As the birthplace of American Whiskey, southwestern Pennsylvania has a special place in the history of liquor. Monongahela Rye was known around the country in the late 1700s and early 1800s, and generations of locals made spirits with grains grown on our region’s fertile soils.
While the variety of spirits and the technology to produce them has changed, the basic ideas remain the same — and you can get a taste of both the history and modern practices on distillery tours throughout the Pittsburgh area.
Iron City Distilling’s location along the Allegheny River in Creighton. (Zack Durkin / City Cast Pittsburgh)
📍Creighton
💰 $20-$125
Iron City Distilling is located in a beautifully converted boiler room of an 1883 Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company plant, right along the Allegheny River. The tour offers samples of their spirits, plus a delicious treat from their collaboration with Valos Chocolates. As a bonus, you’ll get to walk through Pittsburgh Brewing Company’s facility, also located on the campus.
📍 Strip District
💰 $25
Wigle Whiskey was the first distillery in the Steel City since Prohibition. Go on a tour to get a history lesson on Philip Wigle, one of the ringleaders behind the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1790s. At the end, you’ll get a tasting flight led by your guide, which includes the spicy Straight Rye, sweet Straight Bourbon, Dutch Style Gin (perfect for people who don’t like gin), and the vanilla-forward Spiced Rum.
McLaughlin Distillery owner Kim McLaughlin pouring samples of Cask Strength Baby Barrel Bourbon directly from a barrel. (Zack Durkin / City Cast Pittsburgh)
📍Sewickley Hills
💰 $10
This small facility specializes in bourbons and flavored moonshines, demonstrating what a family operation can do with a little ingenuity and know-how. My tour, led by McLaughlin’s owner Kim, was filled with insight into the distilling process (and more than a few jokes). Get a look at how the oak barrels are made onsite, and make your pick from more than 40 products to taste test on tour.
📍 Upper St. Clair
💰 $33.85
While whiskey is the spirit commonly associated with our region, rum was the drink of choice in the 1600s and 1700s and played a large role in the colonial economy. Get a taste of the history on a tour of Maggie’s Farm in Upper St. Clair, where you’ll get a special cocktail and a Glencairn tasting glass. Want more? Visit the on-site bar and restaurant for a refreshing house daiquiri or mai tai.
Stills inside of Liberty Pole Spirits. (Zack Durkin / City Cast Pittsburgh)
📍 Washington, Washington County
💰 $25-$125
It’s worth a drive south of Pittsburgh to try Liberty Pole Spirits’ ryes and bourbons inside their charming restaurant and bar, modeled after an 18th century roadhouse. Take a tour to see inside their modern production facility and barrel house, and get a special tasting at the distiller’s table.
📍 East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County
💰 Free-$18
West Overton Village is more than a distillery; it’s a historic site and museum that documents the Industrial Revolution — specifically focusing on the Overholt family, who transformed their farm into a manufacturing center in the 1800s. Explore the historic homestead (which was also the birthplace of Henry Clay Frick), and visit their educational distillery to learn about traditional whiskey making and sip on a classic Monongahela rye.
