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| - Did you know that American Whiskey was born in Pittsburgh? Neither did we until we discovered Wigle Distillery in the Strip District. It is such an amazing place, which makes for a great story- so here it goes. During the 1700's and 1800's, Pittsburgh was THE place to get proper whiskey. At its pinnacle, Western PA had over 4,000 documented stills. Now, Wigle Whiskey is the only whiskey distillery in our region. To be honest, I'm okay with those odds. Why? Because Wigle Distillery has the tastiest spirits the world has ever known. There's something in that Pittsburgh water...
Wigle opened its doors in March, 2012. The distillery is named after the good-natured man Phillip Wigle, who was sentenced to hang for his love of whiskey. He inadvertently triggered the Whiskey Rebellion, a fight against the taxation of whiskey. If you haven't noticed this yet, make sure you check out their logo, you'll see that the g is being hanged. Also, you may wonder if the name is pronounced "wIggle" or "wiggle"- the owners say "wiggle"- so we are sticking with that. Plus, it just sounds like a good ol' time. Wigle. Fun right?
Wigle Distillery makes lots of delicious spirits: White Whiskey, White Rye Whiskey, White Wheat Whiskey, Aged Whiskey, Gin, and Rum. They are making these fine spirits just like the distillers did back in their heyday; with local ingredients and a copper pot. Also, if you are into aging your own whiskey, they have a kit for that, n'at. Those crafty distillers have also made their own line of bitters: Organic Aromatic and Organic Rosemary Lavender. Also, they are in the works for developing more bitters including a spicy chocolate mole and a bitter orange. We got the opportunity to sample them-completely amazing.
Their "unaged" or "unoaked" whiskey is bottled right out of the stills. You'll notice that the liquid is clear. Their aged whiskey sleeps peacefully in their 53 gallon handmade wooden barrels for months at a time. During the aging process, the whiskey moves in and out of the wooden barrels and extracts the tannin and vanillins out of the wood. This process aids in the creation of the unique flavor and beautiful amber color found in Wigle's aged whiskey. Wigle recently purchased a barrelhouse in the North Side to accommodate the growing demand of all of those wonderful, drunken capsules.
We are so fortunate to have a craft distillery here right in the 'burgh. Wigle is one of a few craft distilleries in the United States that produces every one of their products from scratch. They only use fresh and local organic grain. The owners are so committed to freshness that they only mill the grains onsite that same day when they are ready to make one of their signature "batches".
Meredith gave us a really insightful and entertaining tour of the place. Then, she introduced us to her husband, Alex Grelli, and her father Mark Meyer while they were in the midsts of distilling one of their coveted spirits. This establishment is truly a family affair. The idea of a distillery in Pittsburgh came about during a trip to Canada. Meredith's family had visited several wineries and really fell in love with that culture and atmosphere. They wanted to create that same environment here in Pittsburgh and before you know it...Meredith's brother Eric, mother Mary Ellen, and father Mark all shared in her and Alex's vision of bringing a craft whiskey distillery back to its birthplace. And it has been magic ever since.
If you ever have an opportunity to visit Wigle Distillery- please do it! We believe in Wigle Distillery. We believe that they have embraced the creativity and sense of community that Pittsburgh is well known for. Great lengths are taken to support regional farmers by using only local and fresh ingredients. They aren't here just to sell whiskey, they are here to educate, serve, and inspire fellow Pittsburghers. Thank you Wigle for bringing craft whiskey distilling back to its birthplace. Cheers to you Wigle!
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