. You're tasting spirits made in small batches with direct family involvement from grain to bottle, rather than mass-produced bourbon.

CRAFT DISTILLERY

Maine

Hardshore Distilling Company

Portland,

Maine

— Vodka, Gin, Rum, Liqueur

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

COCKTAILS

BOTTLE SALES

DISTILLERY SNAPSHOT

🥔

Maine Potatoes

Pineland Farms spuds to smooth vodka

🌿

Foraged Botanicals

Juniper and sumac from coastal Maine

☕

Neighborhood Coffee

Speckled Ax beans blocks from distillery

🏭

Working Distillery

Watch production through tasting room windows

🔥

German Copper

500-liter pot still crafting small batches

🌊

Seasonal Spirits

Seaweed gin and maple rum experiments

📞 (207) 536-0592

🌐 http://www.hardshoredistilling.com/

📍 53 Washington Ave, Portland, ME 04101, USA

ABOUT THIS DISTILLERY

Industrial Space Where Maine Meets Spirit

Hardshore Distilling Company sits in Portland’s Arts District at 53 Washington Avenue, founded in 2017 by Jordan Milne and Mike Ryan. These two friends launched their operation in a 3,000-square-foot space that houses their 500-liter copper pot still from Germany, crafting small-batch spirits with a focus on gin, rum, and seasonal offerings. The name “Hardshore” comes from Maine’s rocky coastline, reflecting their commitment to creating spirits that capture the character of their coastal home. The distillery combines modern production techniques with locally-sourced ingredients, including Maine potatoes for their vodka and botanicals foraged from the region for their gin. You’ll find them producing everything from their flagship Pineland Vodka to their Coffee Liqueur made with beans from local Portland roasters. The operation started as a way for Milne and Ryan to bring craft distilling to Portland’s growing food and beverage scene, and they’ve built their reputation on small batches that emphasize quality over quantity. Their tasting room opened in 2018, giving visitors a chance to sample their portfolio while watching production happen just steps away from the bar.

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WHAT SETS THEM APART

Hand-Foraged Botanicals From Rocky Maine Coast

What sets Hardshore apart is their hyperlocal approach to sourcing and their willingness to experiment with seasonal ingredients that most distilleries wouldn’t touch. They’re one of the few Maine distilleries using 100% Maine-grown potatoes for their vodka, sourcing directly from Pineland Farms, and their gin features hand-foraged botanicals like Maine juniper and sumac berries. Their Coffee Liqueur showcases beans from Speckled Ax Coffee Roasters, literally blocks from their distillery, creating a product that tastes distinctly like Portland. They also rotate seasonal offerings based on what’s available locally, so you might find a limited rum aged with Maine maple or a gin infused with seaweed from Casco Bay.

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

FOOD AVAILABLE

COCKTAILS

RESERVATIONS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Workshop Vibes Not Tourist Theater

You’ll step into an industrial space where the smell of botanicals and fermenting mash mingles with coffee from their liqueur production. The tasting room has a minimalist vibe with exposed brick and metal fixtures, and you can see their copper still and fermentation tanks through large windows. Tastings are intimate affairs where staff walk you through their production process while you sample four to five spirits, explaining how Maine ingredients influence each one. The atmosphere feels more like hanging out in a friend’s workshop than a polished tourist destination, which works perfectly for their small-batch ethos.

IS IT WORTH VISITING

Perfect for Gin Lovers Seeking Something Different

This is perfect for spirits enthusiasts who want to taste something genuinely different and local rather than another bourbon distillery. If you’re interested in gin or unusual liqueurs, Hardshore offers flavors you won’t find elsewhere, especially their foraged botanical approach. It’s not the place for large groups or people looking for elaborate tours, but it’s ideal for couples or small groups who want to learn about craft distilling in an authentic setting. The tasting experience feels personal and educational without being overly formal.

⚠️ VISITING TIPS

Call ahead or check their social media before visiting since they sometimes close for private events or production needs. Parking can be tight on Washington Avenue, but there’s street parking and nearby lots. Ask about their seasonal releases when you visit, as they often have limited batches that showcase whatever local ingredients they’re experimenting with. If you’re a gin lover, specifically request to try their barrel-aged gin if it’s available. Weekend afternoons tend to be their busiest times, so weekday visits offer more personal attention.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Hardshore Distilling Company — Visitor FAQ

What makes your vodka different from others?

We use 100% Maine-grown potatoes from Pineland Farms rather than grain, which gives our vodka a creamier mouthfeel and slightly sweet finish. The potatoes are grown about 20 minutes from our distillery, so we can control quality from farm to bottle.

Do you offer tours of your production area?

Yes, we include informal tours with our tastings where you can see our German copper pot still and fermentation tanks through large windows. Our staff explains the process while you sample our spirits.

What’s unique about your gin?

We hand-forage botanicals like Maine juniper berries and sumac from local areas, which gives our gin flavors you won’t find in commercial gins. We also experiment with seasonal botanicals, so the flavor profile can vary slightly throughout the year based on what’s available locally.

GETTING THERE

Find Hardshore Distilling Company

📍53 Washington Ave, Portland, ME 04101, USA

—

📞 (207) 536-0592

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