My husband and I booked a distillery tour and the owners, KT and Kirby gave us a really detailed tour and explanation of the distilling process -- I've been to a few distillery tours before, but Kirby's explanation was the first one that really 'clicked' for me and helped me to understand the whole process. I loved their unbridled enthusiasm for their art and getting the chance to ask questions. Then, we got to taste some spirits -- which were phenomenal! We ended the day by making a trip to their restaurant on Capitol Hill, also called OOLA. Highly recommend doing both in a day -- it felt like it allowed us to appreciate everything that went i to what they do so much more. We live about an hour away but will definitely drive back for the restaurant and they're out of this world burger and cocktails! read more

Cocktails were wonderful! Staff was very knowledgeable and helpful! Very nice vodka! Love the citrus Ambiance was beautiful and comfortable too. Will come here to celebrate our 17 anniversary Excellent establishment ! read more

Me and my wife we here on the fluke to just grab a drink. And it was really good and cool here. They also have a restaurant/bar connected to them. This part we was at was a lil like tasting type area mainly for the liquor they created. Which was good. Staff was pleasant and nice and very helpful to. He was very knowledgeable about his stuff and not just blowing smoke up our a** lol . Great place here in the Georgetown area tons of parking. Free parking at that. Tons of walkable place to eat to. Much needed after a few drinks so make it a night. Only thing it gets hot inside due to no ac but summers are short here. Next time we will try the restaurant side of it. But definitely go try it here and pretty reasonable priced here. And they own a venue to if you ever need one for anything. read more

OOLA Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Through my Flaviar membership, My girlfriend and I were able to do a tasting at OOLA that was guided by a remarkably knowledgeable man named Alan. We arrived shortly after they opened on New Years Eve and were greeted enthusiastically by a gorgeous long haired German Shepard. (If you're not into dogs, don't worry! Apparently they don't really let her into the tasting area--since we were the only ones there, he let us give her a few pets ) Since the taste is more personal preference than anything, I thought I'd leave a note of praise for the folks working hard there. We had the chance to taste all that OOLA had to offer; it was clear that Alan's passion for the craft and longstanding history in the industry has awarded him an intimate knowledge and familiarity with every aspect of the process. I'm a curious fellow and he was happy to indulge my questions about the distilling process, distinctions between OOLA and big box distillers, creative marketing challenges, mixed drink recipes, and everything in-between. His warmth and gentle demeanor made him a comfortable confidant in asking potentially "stupid" questions without fear of a pretentious response. Alan was really the only person we interacted with, but in all of his stories or insight into their operation, everyone there pours their heart and soul into the liquor they make. From what I understand, Alan is not generally pouring the tastings as he's involved with other aspects of the business, but if you have the chance to sit with him for a couple hours on a slow day, you might also walk out with $300 of their bottles. read more

OOLA Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I met OOLA for the first time last month (March 2017) when the distillery was sampling at Downtown Spirits on a weekly Friday tasting. The guy was very friendly and told me the OOLA story. He also gave me a business card that had a double purpose: to get me to stop by AND enjoy a free tour and tasting. Um, of course I'll come by for a tasting! No joke, y'all, the spirits at OOLA are delicious. The vodka is smooth and amazing, my favourite. Because of the hints of vanilla and other flavours you have the option for OOLA's "well" vodka called ALOO. Learned all about it during the tour; great factoids and interesting insights from the owner. The citrus vodka is made with lemon verbena so we taste a smooth, rich lemon flavour, but no harsh acidic bite. The whiskeys are also delicious. Just go to OOLA and experience the goodness. read more

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Kirby, the owner of OOLA Distillery, is nothing short of awesome in his pursuit of the perfect pour. :) I had the opportunity to tag along on a Yelp distillery tour and got a firsthand look (and taste) of OOLA's spirits. Located on Capitol Hill, OOLA is a five-year veteran of Seattle's distillery scene. Kirby and the staff at OOLA were engaging, friendly and really walked us through the entire distilling process. I had never been to a spirits tasting before this tour and walked away inspired and intrigued. We got to try a variety of their bottles, including their staple vodka, gin and whiskey. I'm a (sorta) gin kind-of girl and found OOLA's taste very clean. Would love to try it again in different cocktails! :) It was fun learning about the intricate process behind spirits making - timing is everything! It's also always a treat meeting folks who are pursuing their passion, and it's obvious just how enthusiastic Kirby is about OOLA. If you get the chance, I would definitely recommend coming by for a tour and taste of these local spirits! read more

