Originally a cure-all for what ailed you, bitters have evolved into a flavoring agent for cocktails and other beverages that contribute complexity, depth, and nuance with just a few dashes. Brightwork Bitters are handcrafted in very small batches here in Southeast Alaska to highlight and enhance cocktails made with the Port Chilkoot Distillery line of spirits and can be used widely in any drink you make. Start exploring and add a dash of Alaska to your creations! Try some of these recipes to create a taste of Southeast Alaska at home: BITTERS & SODA: 5 of 6 strong dashes of Brightwork Bit ..read more

It’s a big month for us at Port Chilkoot Distillery! This October, we’re turning ten years old. We are so grateful for everyone who has been on this journey with us, locals and travelers alike. It’s been a wild ride the last ten years, and we couldn’t have done it without our community here in Haines or our tenacious employees. Let’s take a journey through the past ten years! 2012: Port Chilkoot Distillery LLC was founded by Sean Copeland and Heather Shade. In July, we began the restoration of the historical Bakery building. Sean, co-owner and carpenter, fully restored the building and instal ..read more

Making Alaskan Rum Famous for snow and endless miles of untouched forest, Alaska is a far cry from the Caribbean, rum’s country of origin. However, Alaska and the West Indies share one thing in common: a life built around the sea. Alaska produces more seafood than all other US states combined and is home to many adventurous fishermen. Rum has a long history on the open ocean, dating back to 1655 when the British Royal Navy first instituted the famous rum ration. Water was not safe to drink at sea, as it quickly became rancid and was often taken from polluted rivers. When the beer ran out, rum ..read more

Ready-to-drink cocktails were born as a solution to the bar closures that swept the US in March 2020. Folks were stuck at home and thirsty! Bottle sales soared, but with bars closed, cocktail drinkers lacked access to the masterfully made drinks they loved most. Starting with the wildly successful cocktails-to-go trend, bars and distilleries ran with the pivot and started canning cocktails. Since then, canned cocktails have swept the nation and become a popular alternative to purchasing beer or hard seltzers. Cocktail lovers everywhere have been overjoyed at the convenience of ready to drink o ..read more

You’ll never find another place quite like Haines, Alaska. Nestled between the mountains and sea, Haines boasts a tight knit community of independent, hardworking folks. The wondrous natural beauty and long winters spent indoors create the perfect conditions for creatives and makers to thrive. Our local economy is rich with the entrepreneurial spirit, creating a special draw for Alaska tourism. We’re proud to call Southeast Alaska home and draw constant inspiration from our surroundings at our Haines distillery.  Home to the Tlingit, the indigenous peoples of Southeastern Alaska, the ori ..read more

5 Cocktails Made with Alaska Vodka The small batch vodka distillery is a rarity. As a category, vodka is often looked over by craft distillers in favor of liquids that are more obviously flavorful. Here at Port Chilkoot, we appreciate the subtlety of vodka and the skill required to produce an exceptional one. Vodka offers nowhere to hide — every ingredient must be of the highest quality and handled with care. Through careful experimentation and work, we created our very own Alaska vodka; Icy Strait.  Bottled at a robust 90 proof, Icy Strait Vodka is smooth and crisp. We blend it with pu ..read more

Behind The Scenes at an Alaska Distillery Alaska has a wildness that calls to the entrepreneurs of the world. Pay a visit to our Haines distillery and you’ll find yourself drinking alongside makers of handcrafted food and goods — to create comes naturally to the people here. Inspired by the moonshine bootleggers of the Klondike Gold Rush, our team at Port Chilkoot Distillery embraces the Alaskan way of life. Located inside the historical Fort Seward, our small team is committed to harvesting sustainably from the land, producing high quality spirits, and chasing our dreams on the Last Frontier ..read more

MADE IN ALASKA  Alaska is home to a bold bunch. Creative, independent and just a little bit wild, many of our residents embrace the entrepreneurial spirit. Businesses born out of our community all make premium goods that celebrate the bounty of the Last Frontier. From wild caught Salmon to Kelp Hot Sauce, here are a few of our favorite items made in Alaska!  Barnacle Foods Bullwhip Kelp Hot Sauce Barnacle Foods was founded by our friends Matt and Lia, two lifelong residents of Juneau, Alaska. Their innovative preserves are pure Alaskan innovation, capturing the flavors of our wild ..read more

Welcome to Haines, AK! Tucked away in Southeast Alaska, Haines is the gateway to adventure in the Last Frontier. Our tiny town offers plenty of activities for all, from breathtaking hiking to appreciating local art.  Here at Port Chilkoot Distillery, we embrace the Alaskan way of life through producing high quality, hand-crafted liquors. Our spirits are made with distinct sense of place, embracing the flavors of the region and celebrating our home. We’ve compiled this list of The 10 Best Things To Do in Haines with the help of our team. Dive in and experience Haines like a local.  ..read more

When people think of absinthe, it often brings to mind fanciful tales of visual hallucinations, out of body experiences and chasing the elusive Green Fairy. Originally rising to popularity in the 1840s in France, the herbaceous liqueur quickly gained notoriety and was banned in several countries. The lore around absinthe spread like wildfire, resulting in a near total disappearance of the green drink for generations.  The reality of absinthe mania is much less menacing — it is thought today that many of the ‘hallucinations’ caused by absinthe were a result of poisoning from poor quality ..read more