PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An Oregon-founded zero-proof spirits brand is halting operations.
In an email to KOIN 6, Wilderton Aperitivo’s Brad Whiting and Seth O’Malley confirmed they will shut down the company after about seven years in business — and after more than two years of its Hood River distillery. A “historically difficult business funding/financing environment” led to the closure, in addition to several lesser factors, according to the co-owners.
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“We had an incredible run starting in 2019, and will forever remain proud of the role we played in building awareness and quality expectations of the non-alcoholic spirits category,” Whiting and O’Malley wrote. “To this day, Wilderton built the first, and only, non-alcoholic distillery in the United States. That facility is now closed, but not before welcoming thousands of visitors over recent years to see, smell and taste cocktails defined by flavor instead of alcohol.”
The founders boast decades of experience in the spirits sector altogether, with Whiting specifically helping develop the Pendleton Whiskey brand and leading Clear Creek Distillery. O’Malley previously worked for Portland’s now-shuttered Townsend Distillery.
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About two years ago, the co-owners told KOIN 6 they launched the brand not because they were “anti-alcohol” — but because they wanted to offer other cocktail options during social events.
Wilderton’s remaining inventory is up for sale online through the end of the month. The brand will also remain available at hundreds of retailers, bars and eateries throughout the West Coast “while supplies last.”…