Talking Cedar Distillery

History Making Spirits

The story of how the Chehalis Tribe reclaimed the right to distill on tribal land and built one of America’s most groundbreaking spirits brands.

People of the Sands

Our Story Starts Here

Long before Talking Cedar became a distillery, the Chehalis Tribe had called the lands of Southwest Washington home for countless generations. Deeply connected to the rivers, forests, and prairies of their ancestral homeland, the Tribe has long embraced values of stewardship, resilience, and respect for the natural world. Cedar, a tree woven throughout Coast Salish cultures, symbolizes strength, protection, and continuity, making it a fitting inspiration for our name. Today, those same values guide everything we do. From using water drawn from our own aquifer on tribal land to working with Tribal artists, foraging native ingredients, and supporting Tribal businesses whenever possible, Talking Cedar exists to honor the past while creating opportunity and prosperity for future generations.

The 1834 Law & What Changed

We Fought the Law. And Won

For 184 years, a federal law dating back to 1834 prohibited the manufacture of distilled spirits on tribal land, denying Tribal Nations the same rights enjoyed elsewhere in the United States. In 2018, the Chehalis Tribe helped lead the effort to overturn that outdated law, restoring the right for Tribal Nations to legally distill on their own land. The Tribe didn’t stop there. Soon after, Talking Cedar made history by producing Kayak Gin, the first spirit legally distilled on Native American tribal land in the United States following the repeal. That milestone represents more than a bottle of gin. It is a symbol of sovereignty, self-determination, and a future built by Tribal Nations on their own terms.

Kayak Gin: The First

History Making, Award Winning

The first spirit legally distilled on tribal land in the United States, Kayak Gin is crafted with water from the Chehalis Tribe’s own aquifer and a blend of Northwest botanicals, including ingredients foraged from tribal land. Douglas fir, juniper, mountain yarrow, and Nootka rose create a bright, citrusy, pine-forward gin that captures the wild character of the Pacific Northwest.

Distillery Vision

Not the Last, Just the First

Talking Cedar was never meant to stand alone. As the distillery grows, so does its mission to create opportunity for future generations and help other Tribal Nations enter the spirits industry. Through world-class production capabilities and contract distilling services, Talking Cedar is building capacity not only for itself, but for partners across indigenous communities. The Chehalis Tribe is committed to sharing knowledge, fostering collaboration, and helping create a thriving, Native-led beverage industry built on sovereignty, self-determination, and mutual success.
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