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Oregon makes history with first tribal distillery
Heritage Distilling Company and the Coquille Indian Tribe of Oregon have announced that the state’s first tribally-owned and operated distillery and tasting room will open this year.
The Coquille Indian Tribe have lived in Oregon’s southwest corner for many thousands of years (traces of human life dating as far back as 14,000 years have been discovered in the area). However, as with many Native American communities, the Coquille were relocated by the US Government onto reservations during the 19th century, separating them from the lands they had inhabited for centuries.
In 1954, US Congress declared the Coquille Tribe “terminated”, but turned on its heel and restored the Coquille to recognition in 1989. The Tribe has been rebuilding ever since, reclaiming around 10,000 acres of its ancestral homeland to date, and today comprises around 1,200 members.
Heritage Distilling
In 2011 the Heritage Distilling Company was founded in Washington by Justin and Jennifer Stiefel, with the business soon becoming a key player in craft spirits including whiskey, vodka, rum and gin. Heritage is now traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange.
The two worlds collided when in 2019 Heritage helped to overturn a 188-year-old Federal law banning anyone, including Native American Tribes, from distilling “ardent spirits” on Tribal lands.
Spotting a “mutually beneficial” opportunity, the Stiefels created the Tribal Beverage Network (TBN) in partnership with Native American Tribes to distribute Heritage Distillery brands and tasting rooms across tribal-owned casinos. From Heritage’s standpoint, the route to market provided by the collaboration would accelerate the distribution of its products in the United States, while TBN members would benefit from “wholesale and retail margins and tax capture.”
In addition, Tribal members of the TBN would be able to generate funds to support social and economic initiatives and increase employment.
Groundbreaking news
This year will see a significant milestone for the partnership.
After more than two years of planning, a distillery will open on Tribal land in Oregon, in which both Heritage and Coquille-branded spirits will be produced and bottled. These products will then be sold in the bars, restaurants and retail outlets of The Mill Casino-Hotel in Coos Bay, Oregon.
The project is expected to open to the public by the end of the year.
“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, CEO of CEDCO, which operates The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park.
Partner Content
Revenue from the distillery operations will be distributed to the Coquille Tribe, which will funnel the capital into healthcare, education and services.
“Spirits production and sales is the next major source of financial growth for tribes,” said Justin Stiefel. “For 184 years, tribes were shut out of the spirits industry by antiquated Andrew Jackson-era legislation. Now they will be primed to join the industry as it enters a growth cycle.”
The project, which is due to include a revamped restaurant and digital golf suites along with a tasting room, will be “unparalleled for hundreds of miles in every direction,” added Simpson. The tasting room itself will include two full-service bars, a cigar lounge, retail space, and private event suites.

Breaking ground
“We are honoured to break ground on this historic project with the Coquille Tribe,” said Jennifer Stiefel. “This marks a significant milestone for the Tribe, the Tribal Beverage Network and Oregon’s craft spirits industry.
“The Coquille 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.”
Tonto Apache
The Oregon news follows the Heritage Distilling Company teaming up with the Tonto Apache Tribe in 2023 to create a distillery and tasting room next to the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino in Arizona.
This project is currently undergoing expansion, adding a Heritage-branded location to the hotel’s new Apache Corners development.
“With more than 524 tribal casinos in operation, along with their hotels, golf courses, arenas, resorts, and retail spaces that sell adult beverages, distilling and spirits production is the next logical extension of their [Tonto Apache’s] development,” Justin Stiefel said at the opening of the Arizona distillery.
According to TBN, its tasting rooms are tailored to Tribal communities and “provide an additional avenue for Tribes to exercise and strengthen their sovereignty.”
Further announcements with other Tribes are expected to be revealed by TBN imminently.
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