EUGENE, Ore., Feb. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Heritage Distilling Company,
Inc. (“HDC” or “Heritage” or “The Company”), a leading craft distiller of innovative premium
brands, and the Coquille Indian Tribe of Oregon announced the ground breaking of Oregon’s
first Tribally-Owned distillery and tasting room, located at The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV
Park on Coos Bay, in North Bend, Oregon. The project broke ground this month and is
expected to open to the public by the end of the year. Both Heritage and Coquille-branded
spirits will be produced and bottled on Tribal land and sold at the casino’s several bars,
restaurants and retail outlets.
“After more than two years of planning, negotiating with the state of Oregon, and completing
design work, we are thrilled to have broken ground on this historic project,” said Margaret
Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of CEDCO, the Tribe’s venture arm that owns and
operates The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park. “All members of the team, including Heritage
Distilling and fi architecture, have brought forth a design for a customer experience space
that will be unparalleled for hundreds of miles in every direction. The completion of this
project at The Mill further solidifies our casino and resort as the premier destination in the
region.”
The project will feature an updated Plank House restaurant, two indoor digital golf suites and
a Heritage-branded tasting room. Spanning two levels and with panoramic views of Coos
Bay, the tasting room includes two full-service bars, a cigar lounge, retail space, private
event suites and Heritage’s proprietary Cask Club®.
Led by Justin and Jennifer Stiefel since 2011, Heritage is the most-awarded craft distillery in
North America by the American Distilling Institute for a decade and is recognized for its
brand family of premium whiskies, gins, vodkas, rums and ready-to-drink cocktails. Beyond
their mastery of distilling, the Stiefels saw both an injustice done to Native American
indigenous communities and a mutually beneficial economic opportunity to create national
distribution for Heritage’s portfolio of craft spirits. Together, they established the Tribal
Beverage Network (TBN), a 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.
Jennifer Stiefel, president and co-founder of Heritage Distilling, added: “We are honored to
break ground on this historic project with the Coquille Tribe. This marks a significant
milestone for the Tribe, the Tribal Beverage Network and Oregon’s craft spirits industry. The
Tribe’s commitment to economic self-sufficiency and innovation aligns perfectly with Heritage
Distilling’s mission, and we are proud to stand alongside them in bringing the state’s first
Tribally-Owned distillery to life. This is more than a distillery—it’s a long-term economic
resource that will support the Tribe for generations to come.”
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 Salute Series which honors and supports military and first
responder communities.
In addition to on-site tastings, the Coquille distillery will also extend unique membership
programs available to TBN partners: The Cask Club®, an annual membership-based
program that allows members to create, customize and age spirits of their choice; and The
Spirits Club®, a program that provides members quarterly shipments of Heritage’s awardwinning spirits delivered directly to their door at a reduced rate, as well as priority access to
new, limited and seasonal releases.
The project designs were conceived by the team at fi architecture in Gig Harbor,
Washington, the longtime design partner for all of Heritage Distilling’s retail and TBN
locations. Detailed renderings of the project can be found on the fi architecture website here.
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
distillery operations on Tribal lands.
Heritage has several other Tribes participating in TBN, with partnership announcements
planned in line with each Tribe’s development timeline. For more information on Heritage
Distilling Company and the Tribal Beverage Network, visit heritagedistilling.com.
About the Coquille Indian Tribe
The Coquille Indian Tribe flourished in Oregon’s southwestern corner for thousands of years,
cherishing the bountiful forests, rivers and beaches of a homeland encompassing more than
750,000 acres. In 1954, Congress declared the Coquille Tribe “terminated.” 35 years later
the Tribe was formally restored to federal recognition in 1989. Today the Tribe numbers more
than 1,100 members and it has regained more than 10,000 acres of ancestral homeland,
proudly managing the bulk of it as sustainable forest. The Tribe provides education
assistance, health care, elder services and (where needed) housing assistance to its people,
while contributing substantially to the surrounding community’s economy. Its various
enterprises employ approximately 600 people, and its community fund is the region’s leading
local source of charitable grants.
About Heritage Distilling Company, Inc.
Heritage is among the premier independent craft distilleries in the United States offering a
variety of whiskeys, vodkas, gins, rums and ready-to-drink canned cocktails. Heritage has
been North America’s most awarded craft distillery by the American Distilling Institute for ten
consecutive years out of the more than 2,600 craft producers. Beyond this remarkable
achievement, Heritage has also garnered numerous Best of Class, Double Gold, and Gold
medals at esteemed national and international spirits competitions. As one of the largest
craft spirits producers on the West Coast by revenue, the company is expanding its
presence nationwide through a diverse range of sales channels, including wholesale, onpremises venues, e-commerce, and the innovative Tribal Beverage Network (TBN). The
TBN initiative, a groundbreaking collaboration with Native American Tribes, focuses on
developing Heritage-branded distilleries, unique Tribal brands, and tasting rooms tailored to
Tribal communities. By serving patrons of Tribal casinos and entertainment venues, the TBN
creates meaningful economic and social benefits for participating Tribes, while providing an
additional avenue for Tribes to exercise and strengthen their sovereignty. This unique
partnership reflects Heritage’s commitment to innovation, community engagement, and
sustainable growth
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