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If you don't know what a distillery is or wonder about the quality of locally made spirits, I highly recommend checking out Oola Distillery. =] Went here last night with a group of fellow Yelpers for a tour and tasting and it was quite the treat! We had an opportunity to interact with the owner, Kirby, who gave us a very detailed explanation about the distillery and the process that went behind the scenes of making the different spirits. It was quite an eye opener to see how this local business contributes to helping out other local farms and overall, it was an enjoyable experience to learn about the distillery and to try out the different spirits at the tasting portion. VODKA. Oh my, if you are a fan of vodka, I really do recommend trying out Oola's vodka. I definitely enjoyed Oola's vodka, especially the citrus infusion one. The taste of the vodka is quite smooth, clean and crisp. You can really taste the light sweetness in the vodka without it being too overwhelming. Also tried the regular vodka and it was quite refreshing with its crisp taste and a nice aftertaste. Looks like I know where to pick up some yummy vodka the next time I'm in Capital Hill. =] read more

OOLA Distillery - Yayyyy yummy Vodka. Oola's Gin & Whiskey is also a must try :D - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

OOLA LA! This place is amazing! Such a tiny little spot basically in the epicenter of Capitol Hill. It's easy to miss, and you may feel underwhelmed just walking by but you definitely should stop in for a tour.. you'll definitely want to purchase some of their product afterwards. Mad scientist and master distiller Kirby is likely to give you a plethora of information on how OOLA distills and what goes into each of their liquors. Their vodka has such an amazing smooth taste to it, and if you try the citrus it actually tastes of REAL lemon. Really nice subtle hints with their liquors. They pride themselves on minimal waste, and they really are experts on distilling. They even get to experiment once in a while for new diabolical creations! This stuff is way better than some of the big boys that everyone is used to hearing about. Support these local guys as more and more area businesses are stocking their product and definitely rightly so. read more

OOLA Distillery - Behold! My YEAST! - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Such an unexpected find while out looking for a place for lunch. Brandon was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic when talking about their spirits. We came back later for a relaxing evening enjoying a great cocktail and sampling of some delicious whiskey. We will definitely come back for more on our next trip to Seattle. read more

OOLA Distillery - Whiskey flight - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Fun place to do a tour. The owner seems so into it and throws a lot of facts at you, it's a bummer with all the noise around it's hard to hear, maybe he'll get a microphone. Friendly staff, cute location, and interesting flavors. Would go back, it's in a great location! read more

OOLA Distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

In a word, top notch. Well, I guess that is two words. :-) One of my friends won a tour at a school auction and invited us to come along, and all I can say is it was impressive what they do in such a small space. Kirby was great, and explained the whole process of how they make their different types of alcohol. Once you learn the process, you'll understand why it is worth spending more for good quality. Now, on to the tasting. :-) I love gin, and I have to say this is some of the smoothest tasting gin that I have had in a long time. No mixers needed here. I can see why it is award winning. The Vodka is also very clean tasting. My favorite is the rosemary vodka as it has just the right amount of herbal flavor without being overpowering. Finally, we tried the whiskey. Now, I have to admit that I am not a fan of whiskey, so take this with a grain of salt, but the Smoked Whiskey was perfect. It is rich, peaty (is that a word?), and really smoky. None of that "essence" of smoke, you can really taste it! Overall, a great experience, friendly people, and great items to taste! read more

We received a special invite along with other patrons of Oola distillery to celebrate their 10th year anniversary. We were wined and dined so to speak with special concoctions made with vodka, gin and whiskey. There were also appetizers to enjoy served by the staff. Live a spirited life is the distilleries motto and we sure did. The bartenders mixed excellent drinks and we were able to mingle with other patrons. There was music playing in the background for our enjoyment. What a wonderful event, we were also able to meet the owner Kirby who is so personable and loves to speak about his craft. Come on by their normal operating hours and discover for yourself what delicious spirits you can buy for your own cocktails. read more

