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

Portland Distilling Company

Portland,

Maine

— Bourbon, Rye, Gin

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

RESERVATIONS

BOTTLE SALES

DISTILLERY SNAPSHOT

🏭

Industrial Bones

1920s textile warehouse turned working distillery

🌲

Maine Foraged

Wintergreen and spruce tips in seasonal gin

⚱️

Full Size Barrels

Real aging not rushed small cooperage

🔥

Grain to Glass

Mashing Maine corn while you watch

👥

Founder Led

Jeremy or Josh pour every tasting

📐

True Small Batch

250-gallon still, 500 cases annually

🌐 https://portlanddistilling.co/

📍 135 Walton St Building N, Portland, ME 04103, USA

ABOUT THIS DISTILLERY

Two Friends in a Warehouse Making Real Whiskey

Portland Distilling Company sits in Portland, Maine’s industrial Arts District at 135 Walton Street, housed in a renovated warehouse that feels more like a craft brewery than your typical distillery. Founded in 2019 by Jeremy Goldberg and Josh Christie, two friends who met working in Portland’s restaurant scene, the operation started as a side project that quickly outgrew their original plans. Goldberg had been home-distilling for years while managing restaurants, and Christie brought business experience from running food service operations across Maine. They spent two years navigating Maine’s licensing process and converting their 4,000-square-foot space into a working distillery with custom copper stills from Vendome Copper & Brass Works. The duo focuses on small-batch American whiskey and gin, with everything from mashing to bottling happening on-site. Their approach leans heavily on local ingredients when possible, working with Maine grain suppliers and incorporating regional botanicals into their gin recipes. The space doubles as both production facility and tasting room, with exposed brick walls, concrete floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows that let visitors watch the entire process. What started as weekend batches in Goldberg’s garage has evolved into a 500-case annual operation that’s become a quiet fixture in Portland’s growing craft spirits scene.

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WHAT SETS THEM APART

Foraged Maine Botanicals In Every Bottle

Portland Distilling operates on a genuinely small scale that most ‘craft’ distilleries have outgrown, with Goldberg and Christie still handling most production themselves on their 250-gallon copper pot still. They’re one of the few Maine distilleries aging whiskey in full-size barrels rather than smaller cooperage, meaning their bourbon and rye take the traditional 2-4 years to develop rather than rushing to market. Their gin production stands out for incorporating foraged Maine botanicals like wintergreen and spruce tips alongside traditional juniper, creating flavor profiles you won’t find elsewhere. The location itself adds character—their building was originally a textile warehouse from the 1920s, and they’ve preserved the industrial bones while adding modern distilling equipment. Unlike many craft operations that source neutral grain spirit, they handle the entire process from grain to bottle, mashing Maine-grown corn and wheat in small batches.

TOURS AVAILABLE

TASTINGS

FOOD AVAILABLE

COCKTAILS

RESERVATIONS

FAMILY FRIENDLY

BOTTLE SALES

THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Founders Pour Your Flight Still Smell Like Mash

You’ll find yourself in an working distillery where Goldberg or Christie often lead tours personally, walking you through their mash tuns, fermentation tanks, and copper stills while production continues around you. The space smells like sweet mash and juniper, with the sound of bubbling fermentation tanks providing background ambiance. Tastings happen at a simple bar built from reclaimed wood, where you’ll sample their current whiskey releases alongside seasonal gins while learning about their grain-to-glass process. The atmosphere is decidedly low-key and educational rather than polished—think craft brewery vibe with copper stills instead of fermentation tanks. Tours typically run 30-45 minutes and include tastings of 4-5 spirits, with the founders happy to dive deep into technical details if you’re interested in the distilling process.

IS IT WORTH VISITING

If You Want Authentic Skip the Tourist Traps

This is perfect for spirits enthusiasts who appreciate seeing the entire production process at genuine small-batch scale, but casual tourists looking for a polished experience might find it too bare-bones. You’re essentially visiting someone’s working garage that happens to make excellent spirits, which means tours feel authentic but lack the bells and whistles of larger operations. The whiskey is legitimately good for such a young distillery, particularly their rye which shows real promise, and their seasonal gins offer flavors you won’t find elsewhere. If you’re touring multiple Maine distilleries, this provides a nice contrast to more established operations like Maine Craft Distilling. The personal attention from founders who still remember every barrel makes up for what they lack in fancy facilities.

⚠️ VISITING TIPS

Call ahead rather than showing up unannounced, as tours depend on production schedules and whether Goldberg or Christie are available to lead them. The location can be tricky to find in Portland’s Arts District—look for the brick warehouse with copper still visible through large windows rather than fancy signage. Weekend afternoons tend to work best for visits, as weekdays are often dedicated to production with limited availability for tours. Ask specifically about their barrel aging program and seasonal gin releases, as these showcase what makes them different from other Maine distilleries. Parking is street-side and usually available, but the neighborhood is industrial so don’t expect much beyond the distillery itself.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Portland Distilling Company — Visitor FAQ

How long have your whiskeys been aging?

Their bourbon and rye have been aging 2-4 years in full-size new American oak barrels, which is longer than many craft distilleries that use smaller barrels to speed aging. They started laying down barrels in 2020, so their oldest releases are showing real maturity.

What makes your gin different from other craft gins?

They incorporate foraged Maine botanicals like wintergreen and spruce tips alongside traditional juniper, creating flavor profiles specific to the Northeast. Each seasonal release features different local ingredients, so the gin evolves throughout the year based on what they can source locally.

Do I need to book tours in advance?

Yes, definitely call ahead as tours depend on production schedules and founder availability. They’re a two-person operation, so if Jeremy and Josh are in the middle of a distillation run or other production work, they may not be able to accommodate walk-ins.

GETTING THERE

Find Portland Distilling Company

📍135 Walton St Building N, Portland, ME 04103, USA

—

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