What to Expect at Gompers Distillery and Speakeasy

A first-timer’s guide to one of Central Oregon’s most distinctive craft spirits experiences. Where family history, craft distilled spirits, and an intimate speakeasy tasting room come together.

Some places pour you a drink. Gompers pours you a story. Here’s what awaits when you walk through our door.

Tucked in the high desert city of Redmond, Oregon, just minutes from Bend and the stunning landscapes of Sisters and Smith Rock—Gompers Distillery & Speakeasy is a craft spirits destination unlike any other in Central Oregon. Whether you’re a gin enthusiast, a vodka purist, or simply curious about what goes into a spirit, a visit to our speakeasy tasting room is an experience that sticks with you long after the last sip.

Here’s everything you need to know before you arrive and a few things that will surprise you once you do.

The Story Behind the Spirits

Before you taste a single drop, you’ll feel the weight of something real. Gompers Distillery was built around the legacy of Herman Gompers, a Holocaust survivor, legendary Los Angeles baker, and devoted husband, father and Opa (Grandfather) who became the namesake and guiding spirit of our brand. Herman’s philosophy was simple and uncompromising: Don’t be Ordinary.

That ethos lives in every bottle we produce. Gompers is a family owned and operated distillery, co-founded by Jessica Gompers-Hart (Herman’s granddaughter) and her husband Michael. The distillery has been in operation since 2019, crafting spirits with intention and integrity, honoring a grandfather’s legacy while pushing the craft forward.

“Don’t be ordinary.” — Herman Gompers

This isn’t marketing copy. It’s a family inheritance, and when you sit down in our speakeasy, you’ll understand exactly what it means.

The Speakeasy Tasting Room

Our only physical location is the speakeasy tasting room in Redmond, an intimate, thoughtfully designed space that feels like a secret worth keeping. The speakeasy concept isn’t a gimmick; it reflects our commitment to creating an environment where every visit feels special, intentional, and unhurried.

Expect warm hospitality, knowledgeable staff who genuinely love what they pour, and an atmosphere that encourages you to slow down. This is not a high volume tourist stop. It’s a place to settle in, ask questions, and discover something you didn’t know you were looking for.

What the tasting experience looks like

When you visit the tasting room, you’ll have the opportunity to sample our core lineup of hand-crafted spirits. Our team will walk you through each expression, its character, how it’s made, what makes it distinctly Gompers. You leave with more than just a pleasant memory. You leave with context.

The Spirits: What You’ll Be Tasting

Our spirit lineup is made from 100% corn neutral grain spirit, distilled on our Dutch iStill. The result is exceptionally clean, expressive, and rooted in the Pacific Northwest.

Seasonal and limited offerings rotate through when available, so there’s always a reason to come back. Check with our team or follow us on social media for the latest releases.

What Makes Gompers Different from Other Oregon Distilleries

Oregon has no shortage of excellent craft distilleries. So what sets Gompers apart? A few things worth knowing:

The iStill advantage. We distill on a Dutch iStill, a precision distillation system that gives us extraordinary control over the final spirit. This isn’t a shortcut, it’s a tool that lets us express exactly what we want in each bottle, with consistency batch after batch.

The story is real. Many brands invoke heritage as aesthetics. At Gompers, the heritage is the foundation. Herman Gompers’ story, his survival, his artistry, his philosophy shapes every decision we make, from the label to the spirit inside.

It’s a family operation. When you visit, you may well be pouring with one of the founders. This is not a corporate tasting room. It’s someone’s life’s work, and that comes through.

Planning Your Visit: What to Know Before You Go

Perfect for Groups, Date Nights, and Out-of-Town Guests

Visitors often tell us they brought skeptical friends, people who “don’t really drink gin,” and watched them leave as converts. The Gompers tasting room has a way of doing that. It’s not about convincing anyone of anything; it’s about giving people the context to taste something new with real understanding.

For those visiting Central Oregon from out of town, our speakeasy is a natural stop. It’s the kind of stop that makes a trip feel curated rather than accidental.

Couples, small groups, and families (21+ for tastings) are all welcome. The vibe is warm, unpretentious, and genuinely glad you’re here.

Something to Eat: The Dutch Tosti

No visit to Gompers Speakeasy is quite complete without one of our Dutch Tosti’s and the story behind them is as layered as the sandwiches themselves.

Herman Gompers was many things: a Holocaust survivor, a devoted grandfather, a legendary baker in Los Angeles, and a man who knew that the simplest pleasures, done with care, are often the most profound. One of his favorites was the Dutch Tosti, a pressed, grilled sandwich with deep roots in Dutch culinary tradition. Think of it as a grilled cheese elevated to something worthy of the occasion: warm, golden, and deeply satisfying in the way that only uncomplicated food can be.

Ours are made with Dutch ingredients and named in Herman’s honor. The Beste Opa (Dutch for “Best Grandfather”) is the one to start with. Each name on the menu is a small act of remembrance, a way of keeping Herman present in the room even now.

It is, in every sense, exactly what he would have wanted alongside a well poured drink: nothing ordinary, nothing fussy, and nothing you’ll forget easily.

Take the Experience Home

Can’t make it to Redmond? Our spirits are available through our online store with direct-to-consumer shipping to eligible states, as well as through select retailers and bars across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

But there’s something about tasting in the place where the spirit was made—hearing the story firsthand, standing in the room where it all happens—that no bottle alone can replicate. If you have the chance to visit, take it.

Gompers Distillery & Speakeasy is more than a stop on a Central Oregon itinerary. It’s an invitation into a family’s history, a distiller’s craft, and a philosophy that has survived everything life can throw at it. Herman would approve.

We’ll see you at the bar.