Doc Swinson’s is opening a new tasting room in Ferndale; check out the facility

Doc Swinson’s, a Whatcom County-based distillery known for its award-winning whiskey, is opening a tasting room this month and inviting guests to peek behind the scenes.

The Ferndale whiskey company was founded in 2017 by a team of Whatcom County residents and some Western Washington University graduates.

Last year the distillery won five awards at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for a variety of whiskeys. Since opening, the team kept the operations closed off and only sold its products online or through retailers.

“We’re not a typical producer that most people are used to; we are not a distillery, and we do not have a tasting room,” co-founder Keith Seidel told The Bellingham Herald in 2023. “Instead, we’re focusing on the art of bringing old-world blending techniques to the very traditional American craft of bourbon and rye whiskey. We intentionally source the best spirits we can find to blend, age and finish in house to create something that is better than a sum of its parts.”

Now, the local distillery is opening its doors for the first time and allowing the public to take a peek at how its products are made at “The Barrel Lab.”

“Starting June 5, The Barrel Lab will be open for walk-in visitors on Thursdays and Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. The Barrel Lab also hosts private groups and curated tasting experiences,” a news release from the company states.

Guests can enjoy tastings, tour the distillery, meet the team, purchase exclusive merchandise and alcohol, and try exclusive cocktails, surrounded by whiskey and other spirits aging in barrels.

The Barrel Lab will also have food trucks, blending classes, bourbon groups and other special vents on certain days.

The tasting room will be open from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday starting Thursday, June 5 at 1370 Commerce Place in Ferndale.

This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.

Alyse Smith

The Bellingham Herald

Alyse Smith is a reporter at The Bellingham Herald covering retail, restaurants, jobs and business. If you like stories like this, please consider supporting our work with a subscription to our newspaper.