Talking Cedar Announces New Craft Whiskey Program

GRAND MOUND, WA — Talking Cedar, the first tribal-owned distillery in the United States, is proud to announce the expansion of their new whiskey program under the direction of Matt Hofmann, Master Distiller and pioneer of the American Single Malt category. A historic hub of native craftsmanship and a budding crown jewel of Pacific Northwest spirits production, Talking Cedar operates a state-of-the-art, 35,000 square foot distillery, brewery, and restaurant on Chehalis Tribal lands.

Founded in 2020, Talking Cedar boasts cutting edge equipment like the largest continuous still west of the Mississippi, along with multiple other still types which maximize potential for innovation. Under Head Distiller Ryan Myhre, the brand currently produces ten spirits including its award-winning Kayak Gin; a series of hand-crafted, small-batch flavored whiskeys, cask-finished brandies, and a blended malt whiskey created in collaboration with Seattle, WA’s iconic Westland Distillery.

“The scale of ambition and equipment at Talking Cedar is impressive,” said Hofmann. “It has the potential to become one of America’s foremost distilleries. I feel inspired to be working with the Talking Cedar team. The sky's the limit.” 

As Co-Founder and former Master Distiller of Westland Distillery, Hofmann was instrumental in the creation of the American Single Malt category. Throughout his thirteen year tenure, he developed a robust reputation in the craft spirits world—including accolades like Forbes 30 under 30, Whisky Magazine Craft producer of the year, Imbibe person to watch, and StarChefs Seattle Rising star. When Hofmann left Westland Distillery in 2023 in search of new challenges, he was not sure where he would land. Enter Talking Cedar. 

Hofmann first visited Talking Cedar on a personal exploratory mission. What he found was a world-class facility boasting all the elements and advantages required to create a trailblazing new suite of premium whiskeys—not to mention a golden opportunity to share and apply his experience and knowledge in new, exciting ways. “The initial goal is to learn how to make anything and everything: malt whiskeys, pure pot still style whiskeys, Irish style whiskeys, grain whiskeys, and bourbon,” said Hofmann. “The larger goal is that our collaboration will help Talking Cedar establish itself as a prestigious whiskey program for the next hundred years.”

Both Hofmann and Talking Cedar see this as a dynamic opportunity to grow and experiment together in the whiskey space, creating an ever-wider lineup of spirits crafted to captivate and delight drinkers nationwide.  

“Hofmann has developed a very reliable and polished model for double pot still production of American single malt—and one, crucially, that allows for maximum flavor expression,” said Myhre. “When you have a world-class palate like his in the room, anything is possible. It’s inspiring to see how he perceives flavors, what his tasting and smelling perceptions are, and how they relate to my own. Our team is learning a lot from his palate. This is truly the beginning of a new era for Talking Cedar.”

About Talking Cedar:

Talking Cedar is the first tribal-owned distillery in the United States. Proud to have overturned a discriminatory 1834 law prohibiting distilling on Native lands, Talking Cedar is pioneering a new level of craftsmanship on Indigenous lands across the United States and leading a new wave of native producers. Located on Chehalis Tribal lands in southern Washington, the historic brand operates a state-of-the-art distillery and also provides contract distillation for select industry partners. Talking Cedar continues to share the legacy of the Chehalis Tribe by creating spirits of integrity and purpose crafted from ingredients grown on its sacred lands of the Pacific Northwest.