The first stop on our journey north, Portland is surrounded by water from the Columbia and Willamette rivers and sits in the shadows of Mount Hood. As the city has grown, it has engulfed farmsteads and orchards, making for a green, community-driven place that still holds echoes of the tight-knit communities that were once villages.

Andy Garrison, founder of Tuff Talk Distilling, is a big fan of developing products from what is around him and drawing inspiration from these old farms. “People often view foraging as going out into a forest and finding a secret spot – but I view foraging as livestock do. A goat forages where he is, taking what’s good where he's wandering around - so I do the same! It's about what's in my eco-system - farms, wineries, producers who have excess or surplus.” Last year, that resulted in collaboration with the Portland Fruit Tree Project. Typically focusing on education and workshops about the city’s fruit trees, they worked with Andy to develop a fruit brandy made from anything that wasn’t suitable for foodbank donation – due to cosmetic blemishes or lack of demand. The proceeds were funneled back into the group, and Andy was excited that it brought fruit brandy to new audiences.

Another Portland local looking to the city’s trees is Jordan Felix, the on-premise chanel manager for Oregon at Suntory Global Spirits. Each spring, he runs the ‘Hanami Shu’ campaign, encouraging bars to develop a cocktail with foraged blossoms to celebrate the spring. “I wanted to get bars inspired by the blossoming around us,” he explained. “It started out four years ago as just cherry blossoms at three pop up bars. Two years ago, what really took off was Hana as flower and spring on the whole – people got creative with hibiscus, lavender and jasmine as well.” This year, nineteen across the city participated, bringing the season into the glass for bar lovers.

Local Distillery:

McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey is described as the first American Single Malt whiskey, kick starting a category that has grown into a dominant force in spirits in the Pacific Northwest.

Three and a half hours north by train, Seattle perches on hills above the Puget Sound, surrounded by the Olympic and Cascade mountains. It is a city that almost shouldn’t make sense – water appears from every angle and streets you think face the coast actually hide many more levels of intriguing corners below. This makes a rooftop bar the perfect place to head – The Mountaineering Club Bar sits atop the Graduate by Hilton Seattle in the U-District, giving a perfect vista of the area. Shortlisted for Best US Hotel Bar West by Tales of the Cocktail this year, the team are working hard to bring the local mountain lifestyle to visitors and local regulars alike.

For beverage program director Dasha McMurray, the outdoors and very view from the bar is her inspiration for the entire mixology ethos. She immediately mentions their Glacier Peak – “It just screams Pacific Northwest!” The cocktail is made exclusively from local ingredients from spirits to botanicals, including Douglas Fir Liqueur and an Alpine Bitters made in house.

Standout whiskey cocktail: Dasha is very excited for the upcoming summer menu – “We're making a mountain magazine exploring mountains around the world, with ingredients or spirits where they come from!” The plan is to include a whiskey cocktail with truffle fat washed Westland whiskey, shitake cherry syrup and a blend of amaros.

Local Distillery: Westland

On a search for local whiskey, Westland must be your go-to while visiting Seattle. Don’t be deceived by the urban location of this proud American Single Malt producer- their releases explore everything from the rare Garryana Oak to local peat and barley from the nearby Skagit Valley.

The smallest stop on this trip north, don’t underestimate the drinks scene in Victoria. Vancouver Island is home to many innovative bars and some of Canada’s finest craft distilleries. Departing from downtown Seattle, the small ferry to Victoria navigates the Puget Sound and out to the Salish Sea in under three hours. 

Located at the Arcade Level of the DoubleTree Victoria, Humboldt Bar is yet another hotel spot that encourages guests to stick around a bit longer. Originally taking its inspiration from the street name, the bar draws on the life and works of 19^th century German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt for its mixology program. “We were really surprised and excited about how much his life had influenced the world at large - from nature to science art and politics,” explained Brant Porter, bar operations manager. “Everything on the main list is inspired by something about his life.” One such drink is ‘Life in the Woods’, which Brant sees as the epitome of Vancouver Island. “It is based around Humboldt's influence on nature and pulls in specific Pacific Northwest ingredients that we forage - Grand Fir, Candy Cap mushrooms, local honey.”

A short ten-minute walk from Humboldt will take you to Wind Cries Mary - Brant is keen to recommend a visit to his neighbor, Dave Bulters, who is Beverage Director. The restaurant focuses on the Pacific Northwest, with a cocktail menu that changes every six months but is always inspired by the region. “Our current menu explores the lifecycle of the forest, or more specifically our local coastal rainforest,” Dave explained. This involves everything from the roots to the canopy, with some form of forest element in every drink. Their bar tenders try to forage as much as they can themselves, from forests or even their own backyards – in the spring that includes Fir and Spruce tips and stinging nettle, while in the summer it will move on to figs. “We get a real mix of locals and visitors,” Dave said. “That keeps things interesting – if they're coming in from out of town, it's always nice to show what you can do locally - and for locals it’s great to see their home reflected!”

Local Distillery: Macaloney’s

Macaloney’s whiskies explore locality via their surroundings, utilizing Washington peat and local Sugar Kelp. Founder Graeme Macaloney won a massive accolade at the Icons of Whisky Awards earlier this year, taking home the global award for Craft Distiller.

There’s something quintessentially Canadian about seaplanes – used extensively to get around the country’s often remote lakes and coastlines, they make a scenic and quick link of thirty minutes between Victoria and Vancouver. Landing on the water, Canada’s rainforest city under snowcapped mountains awaits. Home to one of the most buzzing bar scenes in North America, you will be spoilt for choice.

For nature lovers though, head straight to The Botanist Bar. Creative beverage director Grant Sceney leads a team of mixologists who focus not just on the general outdoors, but hyper-specific microclimates. “For the third edition of our Botanist Experiential Cocktail Series, we wanted to explore how microclimates shape not just ingredients, but identity,” he explained. That’s been achieved through drinks exploring the coastal waters, rainforests and inland regions of BC. “Shells, apples, and mushrooms are symbols of place. Each carrying the story of their ecosystem into liquid form through a glass vessel.”

For Grant, foraging and the natural change of the seasons are built into work life. “We just had all the cherry blossoms come through - we make a Sakura leaf distillate, so we're thinking a year ahead! Bar tenders bring it in on the way to work.” Another foraged ingredient is the Candy Cap mushroom – Grant uses them to impart a savory-sweet note reminiscent of maple and curry powder in his ‘Beekeeper’ cocktail. These fungi can’t be cultivated and only grow from California up to the Pacific Northwest, as they require a symbiotic relationship with local living trees like Douglas firs.

Standout whiskey cocktail: The beekeeper is a firm favorite of guests and locals alike. It marries Canadian 100% rye with the local Candy Capp mushrooms, lemon, honey and yellow chartreuse.

Local Distillery: Just north of the harbor, Son’s of Vancouver are a leading voice among the distilleries that have driven Canada’s rye-surgence. Showcasing the versatility of the grain on which Canadian whisky has been built, their releases home in on different flavor elements.