NightSide Distillery

Overview of the Distillery

NightSide Distillery is a local craft distillery in Edgewood, Washington, founded in 2013. The place began as a small craft project with a 15-gallon Boka still and has grown into a producing tasting room and bottle shop. The lineup ranges from vodka and gin to aquavit, liqueurs, and whiskies, and the distillery is known for its connection to the local community and an active events program.

History

The history starts in 2013, when Tom Greene, a night shift worker from Seattle's harbor, began experimenting with distillation to find a suitable base for his Apple Pie Vodka. He launched Nightside with very limited space and equipment — a 15-gallon Boka still and about 440 square feet of workspace. Through collaboration with other distillers and local engagement, he developed a vodka that, in 2015, won a Gold Medal at 'The Fifty Best' in New York. As demand grew, he added hands to the team and expanded the lineup to include gin, aquavit, liqueurs, and types of whiskey. In 2020 Nightside opened a new and improved tasting room, which has made the place a local gathering point for tastings, events, and bottle purchases. In 2026 the distillery marks its 13th anniversary as an established player in the local community.

Raw Materials and Production

NightSide operates from a small-scale, artisanal approach, using raw materials such as malted barley and malted rye for their whiskies, while vodkas are often made with Washington apples and pure cane sugar. In the startup, a 15-gallon Boka still was used, and product descriptions repeatedly mention multiple distillation rounds for vodka (products refer to 3x and 4x distillation). There is a focus on offering both unaged spirits and barrel-aged variants; several products are described with specific distillation procedures at the product level. The exact distillation equipment, number of pot stills/columns, and fermentation times are not detailed, but the artisanal profile and small-batch approach run through the description of the lineup.

Aging and Barrel Types

NightSide uses American oak in the aging process. Their American single malt is described as aged at least three years in new American oak barrels, and several other products are described as having been in American oak barrels, including Whodka and Aquavit in some cases. There are no details about previous contents in the barrels (e.g., sherry or bourbon), but the use of new American oak and aging of non-traditionally whiskey products such as vodka indicate experiments with barrel aging across the range.

Whiskies

The lineup spans widely: from base vodkas based on Washington apples and cane sugar to flavored vodkas, gin with a range of botanicals, aquavit, and creamy liqueurs. On the whiskey side Nightside produces an American single malt made from 100% malted barley and a 100% malted rye. The products are available in the tasting room and bottle shop, and selected variants are presented as award-winning in competitions, especially on the vodka side.

Styles and Flavor Profiles of the Whiskies

The profile range in the distillery's barrel-aged and bottled lineup spans from sweeter, oak-forward notes to spicy and smoky directions. American single malt is highlighted with caramel, vanilla, and spice; the rye whiskey is described with peppery notes, savory smoke, and oak. These three directions — caramel/vanilla, spice/pepper, and smoke/oak — recur in product texts and give an overall impression of the range's style.

Visit the Distillery

The tasting room and bottle shop are open to the public and located in Edgewood. Visitors can order cocktails, enjoy light bites, and participate in tastings; the website explicitly invites visits and mentions tours and tastings. Opening hours are listed as Wednesday and Thursday from 4–8 PM and Friday and Saturday from 4–9 PM. Products are sold in-store for pickup, and the shop currently offers only in-store pickup with national shipping advertised as 'coming soon'.

The listed hours are Tasting room: Wednesday & Thursday 4–8 PM; Friday & Saturday 4–9 PM.

Philosophy and Craft

NightSide is built on local rootedness, community, and an artisanal approach to spirit-making. The distillery emphasizes engagement with the local community through support of charitable organizations and by opening the tasting room for events and social gatherings. Quality and accessible pricing are combined with a practical, hands-on approach in production.

Awards and Recognitions

• Gold Medal (2015, Gold)