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Did the tour. Previous reviews comparing Alan to Alton Brown were true. Alan is dedicated to his craft and has a deep understanding of the science of liquor. Heads up: the tour is less of a walk-around your and more of a presentation within the main distillery room. Trying all the offerings was fun and there were some truly stand out tasty ones. Chili vodka was a surprise, but a pleasant one. Left with a bottle of cask Bourbon read more

My friend and I each did the 7 tastings for $7, which was a great deal! We were able to try so many specialized gin, bourbon, whiskey, and vodka. My favorite was probably their gin. Service was great - our person explained the notes of each alcohol and even let us smell the ingredients. He also went out and got some lemon verbena leaves from outside, which was really nice. I'd definitely come back for a low key tasting! read more

You gotta be kiddin' me! I'm ashamed that I've walked past OOLA and always thought, "I need to go in there for a tour one day" and that it took nearly 5 years for me to finally do it. Not only is this distillery located near a ton of other awesome places (stop in here, then get dinner at Zoe or Skillet Diner), but there's ample parking within a few block radius and it's in walking distance to the core of Capitol Hill's nightlife. There are three things about this distillery that impressed me most: 1) The spirits are really, REALLY good. Like really. Just try them! 2) They recycle, re-use and repurpose almost everything here. Minimum waste! 3) They're local and in 5 short years they've become one of WAs oldest distilleries. 5 years is NOT a long time but thanks to changes in WA state liquor/distilling laws, OOLA is one of the first WA distillers. So there's a lot to be said about that! They're (legal) booze PNW pioneers! So back to how good the spirits are. Like most all living adults, spirits taste good in my mouth. And most of my exposure to liquor has been with huge, multi million (even billion) dollar brands. So to try small batch, locally distilled products means that some things might taste different than what I am familiar with, but where the success in that lies is whether the products taste as good or better. And especially in the case of the white spirits here, the vodka and gin are so crazy good! In fact, you can't go wrong with any product here. Come get gifts for friends and family, take a tour, or look for bottles of OOLA product on bar shelves at local bars. You won't regret it! read more

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This distillery was great! My cousin booked this place for a tour and a tasting for his birthday. You can bring your own appetizers for your guests and hang out before your tour. I really like how the environment is and the explanation of their making the alcohol. The flavors and variety was yummy. The spicy chili one was cool, I believe it was a whiskey. The other vodka and gin was cool too. The owner was great, he reminded me of Alton Brown from the Food Network and he's hospitable. I would come here again for sure! read more

OOLA Distillery - Entrance of the distillery - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Had an AMAZING time here with my husband on our honeymoon. They treated us so well and absolutely exceeded my expectations! My husband did the flight of their products and loved them all whereas I decided to try the unique Willy Wonka themed cocktails. There are no words to describe how good these cocktails were. We had "The Wonka" and the "Violet Beauregarde" and both blew my mind!!! Unfortunately we don't live in Seattle but from now on, anytime we're in the area, this is where we will be. Thank you so much Brandon and everyone else at Oola, you all do AMAZING work! read more

OOLA Distillery - On the left is "The Wonka" and on the right the "Violet Beauregarde" - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Waitsburg bourbon is stiff on the lips, pleasant to the nose, mixed with hints of caramel and a slight sweet note to finish. Puts a smile on your face doesn't it. The whiskey is lighter in color when you pour it but don't let that fool you on it's bold flavor profiles. After mixing my first manhattan on the rocks with my new bottle of whiskey I took my first sip and then exhaled with that refreshing noise you hear on commercials.....the "ahhhhhhhh!!!" sound. I was assured that the whiskey would be in stores soon and I even saw the boxes getting prepped for delivery, but why not come to the source to get a bottle and live the experience. I can't wait for my next manhattan, which will probably be tonight. Better go get another bottle. read more

OOLA Distillery - 1st batch!! Hints of caramel and a sweet note. Goes perfect with a manhattan on the rocks - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

What an amazing place. Free samples of some delicious and creative spirits. It's such a friendly environment - smells amazing when you walk in and the staff greets you (both human and dog staff)! We loved their creativity with some of the new whiskey line (ex: whiskey of the world) and the flavored vodkas. Yum! read more

