Bull Run Distilling Company

Bull Run Distilling Company is the Portland, Oregon craft American whiskey operation founded in 2010 by Lee Medoff — and one of the most editorially significant Pacific Northwest craft whiskey producers because of Medoff's deep roots in the broader West Coast craft distilling history that predates the modern craft American whiskey boom. Medoff previously co-founded House Spirits Distillery (the operation that eventually became Westward Whiskey) before separating from that venture and launching Bull Run as his own independent project — making him one of the very few American craft distillers with founding-team experience at two distinct major Pacific Northwest distilleries. Bull Run occupies a production facility at 2259 NW Quimby Street in Portland's Northwest industrial district, with the working distillery and an on-site tasting room operating within the broader Portland craft-beverage ecosystem.

The Bull Run name references the Bull Run Watershed — the federally-protected Cascade Mountain water source that supplies all of Portland's drinking water, regularly cited as one of the most pristine major municipal water supplies in the United States. Medoff's editorial framing positions Bull Run Watershed water as the foundational ingredient and the source of the distinct flavor character that distinguishes Pacific Northwest whiskey from Kentucky, Tennessee, or East Coast production. The brand identity throughout pulls visually from the Cascade Mountains and the Bull Run reservoir system that anchors Portland's water supply infrastructure.

The product range covers Bull Run Distillery Oregon Single Malt Whiskey (the flagship American Single Malt — distilled from 100% Pacific Northwest malted barley, aged in new charred American oak and used Oregon Pinot Noir wine casks), Bull Run Pacific Rum (distilled from Hawaiian-sourced raw sugar cane molasses), Bull Run Aquavit (the Scandinavian-tradition caraway-and-dill spirit, a category that has deep Pacific Northwest cultural roots from the region's Scandinavian immigrant history), Bull Run Oregon Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength, and a rotating range of single-barrel and limited bottlings. The Aquavit program in particular reflects Medoff's interest in producing spirit categories with genuine regional Pacific Northwest cultural relevance rather than just following the Kentucky bourbon template.

The Quimby Street visitor experience runs through the working production floor and the on-site tasting room — one of Portland's more genuinely small-craft craft-distillery stops, with Medoff personally involved in much of the day-to-day operation. The location puts Bull Run within the broader Portland industrial-district craft-beverage cluster, walking distance from a meaningful concentration of breweries, wineries, and other craft producers that have built Portland's broader craft-beverage tourism identity over the past two decades.