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County Seat Maple Bourbon Is Out This Saturday

County Seat Maple Old Fashioned

If you’re going to flavor a whiskey, you can do a lot worse than maple syrup. The natural sweetener brings out a host of whiskey flavors while adding a smooth but not overbearing sweetness. It really is a cocktail in a bottle. And Lehigh Valley’s County Seat Spirits is releasing its version on Saturday, October 24th.

They’ve blended their Hidden Copper Bourbon with organic maple syrup to create this fall delight. Bottles are $25 for 375 ml, and quantities are extremely limited. County Seat offers pickup, local delivery and shipping to Pennsylvania addresses.

And at the Easton cocktail and tasting room, you can have the maple bourbon in the pictured Old Fashioned garnished with maple candy floss. Hello fall!

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Rowhouse Spirits Is Back with a Spooky New Spirit

Rowhouse Wendigo Gin - Artwork by Sam Heimer

Rowhouse Spirits, which we told you was getting set up in the Germantown section of Philadelphia after moving on from its Frankford Avenue location, has its first new spirit.

On Halloween, Dean Browne will be releasing Wendigo Gin at the East Falls Farmers’ Market. The limited edition gin bridges the move between the two distilleries. Distilled at the Kensington location and bottled at the new distillery.

The gin is distilled from rye and flavored with juniper, sumac and spruce tips. And if you are wondering what’s a Wendigo? According to Wikipedia, the wendigo “is a mythological creature or evil spirit from the folklore of the First Nations Algonquin tribes based in the northern forests of Nova Scotia, the East Coast of Canada, and Great Lakes Region of Canada and in Wisconsin.” As typical, Browne’s newest spirit features artwork of a local artist. In this case, Sam Heimer whose work is especially apropos this time of year.

750 ml bottles of Wendigo Gin are $40 and available at the farmers’ market from 10 am to 2 pm, or pre-order online. Browne will also have a select few bottles of brandy, coffee liqueur, eau de vie featuring Pennsylvania apples and High Street Amaro, Rowhouse’s perfect way to localize your negroni or Manhattan.

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New Batch of Thistle Finch Bonded Rye Set for Release

Thistle Finch Straight Rye

Lancaster’s Thistle Finch Distillery is releasing the the third batch of their Bonded Rye Whiskey on Thursday, October 22. This particular batch has been harvested from a single barrel after five-years and five-months of aging.

The tasting notes are enough to get you in line today.

Our tasting notes include aromas of brown sugar, season oak, toasted cereal, and dried stone fruit. Flavors of warm toffee lathered in apple butter, with a rye spiciness reminiscent of pink peppercorns, and an approachable heat are present. It finishes with warm notes of pepper and freshly dipped caramel apple.

Just under 200 bottles are in this batch. Bottles of this limited whiskey will be available at the distillery for $67.

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Disobedient’s Ghost Trail Rum Arrives in Time for Halloween

Disobedient Spirits - Ghost Trail Rum

Disobedient Spirits in Homer City (named for the Greek poet, not the Simpson) has just released its Spiced Rum. Ghost Trail Rum is made from can sugar and distilled in Disobedient’s copper still. Then the rum is aged in toasted oak barrels and injected with a “haunting symphony of spices.”

The spiced rum is named for a trail along the long-abandoned Cambria and Indiana Railroad. The Ghost Trail connects Blacklick, PA to Ebensburg, PA, 32 miles away, passing historic coal towns along the way.

Disobedient teases that the label has a “fun feature” that you’ll only see if you buy a bottle.

Ghost Trail Rum is available at Disobedient’s Indiana County distillery plus at Pennsylvania Libations in Pittsburgh, Sarnelli’s Market in Jones Mill, as well as several local farmers’ markets.

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Strip District Reserve Releases Coming to Wigle and Maggie’s Farm

Wigle Whiskey - Strip District Reserve Whiskey

Strip District Neighbors is working with Wigle Whiskey, Maggie’s Farm Rum and Cinderlands Beer Co. to produce a series of Strip District Reserve whiskey, rum and beer. A portion of all proceeds from the products will go to the district’s programs supporting the neighborhood’s small businesses.

