Ewing Young Distillery

Address

Ewing Young Distillery, Oregon 240, Newberg, OR, USA

Phone

(503) 799-6667

Hours

Closed today

Monday Closed

Tuesday Closed

Wednesday Closed

Thursday Closed

Friday Closed

Saturday 1:00pm – 5:00pm

Sunday 1:00pm – 5:00pm

Reservations

Reservations are recommended for groups of 7 and larger.

Reserve Directions Website

Ewing Young Distillery is a woman-owned distillery on the historic Ewing Young Farm, a 147-acre working thoroughbred operation four miles west of Newberg on Highway 240. Named for Oregon’s first Distiller, Ewing Young, who was a Tennessee-born mountain man, trapper, and trader who reached the Oregon Country in 1834 and claimed roughly 50 square miles of the Chehalem Valley. In 1836 he built a still and began producing unaged whiskey, drawing opposition from John McLoughlin of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the nearby Methodist Mission. By 1837 they had paid him to stop; Young agreed to cease production “for the present” while reserving the right to resume.

Ewing Young died in 1841 and was buried at the site of the Ewing Young Oak, an Oregon Heritage Tree planted in 1846, which marks his grave about 125 yards from the distillery.

In 2016 Bev Root left a career as the chief operating officer of a regional law firm to attend distilling school and open the business with her husband, Doug, whose relatives had bought the property without initially realizing its historical significance. The tasting room opened in September 2018. Bev’s approach centers on sourcing, blending, and barrel-aging whiskeys — many finished in local French Oak wine and other unique barrels — with her own distillation focused on producing her multi award-winning gin. The range of spirits extends to vodka, including Strawberry Rhubarb, Lavender, and Fresh Pepper expressions, and barrel-aged rum. Cocktails and flights are both available.

The property includes both covered and open outdoor seating with rocking chairs overlooking a pond and the horse farm, plus heaters, blankets, fire, and cornhole. The setting is calm, relaxing, and secluded. Guests are welcome to bring their own food. It’s family- and dog-friendly, and part of the Wine Country Whiskey Trail.

Common questions

When are they open?

Saturday and Sunday 1 to 5. Weekdays are intermittent for bottle sales — text same-day.

Can I bring food?

Yes, and picnics are encouraged.

Is it family- and

dog-friendly? Well behaved kids and dogs are welcome. Dogs must be on leash and not bark incessantly. Kids must not scream.

Do they distill their own?

They distill their multi award-winning Mianda’s Oregon Summer Gin on site. Whiskeys are purchased by the barrel and aged, blended, and bottled on-site. The distiller, Bev Root, is known for her skillful blending and finishing in special barrels such as local pinot noir, Spanish wine, French oak, and Vermont maple syrup. Many whiskey selections are high proof, single barrel, and “one-off” offerings of an exceptional spirit. The blending is part of the brand story rather than a stopgap.

What if I don’t drink whiskey?

Vodka, rum, gin, cocktails, mocktails and other nonalcoholic drinks are available. The strawberry rhubarb vodka gets mentioned often.

Can I see the grave and the oak?

The tree, which is about 125 yards from the Distillery, is visible to visitors, but access to the grave site under the tree is prohibited due to safety concerns after recent, unpredictable limb falls from the nearly 200 year old tree. The Distillery’s historian sometimes takes visitors to the edge of the tree to hear the fascinating Ewing Young story and take a closer look at the magnificent Oregon Heritage Oak named for him.

What’s the Wine Country Whiskey Trail?

A regional trail linking Yamhill County distilleries. Worth asking about if you’re visiting more than one.