J.P. Trodden Distilling is set to return to Woodinville with a second whiskey tasting room at the upcoming Harvest this May.
The distillery, owned by Mark Nesheim, began introducing small-batch whiskey in 2013 before moving to a larger production facility in Maltby.
“Woodinville is the home of Saint Michelle Winery, which is the biggest winery in Washington State. We have a lot of wineries here. All the grapes come from the east side of the mountains, but the actual production and tasting room are often here,” Nesheim told What Now Seattle.
He continued, “Six years ago, myself and six of my winery buddies all needed more production space than what was available in Woodinville, so we got invited to build out a new space in a little community called Maltby. I’ve always wanted to get back to Woodinville because it’s really the hub of tasting rooms.”
Now, that desire is coming to fruition.
“I’ve always been a little bit of an outlier as a bourbon distillery, but the nice thing is that the winery guys are happy to send people my way because I’m not competition,” he said. “It’s a good situation for me, and to immerse myself back in that area and create a second tasting room is what we’re after.”
The tasting room will occupy a second-level space at the north end of Harvest. Inside, the space will embrace a speakeasy vibe with a dark, moody ambiance.
The Harvest is a 20-acre mixed-use development combining retail, dining and entertainment. At its center is a public plaza called “The Yard.” The project also includes apartments and townhomes, along with the recently opened SOMM Hotel & Spa.
“It’s a tall, vaulted space with two outdoor decks: one overlooking Saint Michelle with a fire pit, and another facing south toward the SOMM Hotel, Mount Rainier, and The Yard,” Nesheim said.
The tasting room will mirror the flagship location, offering bottle sales, several flight-tasting options and a cocktail program. Guests, whether new to bourbon or experienced, can learn about the different varieties and discover which ones suit their tastes best.
“The best part for me is just being able to meet folks from all walks of life, talk about what we do. People are curious; they’re very interested, especially in bourbon, because it’s such a specialized beverage,” he said.
Nesheim is excited to introduce their first-ever wine-cask-finished bourbon, newly released to the public.
“We took a four-year-aged bourbon, and we finished it for another year in a cabernet sauvignon barrel. I now have a program going with several of my winemaking buddies, where we’re rotating barrels, so I’ve got more wine-cask-finished bourbon on the way. It’s kind of perfect being right there in the heart of wine country,” he said.
While J.P. Trodden’s won’t offer its own small plates, Nesheim said guests can order from other spots at Harvest.
“There are all kinds of opportunities for us to have food delivered. In most cases, we’re going to order it for them. You’d be able to pre-order if you want traditional charcuteries, or what you have from another restaurant,” he said.
Nesheim is eager to grow the bourbon footprint and honor his grandfather’s legacy at the same time.
“J.P. Trodden was my grandfather. He was a mail carrier in a little town up in the Okanagan Highlands of Washington State, which is way up by the Canadian border. He was a carrier during the prohibition years. My grandfather had easy access to legal whiskey on the B.C. side of the border. He was able to bring back some whiskey for him and his buddies to share. When it came time to name our bourbon distillery, it was pretty easy to name it after him,” he said.
Visit the J.P. Trodden Distilling website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for grand opening updates. Stay tuned!
