Craft spirits news from in and around Pennsylvania
This holiday season a number of Pennsylvania distilleries are taking advantage of the state’s business friendly rules for the fledgling industry. Either through expo permits or satellite licenses, PA distilleries are showing up in shopping friendly locations.
Continue reading “UPDATED: Distilleries Popping Up This Holiday Season”
Edinburo, PA’s Cart/Horse Distilling’s has released an intriguing new rum. The rum is made for the town’s Engine 39 Social Club, which is owned and operated by the Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department. Engine 39 Mutual Aid is a rum flavored with natural ginger, habanero and apple flavor.
It sounds like an intense spirit that certainly doesn’t play it close to the vest. Color us intrigued.
Cart/Horse Distilling also produces a line of spirits that include an unaged cane spirit, vodka, gin, wheat whiskey and Root Digger, a root beer spirit.
Leading spirits writer Fred Minnick will be picking his whiskey of the year via YouTube Live on December, 20th. In the run up to the big day, he has announced all of his contenders and Bristol, PA’s Dad’s Hat Bottled in Bond is among the chosen.
About Dad’s Hat Bonded Rye, Minnick says:
Whenever I have posted positive things about Dad’s Hat, it’s often met with a groundswell of “this is crap” comments. And hey, we’re all entitled to our own opinions (for God’s sake, I blab for a living), but I often think people misunderstand this rye and its style. You can genuinely taste rye bread, and that appeals to me. I also love seeing Pennsylvania return to the whiskey game.
Whiskey of the Year Contenders
Be sure to tune in on December 20th, when Minnick announces his favorite via a broadcast blind tasting.
Every year around this time, Pittsburgh’s Maggie’s Farm Distillery releases its Peppermint Coffee Liqueur and it is a holiday treat. Instagrammer @classicfrench shares just what to do with this tasty treat.
Continue reading “Maggie’s Farm Peppermint Coffee Will Have You Feeling the Holidays”
Harrisburg’s Midstate Distillery has released its first Apple Brandy. The brandy is made with local apples and aged in used Bourbon barrels for at least twenty months.
Midstate describes the spirit as ” bright and subtle flavor of local apples beneath soft oak notes from our used Bourbon barrels.”
Perhaps most excitedly, Midstate’s Apple Brandy comes with a sticker price that won’t shock. It’s on sale now for $19.99 for a 375ml bottle.
Midstate Distilling is open Friday through Sunday for bottle and cocktail sales.
Hungry Pigeon in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia is routinely among the top restaurants in Philadelphia, most recently ranked #2 by Philadelphia magazine, and their cocktail program has utilized Manatawny Still Works’ gin heavily on its cocktail list. Now they’ve collaborated with the Pottstown distillery to create their own gin, aptly named Hungry PiGIN.
Hungry PiGIN will make its debut Thursday evening during the restaurant’s Prohibition Cocktail Party starting at 5 pm.
Continue reading “Manatawny Launching Exclusive Gin for Hungry Pigeon Restaurant”
Wigle Whiskey continues to crank out whiskey releases. As if two single barrel releases last week weren’t enough, this weekend the Pittsburgh distillery will be offering two whiskeys closely tied to breweries.
Continue reading “Two Holiday Whiskeys from Wigle”
Philadelphia Distilling and Yards Brewing are releasing the fourth iteration of their collaborative whiskey. Bottles will be available on Sunday, December 8th. Bottles can be reserved online.
The whiskey begins as a malt forward brew of a recipe similar to Yards Thomas Jefferson Tavern Ale and then sent over to Philadelphia Distilling for distillation and aging.
Continue reading “4th Run Of Yards/Philadelphia Distilling Whiskey Now Available for Pre-Order”
Craft distilleries are facing an uncertain future as they may be facing a 400% tax increase come January 1st. In 2017, a temporary tax cut was enacted that dropped the excise tax on liquor made from small distillers from $13.50 per proof gallon to $2.70 per proof gallon. In addition to the shear amount of the tax, the tax was due when the alcohol left the distiller, so it needed to be paid way before the sales became to come in. With the tax relief many distilleries reinvested in their business, adding employees, equipment and locations.
The tax relief is set to expire at the end of 2019. The Distilled Spirits Council is among the organizations lobbying to make the cuts permanent.
Continue reading “Distilleries Facing 400% Tax Increase”
Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 947, aka the Craft Beer and Spirits Parity act, into law last week. It allows Pennsylvania breweries and distilleries to have the same operating hours as Pennsylvania wineries. Breweries and distilleries, as well as their satellite tasting rooms can now sell their products from 9 am to midnight Monday through Saturday and Sunday till 11 pm.
The bill was co-sponsored by Lehigh County’s Rep. Peter G. Schweyer and Anthony Brichta. The new rules will go into effect within 60 days.