I had the pleasure of shooting a wedding here and it was absolutely perfect! It is such a quaint wedding venue that really sets off a beautiful ambiance to set the one for a beautiful wedding. The venue has a great indoor rustic feel as a distillery, but also holds charm with the mini garden in the front that is perfect for adding another looks for wedding photos. I loved shooting a wedding here as a photographer and highly recommend it. www.chelseyshawphotography.com read more

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A little embarrassed to say that I've lived around the corner from this place, and never came here until last week. This place is amazing. Not just the space, but the quality of the products, and the people who work here. My girlfriend organized a surprise birthday party for me here and she said they were so easy to work with and accommodating. As soon as we arrived (after being surprised by friends), the owner, Kirby came out with a round of superbly crafted cocktails and made sure that all of our glasses were filled. After my friends and I caught up a little he kicked off a tour through the distillery. Kirby was great tour guide and host. He really knew his stuff, and explained it in such an approachable way that we all could understand and fully appreciate what he's built at OOLA. His focus on making the highest quality products in a sustainable manner makes for a truly amazing product. The tasting room is really well designed and you can go wrong with any of the spirits. Some standouts include the Gin, Barrel Finished Gin, Chili Pepper Vodka, and their Whiskey "Discourse" series which mixes whiskies in some unconventional ways which are surprisingly great. You really need to make the trip here, you won't be disappointed. read more

Didn't try a tasting but bought the gin, citrus vodka and bourbon to take home. Love having small batch local spirits to try

My favorite micro distillery ever!!! Seriously you have to try their gin and their vodka!!! Make you want to become alcoholic ! ;-) Noooo !! That would be a crime ! Their liquors must be tasted and enjoyed sip by sip.... The only problem ?... you will not be able to buy Gin or Vodka at your liquor store ever again after tasting those :-) So don't go to Seattle without paying them a visit: it would be a crime ! read more

OOLA Distillery - Makes my mouth water! - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's a tasting room, with several different craft liquors with very distinct flavor profiles. Of course, you won't like everything, but you will absolutely find something you like here. This is one of the better distilleries I have ever gone to for sure. The staff and presentation is fantastic. The location is fun, with great outdoor vibes for the fall. I prefer gin and my husband prefers whiskeys. They had plenty for the both of us and while we didn't love everything, that is expected when "taste testing" vastly different liquors. read more

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Great spot and very friendly owner - highly recommend checking it out if you're looking for high quality local craft spirits

We stopped by on Valentines Day to check it it out. I'm not sure the gentleman's name but he was very personable, knowledgeable about the liquors and friendly. Plus, he had a cute whippet (dog) with him as his work buddy. I definitely would recommend this place if you're in the area. read more

I stumbled across this place in late February 2020 (when we could still safely visit such places). I was welcomed immediately (something I always appreciate when visiting a new place) and given an overview of their company and products. Visiting from Southern California, I was instantly reminded of my beloved Blinking Owl Distillery with regard to the passion and concern for quality demonstrated here. Limited in the amount of luggage space, I was only able to bring home a couple of bottles (gin and rosemary vodka); they are now quite at home on my bar cart. I highly recommend them. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

The staff is amazingly helpful! I worked with Alan to plan my husbands 30th bday celebration at Oola distillery and Alan went over and beyond to help make it special for him. I inquired about a personalized bottle for my husband to take as a memento and Alan made sure to make it happen. Even going to a trophy shop to be sure the engraving was done well and looked good. They even set up a private cocktail class for our group to accompany the tour and tasting. It was such a fun experience to learn and mix cocktails with the owner, Kirby and partner and awesome bar tender, KT. I can't say enough how much effort the staff went to make our experience memorial! Even left with some birthday merchandise! Highly recommend checking OOLA out and reaching out about celebrations! No ask seemed to be too much by this crew! Plus the spirits were great! My favorite was the citrus vodka and gin. They had a really interesting chili pepper vodka my husband loved! Also really close by is the cutest strip in Georgetown featuring great little restaurants to make a day out it! Kirby had great recommendations! read more

