New Deal Distillery by Christie Scott Forty six distillers in Oregon generated $53.3 million in annual liquor sales in the state. That is almost 12 percent of Oregon’s total liquor sales for 2011. This trend echoes Oregon’s DIY spirit seen in the past with Oregon wineries in the 70’s and Oregon micro-brews in the 90’s. Now Oregon Distilleries are on the rise. Oregon’s unique marketplace promotes a positive environment for local distilleries. To help improve selection to customers, the OLCC can ship a partial case or just a few bottles to retail liquor stores across the state. This encourages the liquor store owners to feature new and local products because they can order just one or two bottles at a time to monitor how well it sells. OLCC's Executive Director, Steve Pharo takes pride in providing a level playing field for small manufacturers, which helps them compete with the big national brands. Distillers in Oregon do not have to ‘buy shelf space’ to get their pro...