OREGON CITY, Ore. — We love getting outdoors in the Northwest. But when you want to have a little wind down time at the end of an adventure, you don't want to be lugging a bunch of beers or mixers around.
An Oregon City company has just the thing for you.
"We're 503 Distilling and we make the best canned cocktails on the planet!" says co-founder Rusty Caldwell proudly. "When you open the can, you think this is actually something that somebody hand made."
Launched in 2017, they make four flavors so far that, when poured over ice, make enough for two full cocktails. Each can is $4.95.
The cocktail list:
Blood Hound: Vodka, blood orange and grapefruit juices, and lime.
Wicked Mule: Vodka, ginger beer and lime juice.
La Vida Mocha: Rum, chocolate and cold brew coffee.
Five-O-Tea: Vodka with lemon iced tea
The logo of a bearded, beanie-wearing, logger-type with sunglasses and a pipe, affectionately called The Dude, is really Oregon's every man, and modeled after Caldwell.
He and business partner David Schleef came up with their company while on a work trip.
"We were on a bus in Denver, going to the Great American Beer Festival ironically. We were on a brewery-sponsored tour and the beer was not awesome. We got to thinking, what if one day the revolution that's happening in the beer market actually started happening in the liquor market? It could be a whole new thing. Craft distilling is happening right now, but it's really only been happening for ten years. So now, it's just about to take off."
503 Distilling mixes everything with local ingredients. Caldwell says these cans are perfect for active people, or for bringing to a backyard get-together.
"Hiking, boating, fishing, skiing, it's for all that. People love the outdoors, and they love the convenience of taking things where they go and they love to drink," Caldwell said.
503 Distilling sells in liquor stores and grocery stores where allowed in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Nevada with more states on the way. You can also visit their distillery and tasting room to have cocktails on draft and new ones they're testing at 275 Beavercreek Rd Unit #C149 in Oregon City.