Wow, what a cool place! I didn't know Oola existed on Capitol Hill until a few days ago, and tonight I had the opportunity to tour the distillery and taste some of their spirits. It's a neat little space--don't go in expecting something on the scale of, say, Grey Goose, because this is a craft distillery after all--with a very classy sales room that you walk into from the front door. Right away, you notice that nearly all their products have won awards of some sort. Not a bad start! The owner, Kirby, gave my group a great explanation of how the distilling process works for vodka, gin, and bourbon (the three spirits that Oola produces in various avatars). I definitely picked up some interesting tidbits for cocktail parties in the future! Of course, the explanation was followed by tastes of these three spirits. The vodka is easily among the best I've had, with refreshing notes of vanilla and even coriander. I'm not a gin person by any means, but I can actually see myself drinking this one! The barrel-aged gin, which is almost like a crossover between gin and whiskey, was a great new type of spirit that I tried. And, as you would expect, the bourbon was totally solid as well. Most of us in the group left with at least one bottle of Oola's offerings. Yes, prices are a few dollars higher than what you'd pay for a mass-produced brand at your neighbourhood liquor store. However, given the fact that Oola's spirits taste WAY better and that you're supporting a local business that sources all its grains from other local organic farms (and even gives back to these farms in other ways), I think it's definitely worth it. The icing on the cake would be if Oola opened a little bar within the facility. I'd be there all the time! read more

Thirty seconds away + best vodka I've let through my lips = thank God there's no bar here....Yet. Although my favorite gin is still Aviation (love the lavender and citrus), Oola's is so far my second favorite and, since I love what's local, will be my house gin for visitors (and me). It carries a bit more of the earthy juniper profile, but still keeps the sip vibrant despite the greater depth of flavor. A little more grown-up gin, without losing liveliness. Plus, it's award-winning: a triple gold medalist in last year's MicroLiquor Spirit Awards. Distiller Kallas-Lewis trained as an apprentice through a program run by Spokane's Dry Fly Distilling, so it's exciting to see the student learn from and (in this case) even exceed the master. Moving on, did I mention the vodka? I did...but not the chile-infused version. I love spice and heat, and sipping a shot that carries both (and not from the alcohol) is a novel experience that will likely become familiar. Those who know me know I love spice in the kitchen, so a creative libation that can echo that will find much success in my kitchen. I look forward to experimenting! Whiskey (Irish-style) is coming in the spring, and sometime a pisco-style brandy from re-purposed Washington grapes will also appear. As will I, frequently. I know what I'll be asking for in my cocktails around town.... read more

Seriously some of the best spirits I have ever had!! Who knew there would be a distillery in heart of Capitol Hill! I got to taste the vodka, citrus vodka, pepper vodka, gin, finished gin, whiskey. The pepper was spicy (like thai chilli pepper) but everything else was so smooth and easy to sip. None of that burn. I hate gin, but I actually like the gin Oola produced straight from the bottle. If you have a chance go on a tour. Kirby, the master distiller, was super entertaining and gave us a great tour of the brewing processes. Learned so much and have a new fascination for spirits. read more

Best vodka I've ever tasted and I tasted it straight up no ice. Gin is also excellent. Staff was super friendly and enthusiastic and I met the owner at the Century Ballroom 15th anniversary dinner - really nice guy! Really hope they do well. You can get their stuff at PoCo Wine Room up on 14th @ Pine. read more

I was lucky enough to be able to tour this distillery as part of a Yelp tour. It blows me away the amount of great distilling that takes place in this area, and makes me very happy to have made the move here a while ago. But less about me, more about Oola. Kirby the owner and distiller really is my hero. He decided, "Hey - I like booze. What I'd like to do is open up a distillery and make booze specially for my palate!" Seriously, how can you not love that?! And his passion shines through. He truly loves what he does, loves to experiment, and takes great pride in his product. Really, what is there not to love? The distillery itself is located in the heart of Capitol Hill, but is a modest location. There's not much to it. A small storefront, and a little warehouse where all the magic happens behind the scenes. Ok, but what about the booze you're thinking? Well, we got to try 5 different items. From the top: Vodka: Ok, I must admit I'm not a vodka fan. A spirit whose goal is flavorless isn't a spirit for me. However, as was explained, this wasn't the original goal of vodka, but rather a byproduct of dealing with inconsistent ingredients - it was easier to make a tasteless product. This vodka has character. Tasty! Lemon vodka: It wasn't nearly as sweet as I was expecting. I could certainly see playing with this in a cocktail. Gin: This is some tasty gin! It's well balanced gin. Not overly junipery, nice citrus notes. And it makes a wonderful martini. Barrel aged gin: This one, I must admit, didn't grab me. But I give him full marks for experimenting with aging gin in bourbon barrels. Bourbon: Dark color. Great mouth feel. Full bodied. This is the way bourbon should taste. I'd certainly recommend the tour, and definitely picking up a bottle for yourself! read more

