Seattle vs. Portland: Eat, Drink, Sleep - Part II

Oola Distillery - Seattle's latest entrant in the spirits scene

Yesterday we took a look at a hand full of food trucks in Seattle and Portland to see how the two city's 'meals on wheels' stacked up against one another.

Now, fully satiated, we turn our attention to a little adult liquid refreshment in Seattle vs. Portland: Eat, Drink, Sleep.

Drink

Again, drinks can go in so many different directions, that I once again feel the need to narrow things down. When it comes to sudsy hops, Seattle and Portland are both at the top of their game - with both cities boasting world class breweries (and plenty of drinkers to keep them in business). Let's look at Spirits.

Sure, Portland was once again first on the scene when it comes to boutique master distillers setting up shop. They swore by the mantra of 'location, location, location' and formed a coalition of neighboring like-minded distilleries to form Distillery Row. On any given weekend you can stop by one - or all - of the five or more distilleries that call the Southeast part of Portland home (mostly within walking distance of each other) for a taste of their latest batch of spirits. Make sure you drop by House Spirits and check out their Aquavit and Limited Release Line of scotches -- you'll likely want to leave with a bottle or two.

Seattle is finding its way onto the distillery playing field and boasts several newcomers to the Emerald City -- and not a moment too soon as fall/winter begins to hang heavy over Seattle and there are plenty of chilled bones in need of a little something to warm them up.

Sound Spirits near Interbay was one of the first to dip its toes into distilled waters. Their gin and vodka offerings continue to be refined and you'll find them in more bars and specialty drinks around town. If you're not into the bar scene you could always stop by their facility on 15th Avenue West, where you're sure to find Steven Stone, owner and master distiller, ready to share a story and a taste or two of his Ebb + Flow vodka and gin.

If Sound Spirits is the grandfather of Seattle distillers then Oola Distillery is the favored youngest grandchild. They may be new to town, but Oola is already a force to be reckoned with -- less than a week after opening its doors to the public, Oola quickly sold out of its first batch of gin. Situated across the street from another new fave (Skillet Diner) at 14th Ave and E Union, Oola is just one more reason why many folks on Capitol Hill are considering this little corner to be the new nexus for all things food and drink in the neighborhood.

And if you are willing to head a few miles east (planning your trips to avoid Microsoft traffic and Husky game days) then the Woodinville Whiskey is a must stop on any self respecting spirit lover's list. Don't miss out on their impressive 265-gallon pot still which combines more than one ton of copper and stainless steel to produce its vodka and whiskey. Before the year's end, Woodinville Whiskey will be rolling out its first batch of aged whiskey just in time for sipping in front of the fireplace. Well worth a trip over the bridge.

After all these spirits you'll likely want a place to rest your head. We'll take a look at a couple of choice places tomorrow in the final installment of Seattle vs. Portland: Eat, Drink, Sleep.