Lee Medoff started his spirits career at McMenamins, Oregon's legendary craft beer outfit, before co-founding House Spirits in 2004 where he helped birth Aviation Gin and other craft classics. But Medoff had a singular obsession: water. Specifically, the Bull Run Watershed—the pristine, protected alpine water source that supplies Portland's municipal water. In 2010, Medoff partnered with Patrick Bernards to launch Bull Run Distillery, betting that Portland's pure, soft water (one of the best municipal supplies in America) could be the foundation for something remarkable. The first drop flowed in 2011. Today, every bottle carries that story: water that filters through volcanic rock at 3,000 feet elevation, untouched by industrial pollution, brought down to proof with reverence. It's terroir distilled into craft. Bull Run makes both Oregon Single Malt (their in-house aged whiskey from malted barley) and sourced bourbons finished in interesting barrels (vermouth, wine, etc.). They're less flashy than some Portland neighbors but deeply intentional. The Pearl District tasting room sits in an old industrial building—exposed brick, working distillery visible through glass—and the vibe is approachable, serious, unpretentious. This is a distillery built by a brewer-turned-distiller who respects ingredients above all else.
- Bull Run Watershed water:: One of the purest municipal water supplies in North America. Medoff built the entire distillery around this single resource.
- Lee Medoff's lineage:: McMenamins brewmaster → House Spirits co-founder (Aviation Gin's creator) → Bull Run founder. This is a guy with credentials.
- Two custom 800-gallon copper pot stills:: Visible from the tasting room; beautiful, functional sculptures.
- Malted barley from Klamath Basin:: Southern Oregon grain, locally sourced, reflects commitment to regional terroir.
- Barrel finishing experiments:: Not just bourbon—they age spirits in vermouth barrels, wine casks, and other uncommon wood, creating surprising flavor combinations.
- Pearl District heritage:: Located in Northwest Portland's industrial-turned-cool neighborhood; walkable to galleries, restaurants, breweries.