FYI they no longer do free sampling / tasting. According to the woman in the tasting room, they changed their classification recently and only do tastings by appointment (not sure how you make an appt though? Their website doesn't mention anything about this). Everything else about them is great. As many have said, their gin is really good. Their vodka is the best I've ever tasted and I don't really even like vodka. read more

I attended a Yelp elite event here recently. We enjoyed some cocktails and chickpeas (that I swear were infused with something addictive, I couldn't stop eating them), took in a tour of the distillery, and did a liquor tasting. I ended up spending entirely more than I planned on bottles of liquor for myself and for Christmas gifts, with no regrets. The gin that's aged in bourbon barrel bottles? GET IT. It will knock your socks off. It's smooth and delicious and unlike any other liquor I've tasted. (Background: I'm a bourbon lover, who regularly works through bottles like Basil Hayden and Eagle Rare. I also really like gin, but tend to drink it more in cocktails. In case palate knowledge is helpful!) I also bought some tonic syrup, which was almost as impressive with great complex woody citrus notes. Don't think it was created by Oola though. Also worth mentioning was the expertise of the tour guide. I've forgotten the name of the gentleman who showed around, but I swear, he knew everything. He was personable and charming, open to questions, and very generous with his pours. It was a fantastic, friendly, and incredibly educational tour. Loved the experience and the liquor, I'll be a regular taster and purchaser going forward. read more

Have you been to the Oola Distillery complimentary vodka tasting in Seattle's Capitol Hill? Not me... until now. My homies and I were strolling down the street after brunch at Skillet and ran into the Oola Distillilery. I've always been curious of the local premium vodko and I'm not going to turn down complimentary. We were able to sample the regular and rosemary vodka, as well as the gin. Pretty nice, crisp, and the Rosemary had a subtle hint. So you should drop by Oola for a sampling, hang out, and mini tour. The space is very beautiful with the industrial modern vibe. Another great activity on Capitol Hill. read more

Oola (la)! It's so funny, sometime the coolest places are right under your nose. How this distillery escaped my radar for so long, I'll never know. I had the wonderful opportunity to sample some of their spirits on Thursday. I was thoroughly impressed. The owner Kirby eloquently walked us through the differences between each of his spirits. The gin, vodka and whiskey I tasted there were top notch! Kirby knows his product and process intimately and detailed nuances of the barrel aging in a fun way. I recommend highly! read more

Plan your visit to Oola during the day or early evening. The mistake my friends and I made the last time we came was that we showed up 15 minutes before closing so naturally the space was packed with peeps getting their last minute free sample drink on. Basically you walk in and the distiller guy tells you what they're serving up and then pours you a couple of samples. We went in at around 4pm and it was totally empty. We had the vodka, the gin, a chili vodka and a rosemary vodka. I'll tell you what everyone else says is true - their gin is amazing. I'm not a gin drinker by far but I left the place with a bottle under my arm. I can't wait until they have bourbon. read more

Blake was so personable! We are here visiting from CA. She pulled up an extra stool to accommodate us & treated us like family! It was awesome to learn so much about OOLA. I always love when the makers work the tastings because they bring so much knowledge to your experience! I definitely recommend this spot! We went on a Tuesday in March and were the only ones there. read more

Took the Saturday tour and was able to taste almost all of the kinds of liquor that they sell. They have excellent flavored vodkas (rosemary, pepper, citrus), whiskey and gin!! Loved this place, you can tell they really have a passion for this business...can't wait to see it in more stores/bars/restaurants. read more

OOLA Distillery - Award winners!!!! - Distilleries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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