So what are your Memorial Day plans like this year? No need to answer, I already know: sitting in the back yard with your immediate family, grilling some burgers, having a few drinks, and complaining about the goddamned coronavirus. Just like us.
You are probably trying to figure out how to make it a little better. Maybe you have stopped by the local beer distributor or supermarket and gotten a case of your favorite beer. But you may be tired of beer and looking to make something a little more adventurous. So why not try something with a bit of the hard stuff in it?
Believe it or not, there are a bunch of distilleries in the Philadelphia area. Like other local businesses, they can use your help right now. Have you tried looking on the PLCB website for anything? You will probably just find their top sellers, which won’t include any PA distilleries. Well, good news. We have put together a list of some local distilleries that make some awesome stuff. Curbside pickup is available from the PLCB – why not give your local store a call and plan a Memorial Day with some delicious mixed drinks made from local distilleries? Or better yet, stop by or order direct from the distillery. Help them out, try something new, and make everyone’s Memorial Day weekend better!
POP’S MCCANN WHISKEY
Pop’s McCann is one of my new favorite whiskeys. It’s a triple distilled Irish whiskey, finished in American oak barrels, before it is bottled in Michigan. It’s got a smooth taste, and goes great in lemon flavored drinks. But I prefer it straight, over some cold whiskey stones. It may not be made in the Philly area, but it is created, owned and promoted by a Philly guy.
Pop’s can be found at most liquor stores in the Philadelphia area. If your local store doesn’t carry it, reach out to them on Facebook, and they will make sure you get directed to one that does. You can also find a bunch of cocktail recipes there.
For Memorial Day, there may not be a better whiskey to drink. Pop’s McCann is built on a love of heritage and family history, making it the perfect drink to raise up a toast to honor your ancestors, forefathers, and all those veterans who gave us the ultimate sacrifice. If you want to raise a toast in a more formal way, check them out on Facebook: the owner will stop by your place and raise a toast to you and whoever you want to remember.
DAD’S HAT
Over the past few years, I have been getting more and more into whiskey. Most people fluctuate between bourbon, Irish whiskey, and scotch. But have you tried rye whiskey? Its spicier than bourbon, and was the go-to whiskey for Pennsylvania, before Prohibition virtually destroyed it. In 2011, Dad’s Hat emerged out of Bristol as the first PA distiller of rye whiskey in over 30 years.
Today, they make five delicious variations of rye whiskey. My favorite is the Straight Rye, which has been aged for four years and made from Pennsylvania grain. Check it out – or choose one you will enjoy! You can probably find some of their stuff at your local store – or order direct from the Dad’s Hat website.
FIVE SAINTS
Five Saints can be found in the historic Humane Fire House in Norristown. We had plans to visit the distillery for a tour right when COVID hit. We have been delayed, but we still have plans to get there once this is over. In the meantime, you can stop by their bottle shop or your local liquor store to try some of their stuff.
They have award winning small batch vodka that I have not tried, and a white whiskey that I am sipping while I write this. But my favorite thing from them is the Tuscan Style Gin. I am normally not a gin fan, but the herbal flavoring of this is fantastic. Facebook and their site offers a few cocktail recipes that I need to try. I also think it would be fantastic with some Bloody Mary mix or V-8 juice. Their website will direct you to liquor stores that carry their product, or you can try calling up for some curbside pickup.
KIKI VODKA
Kristin is sipping a lemon drop cocktail made with Kiki Vodka right now. The corn is distilled six times to make it one of the smoothest vodkas you can try. If you are looking to get some right now – good luck. They have been struggling to keep up with demand for their vodka, especially while they focus on making hand sanitizer. But you can try getting what you can from their distillery in Hatfield, or their vodka bar in Pottstown.
BRANDYWINE BRANCH DISTILLERY
Just before COVID shut the world down, I made an emergency stop to one of our local liquor stores and bought a bottle of their Resurgent Young American bourbon. It is distilled in Kentucky, but gets bottled in Elverson, which is just outside Morgantown. It has a nice peppery / vanilla flavor and is worth getting a bottle or two. But if you are like me, you probably want to try one of their other whiskeys or gins, too. When COVID is over, take a visit to their distillery, and check out some food from their bistro as well! In the meantime, visit their website and order a few bottles – free delivery for Philly area residents!
