The number of small craft distilleries has boomed in recent years with the influx of millennials demand for more spirits beverages and openness to craft brands. Oregon has been a leading state in new craft distilleries with growth over the past 10 years, from 30 distilleries in 2006 to 96 today. Those businesses produce hundreds of products and generated roughly $146 million in sales, equivalent to 13 percent of the total liquor sales in the state. And the industry is only expected to continue to grow in the area where there is a strong emphasis on buying local and the growing farm-to-table movement associated with foodie culture.
Source: Albany Democrat-Herald, March 2017