North of Philadelphia is suburban Montgomery County, which is the third most populous county in the state after Philadelphia and Allegheny Counties. Though Montgomery County wasn’t established until 1784 from […]
Summer 2016 PA Distillery Tour #3- Triple Sun Spirits in Emmaus, Pa
Some micro-distilleries are more micro than others. Triple Sun Spirits in Emmaus is a recent addition to the Pennsylvania distilling scene that opened on April 22nd. The owner, Kristofer Kwant, […]
“What’s the Point of Micro-Distilleries Anyway?”
A young man asked me, “What’s the point of micro-distilleries, anyway?” The question shocked me, but I had to take a moment to process what the question implied. The expansion […]
Summer 2016 PA Distillery Tour #2- County Seat Spirits in Allentown, Pa
It was a beautiful day to drive into Allentown, Pennsylvania last Saturday. The owners of County Seat Spirits, Anthony Brichta and John Howe, were busy entertaining their visitors and I […]
Summer 2016 PA Distillery Tour #1- Social Still in Bethlehem, Pa
The next few months of my summer will be spent touring Pennsylvanian distilleries. Pennsylvania is one of the fastest growing distilling states in the country, which is exciting for me. […]
Aren’t All Barrels Made From American White Oak?
Someone recently asked me, “Aren’t all barrels made from American white oak?” My answer was “No,” but the elaboration was probably a bit longer than he expected. Most of us […]
Learning From History
I strongly believe that those of us that don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. That goes for ourselves and our nation. The only amendment to the Constitution […]
“Old Hickory” and “The Hickoryites”
Andrew Jackson was an interesting character. He was born to Scots-Irish immigrants (most likely landing first in Philadelphia) somewhere between the border of North and South Carolina in 1767. He […]
Is Beer More Varied Than Whiskey?
Last night I found myself in defense of whiskey! A conversation arose about how much variety exists in whiskey and someone said, ”Beer is much more varied than whiskey…” I […]
Booz and Booze
Where does the word “booze” come from? Let’s look at the hazy origins of the word and what a Philadelphia whiskey retailer may have had to do with “booze” becoming […]