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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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.

Lancaster Distilling Hits Shelves of Select PA Fine Wine & Good Spirts Shops

Lancaster Distilleries at Fine Wine & Good Spirits

Pennsylvania has a long-standing reputation as a difficult place to buy alcoholic beverages. And that is certainly not without merit. But the state does do some very good things for its beer, wine and spirits producers. Not the least of which is allowing Pennsylvania distillers to get on the shelves of up to ten Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores even when they are way too small to normally be considered for stocking in the vast system.

And Lancaster Distilleries is the latest PA producer to land on the shelves at the state-run stores and they’re celebrating by offering a $20 gift card to the first customer at each location that purchases an LD spirit, posts it to social media and tags the distillery and names the PLCB store where they got the spirit.

Lancaster Distilling, which located in the Zoetropolis Cinema in downtown Lancaster produces gins, rums and vodka. All of which are available at the Fine Wine & Good Spirits shops.

Find Lancaster Distilling products at these stores:

  1. Belmont- Fruitville Pike, Lancaster
  2. Centerville Square-Centerville Road, Lancaster
  3. Shops at Kissel Village- Lititz Pike, Lititz
  4. The Shops at Landis Valley-Oregon Pike, Lancaster
  5. Willow Street- Willow Street Pike, Willow Street
  6. Wheatland Center- Columbia Ave., Lancaster
  7. Bridgeport Shopping Center, Lincoln Hwy. East, Lancaster
  8. Manor Shopping Center, Millersville Pike, Lancaster
  9. Ephrata, West Main Street, Ephrata
  10. Shoppes at Dilworth Crossing, Dilworth Road, West Chester

In addition to finding Lancaster Distilling spirits at the above stores and to-go from the Cinema, the tiny distillery is often out and about with its “Booze Van.” Check out the upcoming schedule:

  • Friday 11/13:  500 Block, School Lane Lancaster PA 5-7pm
  • Saturday 11/14: 699 Warminster Lane Lititz PA 17543, 5-7pm
  • Sunday 11/15: 600 Stockdale Dr,Lancaster,PA,17601, 3-5pm

Special Six-Grain Bourbon on Sale at Mason Dixon Distillery

Mason Dixon C.S. Reaser's Special Bourbon

In a frank post to Instagram, Yianni Barakos, co-owner and distiller of Mason Dixon Distillery in Gettysburg lays out the business realities of running a small distillery during a pandemic.

Barakos describes an October rush of sales but a reality of an early November of slump. So in order to get some more money coming in, he is planning on offering more whiskey and at a lower price than ever before.

Mason Dixon’s batch #7 of C. S. Reaser’s Special Bourbon is on sale today at the distillery and available for delivery across the state of Pennsylvania for a flat rate of $10. Mason Dixon’s bourbon has been consistently priced at $95 a bottle, but batch #7 will be $80 for one 110.8 proof bottle, two bottles for $140.

This bourbon will be unique in that it is made up of six types of Pennsylvania grain. Barakos blended three full-size barrels, including one made of malted bloody butcher corn. The bourbon is described as having caramel and toffee on the nose. “Candied spice on the tongue, perfect mouthful, and a beautiful lingering finish that makes you want to come back for another sip again and again.”

Mason Dixon Distillery is open for dining and drinks including in their tented and heated courtyard. The distillery also offers to-go ordering and curbside pickup.

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!”

Wigle Opens New Pop-Up Location

Wigle Whiskey opening at Bakery Square

Wigle Whiskey and its affiliated Threadbare Cider are opening a holiday pop-up location in Bakery Square.

The pop-up is located between Anthropologie and Free People stores in the Pittsburgh lifestyle center that also features Google’s Pittsburgh offices. The shop will offer bottle sales of both Wigle spirits and Threadbare ciders.

The grand opening celebration is set for Friday, October 2nd from 10 am to 6 pm with two dollar discounts on Wigle’s Cinnamon Whiskey and Threadbare’s Sweet Peach Cider.

The pop-up will be open Thursday through Saturday, from 10 am to 6 pm.

Accolades: Boyd & Blair’s Potato Vodka Lands at #4 on Ultimate Spirits Challenge List

Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka

Pittsbugh’s Pennsylvania Pure Distillers is celebrating today as its Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka is the number one vodka and number four overall spirit in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge Top 100 Spirits List for 2020. The list is judged by blind panels of experts in multi-stage assessments.

The Challenge includes entries from 45 countries and 96 brands. Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka, which starts with Pennsylvania grown potatoes stood out among brandy, gin, whisk(e)y and other spirits to finish in the top five overall. It was also one of four vodkas in the top 100 and 20 places above the next closest vodka.

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Rowhouse Spirits Plants Roots in Germantown

Rowhouse Distilling up and running in Germantown

Back in February, Dean Browne closed up his Rowhouse Spirits on Frankford Avenue in Kensington. Plan was to get more space to accommodate some new projects and reopen. But plans and 2020? Well yeah, 2020.

Browne has persevered and wound up landing in East Germantown, at 4717 Stenton Avenue. The Philadelphia neighborhood is suddenly attracting exciting businesses as Attic Brewing, Deke’s BBQ and Merzberger’s of Germantown, the re-branded and retail facing Philly Bread, have all opened their doors nearby.

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OK, We Admit It, It’s Pumpkin Season

Maggie's Farm Pumpkin Spiced Coffee

Pumpkin creep is a thing. Pumpkin spiced lattes show up in August now. It feels like every year, pumpkin beers hit shelves earlier. And distilleries aren’t immune to pumpkin season either. And maybe it’s the first weekend of the NFL, or the crispness in the air, but we’re not even that mad about it.

Here are some ways to spice up your fall with pumpkin and PA spirits.

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