Wigle Whiskey is releasing just 500 bottles (two barrels) of its five-year reserve whiskey as its Strip District Reserve Whiskey. Like many of Wigle’s limited releases, this bottle features a label designed by a local artist, in this case it is Sarah Zeffiro capturing the energy and businesses of the Strip District. The five-and-a-half year aged whiskey is described as featuring malt, tobacco and baking spices. Order the 750 ml bottles of the 80 proof whiskey for delivery across Pennsylvania, pick up at the distillery or at Wigle’s Ross Park Mall location.

Maggie's Farm Strip District Reserve 50/50 Dark Rum
Maggie’s Farm Strip District Reserve 50/50 Dark Rum (photo via Maggie’s Farm Rum)

Maggie’s Strip Reserve Rum will be released on Saturday, October 24th. The rum is their standard 50/50 Dark Rum (half white rum, half aged Central American blend) aged for two years versus the normal six months of aging.

Maggie’s Farm Strip Reserve Rum will be $45 for a 750 ml bottle, and available at the Strip District distillery as well as available for shipping across Pennsylvania.

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Manatawny Brings Back Maple Whiskey

Manatawny Maple Whiskey

On Friday, October 16th, Pottstown’s Manatawny Still Works is bringing back its Maple Whiskey. The Fall favorite will be available at the distillery, Philadelphia locations and from their online store. And for the first time, the Maple Whiskey will be available in more than 80 Fine Wine & Good Spirits shops around the state.

Manatawny collaborates with Pennsylvania’s Whiskey Hollow to make the whiskey. First the distillery lends used whiskey barrels to the maple syrup producer, where they age their maple syrup for up to a year. After the barrels are emptied, the syrup-soaked casks go back to the distillery and aging whiskey is added. Before bottling, Manatawny adds in some aged maple syrup to create a “decadent, slightly-sweet whiskey.” It makes for a fantastic Old Fashioned or if you’re feeling lazy, it works really well when poured over a large cube.

750 ml bottles of the 84 proof whiskey are $40.

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New Liberty Launches Monthly Spirits Club

New Liberty Spirits Club

Philadelphia’s New Liberty Distilling has just launched a monthly spirits club. The cost is $59.99 per month or $699.99 a year (you can cancel at any time). The club comes with a bottle a month plus a host of other benefits including:

  • VIP Access to new releases
  • New Liberty Distillery merchandise
  • Exclusive member events such as tastings, tours and cocktail classes
  • Monthly store discounts
  • Free shipping
  • And the always titillating, “and much much more!”

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Last Chance to Get Wigle’s Bottled Old Fashioned for the Year

Wigle Bottled Old Fashioned

One of the silver linings of the pandemic has certainly been seeing distilleries getting creative by offering packaged cocktails to go and for delivery. And has the months have stretched on the packaging has gotten significantly more attractive. Wigle Whiskey has had the packaging down from the get-go with their bottled Old-Fashioned Bourbon Cocktail.

So we’ve got good news and bad news. The good: The bottled Old-Fashioned will be back in stock on Friday, October 9th at the Pittsburgh distillery. The bad: it’s the last batch for the year. So if you’re considering the gift of easy cocktails this holiday season, now is the time to get your credit card out.

The bottled Old Fashioned is made with Wigle’s Organic Straight Pennsylvania Bourbon, Wigle’s own orange bitters and sweetened with cane sugar. You just have to pour it over a large ice cube and garnish with an orange peel.

Pre-order today for pickup or delivery across Pennsylvania. 750 ml bottles are available for $39.

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County Seat Adds Barrel-Aged Gin to Lineup

This Friday, October 9th at 5 pm, County Seat Spirits in Easton will be releasing a new spirit. They’re taking their Lock Keeper Gin and aging it in a charred white oak barrel.

Barrel-finished gins are a great way to extend gin season. Often thought of light and crisp, the time in the barrels adds smoky depth to gin and really adds something to cocktails like the negroni.

County Seat’s take on barrel-finished gins is $37 per 750 ml bottle and can be picked up in Easton. Lock Keeper Barrel Finished Gin will also be made available to be shipped or delivered locally.

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Tall Pines Releases Pot Still Spiced Rum

Aaargh! Salisbury, PA’s Tall Pines Distillery is releasing its Pot Still Spiced Rum. The rum’s mash is made with black strap molasses and brown sugar. The rum is then aged with orange peel, cloves and peppercorns.

Tall Pines Distillery is releasing the rum on Saturday, October 3rd and will have “Captain Jack” at the distillery from 2 pm to 5 pm for photos with your new bottle.