Heritage Distilling Company Partners with Coquille Tribe along the Oregon Coast
Not new to partnering with Native American Tribes, Heritage Distilling Company has announced its new landmark partnership with the Coquille Indian Tribe of North Bend, Oregon. This new venture will be Oregon’s first tribally-owned and operated distillery on tribal land.
Both Heritage and Coquille-branded spirits will be produced, bottled and sold at The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park located on Coos Bay in North Bend, Oregon as well as the casino’s several bars, restaurants and retail outlets. Revenue from the distillery operations will be distributed to the Tribe, which provides its 1,100 members with healthcare, education and services in five Southern Oregon counties.
Heritage Distilling Co. was founded in 2011 and is currently led by Justin and Jennifer Stiefel. The distillery’s lineup includes premium whiskies, gins, vodkas, rums and ready-to-drink cocktails. It’s most popular spirit to date has been Brown Sugar Bourbon, which it sold to actor Jamie Foxx three years ago. Other popular brands in its portfolio include Stiefel’s Select, Florescence (a collaboration with celebrity chef Danielle Kartes), Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey, Elk Rider®, and BATCH NO. 12®.
Along with their spirits production and business savvy, the Stiefels wanted to assist Native American indigenous communities on a way to bring in more revenue for their tribe. The creation of the Tribal Beverage Network (TBN) is the first-of-its-kind partnership with Native American Tribes to develop Heritage-branded distilleries, brands and tasting rooms to serve patrons of tribal casinos and entertainment venues.
It’s first venture was four years ago when Heritage Distilling Co. at Talking Cedar, a partnership with Chehalis Tribal Enterprises, opened in July 2020 that is also home to Talking Cedar Brewery. This was the first project after HDC and the Tribe successfully convinced Congress to repeal the 184-year old, Andrew Jackson era statute prohibiting the operation of distilleries on Tribal lands.
“There is a huge economic opportunity to develop a market that has been traditionally closed to the tribal communities,” said Margaret Simpson, chief executive officer of CEDCO, the Tribe’s venture arm that owns and operates The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park. “Working with the Heritage team in expanding Heritage brands and creating new brands that are both in keeping with Oregon’s history as innovators in craft beer and wine, as well as with the values of the Coquille Tribe, will be vital in launching the distillery. Together with Heritage, we will establish the proper foundation to not only fast track our project, but also equip us with the tools to make Oregon’s first tribally-owned distillery an ongoing success and a vital economic resource for our community.”
Final approval of the project by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) came during the commission’s May 16th session. The historic achievement caps two years of work and negotiations between the OLCC and the Tribe, with the assistance of Heritage, to take one more step towards modernizing Oregon’s liquor laws.
The distillery will be modeled after Heritage’s industry-leading operations derived from its five distilleries and tasting rooms across Washington and Oregon. As a TBN partner, the Coquille-owned and operated destination will also offer several amenities for patrons including a tasting room that features Heritage spirits like Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey, Heritage Canned Cocktails, Florescence Vodka, Stiefel’s Select Single Barrel and Small Batch whiskeys, and Heritage’s latest Special Operations Salute series which honors military and first responder communities.
In addition to on-site tastings, the Coquille distillery will also extend innovative membership programs available to TBN partners: The Cask Club®, an annual membership-based program that allows members to create and customize spirits of their choice; and The Spirits Club®, a program that provides members quarterly shipments of Heritage’s award-winning spirits delivered directly to their door at a reduced rate, as well as priority access to new, limited and seasonal releases.
“We are thrilled and honored to be partnering with the Coquille Indian Tribe and CEDCO to break ground on this historic effort in Oregon,” said Jennifer Stiefel, president and co-founder of Heritage Distilling. “As a woman leading in an industry traditionally dominated by men, it’s exciting to collaborate with strong female leadership in Coquille Chairwoman Brenda Meade and CEDCO CEO Margaret Simpson. The Mill is the perfect location for Heritage to expand its offerings given its draw along the Oregon coast and its history as the timber capital of the world. Aging premium whiskeys and rums requires time-honored methods and maturation. It’s fitting that this site, once home to a timber mill, will now craft high-quality spirits aged in wood for consumers to enjoy. Heritage Distilling is proud to play a part in the Coquille Tribe’s special story.”
TBN members can benefit from wholesale and retail margins and tax capture. In addition, tribes entering this industry can generate funds to support social and economic initiatives, increase employment, diversify the skillsets of their members and work with Heritage to create their brands to celebrate the unique characteristics of a tribe or region.
The Coquille Tribe’s announcement follows on the heels of a recent announcement by the Tonto Apache Tribe in Payson, Arizona on its plans to open a Heritage Distilling branded location in partnership with Heritage at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino’s newest development, Apache Corners. Until recently, an 1834 federal law prohibited anyone from setting up a distillery on tribal land for manufacturing “ardent spirits.” In large part due to Heritage Distilling Company’s efforts, the antiquated Andrew Jackson-era law was finally repealed by Congress in 2018, paving the way for the Coquille Indian Tribe to pursue operation of a distillery on tribal lands.
Heritage has several other tribes signed up under its model with announcements for each location and tribal partnership to be unveiled based on each tribe’s respective timeline for development.
For more information on Heritage Distilling Company and the Tribal Beverage Network, visit heritagedistilling.com.
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.