Aria Portland Dry Gin
Aria Portland Dry Gin is a 90-proof (45% ABV) London Dry-style gin distilled by hand in Portland, Oregon, in a 750mL bottle. Created by a seventeen-year professional bartender who spent over four years perfecting a single recipe, it was built specifically for cocktails — a firm, juniper-forward gin designed to stand out in a martini rather than disappear into it. Order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: American London Dry-style gin with 10 botanicals
- Origin: Distilled in Portland, Oregon, USA
- Water source: Cut with water from the Bull Run Watershed (Mt. Hood glacial snowmelt and Cascade rainwater)
A Bartender's Gin, Four Years in the Making
Aria's creator spent seventeen years behind the bar before spending another four years developing this one recipe through hundreds of test distillations — and Aria remains the sole product of its Portland distillery, a single-recipe operation. Ten classic botanicals go into the batch-distilled gin: juniper, angelica, coriander, cardamom, grains of paradise, cubeb berry, orris root, cassia bark, and lemon and orange peel, all from organic and fair-trade sources. After distillation the gin is cut with water from the Bull Run Watershed, one of the purest water sources in America, and bottled by hand in runs of roughly 500 cases.
Tasting Notes
Aria is full-bodied and boldly aromatic, with juniper dominating the nose in classic London Dry fashion. Underneath the juniper, layers of citrus, warm spice, earthy notes, and floral hints reveal themselves on both the nose and the palate — cardamom and citrusy coriander mid-palate, a cracked-peppercorn edge, and a long, soft finish with a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Reviewers have described it as a worthy West Coast entry to the American gin scene: pine-fresh up front, complex through the middle, and built to hold its own in a cocktail.
How to Enjoy
This is a martini gin first — stir it cold and dry with a whisper of vermouth and it shows exactly what four years of development buys. It also stands tall against tonic and works across the full classic range: Gimlet, Negroni, Tom Collins. See how it compares with other American dry styles in the gin collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the proof of Aria Portland Dry Gin?Aria is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV), a sturdy strength that keeps it from getting lost in cocktails.
Is Aria Portland Dry Gin a London Dry gin?Yes — it is styled on the classic London Dry profile (juniper-forward, distilled in one shot with botanicals, no added sweetness) with a Portland twist: Oregon-sourced organic botanicals and Bull Run Watershed water.
Has Aria Portland Dry Gin won any awards?Retailers cite a Double Gold medal at the 2014 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a 93-point score from the Beverage Testing Institute — early-career recognition that put this single-recipe Portland gin on the map.
Del Mesa Liquor stocks this Portland classic so you can order Aria Portland Dry Gin online — a martini-grade gin from the Pacific Northwest, delivered to your door.