-Courtesy of Punch Media
September is National Bourbon Heritage Month! Find out where to grab a drink and celebrate some of Pennsylvania’s homegrown brands that continue to innovate the category while honoring the state’s historical ties to agriculture and spirits production.
New Liberty Distillery
1431 Cadwallader St, Philadelphia PA | 267.928.4650 | www.newlibertydistillery.com
Rob Cassell, Master Distiller at New Liberty Distillery, the South Kensington craft distillery and home to spirit lines including the now-revived heritage Kinsey brand, is working to bring Pennsylvania back to the forefront of bourbon and whiskey prominence with Bloody Butcher Bourbon, the celebrated, history-rich bourbon made exclusively with PA heirloom corn and heritage grains, and Kinsey Bourbon, a beloved statewide staple and historic brand with roots in Pennsylvania whiskey dating back to 1892.
Inside the recently renovated, hardwood-and-leather adorned third-floor tasting room, New Liberty Distillery offers visitors a historically-minded introduction to the history of American spirits through tastings of premium spirits such as Bloody Butcher Bourbon, made with heritage grains including bright-red Pennsylvania corn varietals, Kinsey Bourbon, and other variations such as Kinsey Moscatel Cask Bourbon. Plus: Every Saturday, distillery experts host tours and tastings for groups of up to ten – All details here.
In the early 1800s, European settlers in the southern United States blended their corn with a native variety. The result was Bloody Butcher corn: instantly recognizable for its striking deep red kernels and legendary fruity, buttery flavor. Unsuitable for industrial scale farming, this heirloom variety is grown by only a few farmers. New Liberty Bloody Butcher Bourbon celebrates our nation’s early agricultural heritage with the use of these low-yielding kernels and local PA ingredients; incorporating Bloody Butcher corn sourced from Castle Valley Mill in Doylestown, PA, just 25 miles from New Liberty Distillery, and combined with malted rye and barley from Deer Creek Malthouse.
Tasting room hours of operation: Thursday from 5 – 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 5 – 11pm, Sunday 2 – 6 pm.
Bluebird Distilling
100 Bridge St, Phoenixville PA | 610.933.7827 | www.bluebirddistilling.com
Phoenixville’s award-winning grain-to-glass distillery, is perhaps best known for its signature Four Grain Bourbon, a bourbon uniquely crafted with red winter wheat, rye, corn, and barley, as opposed to most bourbons that only contain three grains. The Phoenixville distillery makes for an ideal spot for bourbon-lovers to sit, sip and savor four types of bourbon and eight types of whiskey to celebrate National Bourbon Heritage Month.
Bluebird Distilling houses a stacked bottle shop that features their full catalogue of award-winning spirits, including the signature Four Grain Bourbon, twice-aged Double Barrel Bourbon, limited new release Four Grain Bourbon Finished in Jamaican Rum Barrels, and Four Grain Bourbon Barrel Strength – 7 Years Old, the distillery’s oldest and highest-proof spirit to date, aged for seven years and ringing in at a whopping 112 proof — and much more. All spirits are available for purchase in the bottle shop, along with merch like branded baseball caps, tees, hoodies, and more – Bottles are also available for purchase at Bluebird Distilling’s sister store, Char & Stave, Bluebird Distilling’s coffee roastery and Ardmore’s full-service café-by-day and cocktail bar-by-night, marked by the slogan “coffee made by whiskey people”.
The full catalogue of Bluebird Distilling spirits is available online here to ship across the state of Pennsylvania and nationwide.
Cocktail service hours are Monday through Tuesday 4 – 11pm, Wednesday through Thursday 4pm – 12am, Friday through Saturday 1pm – 12am, Sunday 1 – 11pm. Bottle shop hours: 1 – 11 pm daily.
Char & Stave
21 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore PA | www.charandstave.com
Bluebird Distilling’s coffee roastery and Ardmore’s full-service café by day, cocktail bar at night, stocks bevy of spirits from sister distillery Bluebird Distilling, including Four Grain Bourbon, White Rye Whiskey, Phoenixville Whiskey, American Whiskey, and more, that make the perfect addition to any bar cart during National Bourbon Heritage Month (and beyond). Self-proclaimed bourbon nerds will savor Char & Stave’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee Beans, ideal for brewing a cup of morning joe or crafting a buzz-worthy cocktail inspired by Char & Stave’s signature cocktails.
During Char & Stave’s Happy Hour (Monday – Friday, 4-6 pm) guests can enjoy special rates on libations like the Ardmore Old Fashioned ($8 during happy hour), made with House Old Fashioned, Four Grain Bourbon, Light Roast Liqueur, bitters blend, and citrus peels, as well as discounted Flights ($7), featuring six ¼ oz. pours of any Bluebird Distilling spirit.
Hours of operation: Monday through Thursday 7am – 11pm, Friday 7am – 12am, Saturday 8am – 12am, Sunday 8am – 11pm
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