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Wigle Wipes Up at 2021 American Craft Spirits Association Awards

Wigle Whiskey won 40, yes FORTY awards at the virtual 2021 American Craft Spirits Association Awards show last night. That includes six bronze medals, 17 silver medals and a gold in the Whiskey category alone.

But Wigle Whiskey wasn’t the only winner for the evening. Manatawny Still Works took home six medals including three silvers for whiskey. Revivalist Spirits made a solid showing with five medals and Washington County’s Liberty Pole Spirits added three medals to Pennsylvania’s medal count.

Delaware saw multiple medals from Dogfish Head Distillery and Painted Stave Distilling.

More analysis to follow.

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A Pennsylvania Martini Thanks to Collaborative Vermouth

Philadelphia Distilling and Stone and Key Cellars (Montgomeryville, PA) have collaborated to release Revolutionary Vermouth. And right now you can get the vermouth, plus everything else you need to make a Pennsylvania Martini right from Philadelphia Distilling.

The Fishtown distillery is selling Martini Kits that include three one-liter bottles of Bluecoat Gin, a bottle of Revolutionary Vermouth and three oranges for $99 (normally $121). Basically, the vermouth is free. Get the pack direct from the distillery or shipped within the state of Pennsylvania.

The vermouth is also available direct from Stone and Key (but not Philadelphia Distilling, as distilleries can’t sell wine products to go – and that’s what vermouth is).

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Lancaster Distilleries Gets Stand in Historic Market

Lancaster Central Market

This week, Lancaster Distilleries announced that it will be adding a stand in the historic Lancaster Central Market. It will be the first distillery to sell its goods in the history of the 132-year old market.

Lancaster Distilleries will share the space with Zoetropolis (their distillery’s co-occupant too) who will produce a menu of vegan and vegetarian food. All seven of LD’s spirits will be offered plus classic mixers, simple syrups and bitters.

If all goes well, the stand will open in April.

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Single Barrel Rye Returns to New Liberty

New Liberty Millstone Single Barrel Straight Whiskey

The only feeling that compares to seeing a whiskey you enjoyed come around again is the joy that comes from seeing a whiskey you really wanted to try but didn’t, return. That’s our case with the Single Barrel Straight Millstone Rye Whiskey from New Liberty Distillery which has just made a return.

The whiskey is aged for two years in American oak and is crafted from 100% rye grain from Pennsylvania’s Deer Creek Malthouse. The whiskey is described as having “delightful notes of honey and orange blossom peppered with spice from our locally sourced grains, mellowed to perfection by the wood of premium seasoned barrels.”

750 ml bottles of the 95 proof Rye whiskey are available for shipment across Pennsylvania and for pickup at New Liberty’s Kensington distillery for $69.99.

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Rowhouse Spirits Back Selling with New Spirits and Labels

Rowhouse Spirits Arak and Gin

Rowhouse Spirits will be returning to the weekly East Falls Farmers’ Market this Saturday, February 20th with a new product and a new batch of gin.

Dean Browne is debuting his take on a Middle Eastern style Arak. Arak is a traditional distilled spirit made from just two ingredients, grapes and aniseed, the seeds of the anise plant. Browne will have 750 ml bottles on sale for $30 at the market.

He will also be bringing along his first run of gin (check out the new label) from his new Germantown distillery along with his Akvavit and High Street Amaro.

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4Four6 Releases First Aged Rum

4Four6 Barrel Aged Spiced Rum

Sharpsburg’s 4Four6 Distillery releases its first aged rum today. The distillery took its spiced white rum and aged it in a new American Oak barrel for four months. The rum mellowed during its time in the barrel and picked up a bit of color. 750 ml bottles are on sale for $35 each.

4Four6 now offers three rums, four gins and cocktails to go. The distillery’s first whiskey release has come and gone, but be on the lookout for more releases throughout 2021.

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Port Gin Returns with New Look at Manatawny

Manatawny Still Works - Port Barrel Finished Gin

Pottstown’s Manatawny Still Works is bringing back its pink-hued Port Finished Gin in time for Valentine’s Day. Previously released as “Zimbro” — the Portuguese word for juniper, the spirit recently was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Spirits of 2020.

The gin will be available for online pre-order starting on Friday, February 5th for $40 per 750 ml bottle. Pickup and delivery will be available from Manatawny’s Philadelphia and Pottstown locations beginning on Friday, February, 12th.

The gin is finished with Gandona Estate port barrels which bring out the juniper and add sweetness, mild oak and vanilla. Pennsy Local was able to get a sip this week and felt there was definitely more port tasted in this second release.

Earlier in the pandemic, Zimbro was the backbone of some exciting cocktails at Pennsy Local HQ, including in a very tasty number made with Wigle’s Saffron Amaro and orange.

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Kinsey Introduces Winter Whiskey

Kinsey Winter Whiskey

One of the more welcome trends of 2020 is definitely “Winter Whiskey.” A whiskey blended with warming spices suitable as a reward for shoveling snow, settling in by a fire, or simply with a couch and NetFlix.

Bluebird Distilling launched their Winter Whiskey with spices and brown sugar on Black Friday. Liberty Pole Spirits offers a Winter seasonal of their rye whiskey spiced with cinnamon, allspice, orange peel and then sweetened with a touch of brown sugar simple syrup. The spirits are a nod to the Pennsylvania Coal Country’s Boilo, itself a riff on a Lithuanian liqueur flavored with citrus fruits, herbs, spices, honey and ginger.

Now, New Liberty Distilling has announced and released its own limited release Kinsey Winter Whiskey. The spirit’s base is Kinsey’s American Whiskey and then has tea and mulling spices added, as well as a touch of honey, promising a warming sip with a pleasantly sweet finish. 750 ml bottles weigh in at 86.8 proof and are available for $27.99 each for pickup and delivery.

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Aged Rum Finished in Pittsburgh, Began Life in Trinidad

Kingfly Morphos Amber Rum

Kingfly Spirits out of Pittsburgh has just released a special rum for the holidays, Morphos Amber Rum. Originally from Trinidad (the country, not a small town somewhere in Pennsylvania), the rum was aged for 12 years in used bourbon barrels. It’s described as having a “warm aroma of dates, caramel apple, coffee and vanilla…. Brilliantly copper in color, Morphos delivers balanced tasting notes of dark chocolate, cinnamon and mocha with a velvety finish.”

750 ml bottles are $42 each and are available at the distillery or online for shipping across Pennsylvania. The Strip District distillery also offers something they call “cocktail catering” where their bartenders batch up fresh cocktails starting at $32 for four cocktails.