Wigle Whiskey and the Whiskey Rebellion
Wigle Whiskey and the Whiskey Rebellion
2401 Smallman Street in the Strip District. Pittsburgh's first distillery since Prohibition, named for the farmer whose arrest for refusing the whiskey tax helped spark the 1791 Whiskey Rebellion. Tasting room in a converted warehouse, stills visible through glass walls.
The Organic Pennsylvania Rye is spicy and clean — rye the way it was made before bourbon took over. The Ginever (Dutch-style barrel-aged gin) and seasonal fruit liqueurs are worth the trip alone. The Strip District around Wigle is Pittsburgh's food heart: Penn Mac sells cheese by the pound, Primanti Bros. (the original) puts coleslaw and fries inside the sandwich.
Book the distillery tour ($15 with tastings). You'll leave understanding why Pittsburgh considers whiskey heritage as important as steel — and more fun.
