Wigle Whiskey on a Night the Barley Speaks

Wigle Whiskey on a Night the Barley Speaks

Wigle Whiskey at 2401 Smallman Street in the Strip District is Pittsburgh's first distillery since Prohibition, named after Philip Wigle, the farmer whose arrest for refusing to pay the federal whiskey tax in 1791 helped spark the Whiskey Rebellion. The tasting room is brick-and-copper in a converted warehouse where the stills are visible through glass walls and the whiskey is poured with educational enthusiasm.

The flagship Organic Pennsylvania Rye is spicy and clean -- rye whiskey the way it was made before bourbon took over, with a bite that reminds you Pennsylvania was the whiskey capital of America before Kentucky claimed the title. The Ginever (a Dutch-style gin aged in barrels) and the seasonal fruit liqueurs are worth the visit on their own.

The Strip District around Wigle is Pittsburgh's food heart -- Penn Mac sells cheese and pasta by the pound, Primanti Bros. (the original) puts coleslaw and french fries inside the sandwich, and the Saturday morning produce vendors line Smallman Street with tables of fruit, bread, and Eastern European specialties.

Insider tip: Book the distillery tour ($15, includes tastings). You will leave with a better understanding of why Pittsburgh considers its whiskey heritage as important as its steel heritage -- and possibly more fun.