NEW LIBERTY DISTILLERY
A few years ago, I took a tour of New Liberty with some friends of mine. The distillery is in a pretty cool building – an old stable in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia. Within their walls, they are distilling some great whiskey. Besides bringing back the Kinsey and Maryland Club brands, they also have some of their own whiskey brands – Pennsylvania Dutch Malt, Bloody Butcher Bourbon, and Millstone Rye. I have enjoyed a few of the Kinsey, Maryland Club and Pennsylvania Dutch Malt whiskeys – and can’t wait to try the Bloody Butcher.
PHILADELPHIA DISTILLING
Philadelphia Distilling was the first distillery to open in the state since the end of Prohibition. They opened in an old factory in Northern Liberties in 2005 and have a pretty nice tasting room and gift shop (I may have stopped in after my tour at New Liberty, which is nearby). Blue Coat gin is their signature spirit. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should. You can order online, or get it delivered through their website.
Despite our love for whiskey and other spirits, there are far too many distilleries in the area for us to have tried everything. Here are some other local distilleries to order from and try out. Let us know what you think…we are going to try and check all of these guys out, too!
Stateside Vodka: https://statesidevodka.com/
- Despite the name, they also just released a black label bourbon. You can find them in PA liquor stores, but the distillery also for Delivery & Pick-up at their Philadelphia distillery.
Pollyodd Liquors: https://www.pollyodd.com/?page_id=28
- Pollyodd is a South Philly distiller of Italian style lemoncellos. They currently offer 10 different flavors to choose from. Their website includes a list of PA state stores that sell their product, but not all their flavors can be found in the stores. You can call the shop in South Philly directly for an appointment: 215-271-1161 and try something you want.
Pezone Row Home Grown Cello: https://www.pezonecello.com/
- 11 different cello flavors, some of them seasonal. Usually available at Reading Terminal Market. Their website has a list of state stores that carry their product. Or call them direct at: 215-416-1432
Red Brick Craft Distillery: https://www.redbrickcraftdistillery.com/
- Philadelphia distiller of whiskey and rum. Curbside pickup and delivery available through their website.
Palmer Distilling: http://www.palmerdistilling.com/
- Liberty Gin and Manayunk Moonshine. List of stores carrying their product is available on their website.
Hewn Spirits: http://hewnspirits.com/
- Bucks County distillery for rum and whiskey. Curbside pickup and delivery available.
Bluebird Distilling: https://bluebirddistilling.com/
- Make rum, gin and whiskey. Distillery in Phoenixville is open for daily bottle sales, or call your local liquor store.
Pennsylvania Distilling: http://www.penndistilling.com/
- Gin, rum, vodka, rye whiskey and bourbon made in Malvern. Online ordering is available; or stop in your tasting room to get a bottle.
Boardroom Spirits: https://www.boardroomspirits.com/
- Free hand sanitizer (bring your own container). You can purchase online at their website for pickup from their facility in Lansdale or home delivery. They offer ready made cocktails, as well as a variety of whiskies, rums, and other spirits.
Manatawny Still Works: https://www.manatawnystillworks.com/
- Pottstown Distillery. All orders for gin, whiskey, rum and vodka are online only from their website, with curbside pickup at their distillery.
Faber Distilling: https://www.fabereasydrinking.com/
- Distillery near Quakertown that makes rum, gin and white whiskey. Right now, they are focusing on hand sanitzer. Support that, buy some liquor when this pandemic is over.
1675 Spirits: https://www.1675spirits.com/
- Small batch distillery of vodka and whiskey in Bucks County. Order direct online, or pickup from their distillery in Bensalem.
So enjoy your Memorial Day this weekend. Cookout with your family, enjoy the summer, and support some local businesses that have been hit hard by COVID by purchasing some locally owned and produced spirits.
Let us know what drinks and cocktails you like, and we can compare notes when we finish trying everything, too!
