Journey Down The Whiskey Rebellion Trail

Where farmers and the newly-formed U.S. government went head-to-head after the Revolutionary War

When people think of alcohol and the U.S. government, the Prohibition Era comes to mind. But craft distilleries, along with a dozen destination marketing organizations across the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, are looking to change that. Together, they opened the Whiskey Rebellion Trail in July of 2019. Here, visitors learn about the conflict that centered around the first tax placed on a domestic product in the U.S. What’s more, they can enjoy award-winning spirits while they learn.

What Makes the Whiskey Rebellion Trail Unique?

The Kentucky Bourbon Trail gets a lot of love, and deservingly so. But The Whiskey Rebellion Trail allows visitors to experience the true birthplace of American whiskey. Prior to the rise of bourbon, rye whiskey reigned supreme. (Early American settlers grew rye and fermented the excess to give it a longer shelf life and make it easier to transport.)

Not a whiskey fan? No problem. With a wide variety of destinations included, the trail has something for everyone. Sure, rye whiskey is the main player. But each region also includes museums, historical sites, and other spirits to sample and enjoy. Visitors who have been down the KY bourbon trail will also notice the difference in the size of the distilleries. The bourbon trail includes some of the largest distilleries in the world, which produce national brands. Making the trek down the Whiskey Rebellion Trail gives visitors the chance to get their hands on unique bottles and samples from local producers. Many of them are not available in other parts of the country. This creates a truly unique experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. 

The trail connects four major cities: Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. Each of these cities played an important role during the Whiskey Rebellion.

The Order – Philadelphia

Philadelphia was the city where it all began. In 1791, Alexander Hamilton proposed the whiskey excise tax to help pay off federal debt from the Revolutionary War. It didn’t take long for the citizens to respond. Philip Wigle (who we’ll mention again later) set the tone by punching a tax collector. This ignited four years of protests and riots now known as the Whiskey Rebellion.

Notable stops in The Order region include The Museum of the American Revolution and over fifteen distilleries in the Philadelphia area. Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey is a must-visit in this region. It’s a great example of a small craft distillery putting out some amazing bottles that are hard to get your hands on if you live outside of Pennsylvania. In 2020, Whisky magazine named them International Craft Producer of the Year beating out competition from all over the world. More recently, Dad’s Hat Bottled in Bond Straight Rye landed in the 55th spot on Fred Minnick’s “Top American Whiskeys of 2021” list.

The Rebellion – Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania region is home to the annual Whiskey Rebellion Festival. It’s a yearly event held the second weekend of every July. Visitors can also stop by the West Overton Village and Museum. It’s currently an active distillery and was once the home of Overholt whiskey, the largest distillery in the country at that time. Liberty Pole Spirits are also in this region. Other than Dad’s Hat, it is the only distillery on the trail that produced a whiskey included in Fred Minnick’s Top 100. Their peated rye whiskey came in at number 50.

Wigle Whiskey

It would be hard to consider your Whiskey Rebellion tour complete without making a stop at Wigle Whiskey in Pittsburgh. It is the most awarded craft distillery in the United States. It offers not only a wide variety of whiskeys to sample, but also crafts rum, gin, absinthe, and vodka. The distillery is named after the previously mentioned Philip Wigle, arguably the most well-known “rebel” of the time period. Wigle was one of only two men sentenced to death for treason, although he was later pardoned by George Washington himself.

Philip Wigle was an important figure during the rebellion. But the founders of Wigle Whiskey played an equally important role in reviving whiskey in the city of Pittsburgh. It’s hard to believe, but when Wigle Whiskey opened its doors to the public in 2012, it was the first distillery to open in the city of Pittsburgh since the 1920s. Make sure you plan to stock up while visiting. Currently, they are only able to ship bottles to addresses within the state of Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

The Finale – Baltimore

While in Baltimore, you’ll want to stop by the Sagamore Spirit waterfront distillery and sample some of their award-winning whiskey. Their Signature Rye, Cask Strength Rye, and Double Oak Rye also get a lot of love in the online whiskey community. Other distilleries in this region include Baltimore Spirits Company and Old Line Spirits.

The Resolution – Washington D.C.

Visitors to this region can visit the Mount Vernon Estate, home to George Washington who also operated a large distillery on the estate. The distillery has been reconstructed. And whiskey is produced using the same process, equipment, and recipe that George Washington himself used. It’s more than a bit ironic that Washington opened a distillery years after squashing the Whiskey Rebellion. But he was very successful for the time period. Before dying in 1799 he became one of the largest whiskey producers in the U.S. His distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey in 1799 alone.

George Washington's Mount Vernon State

 

Here you can also visit Republic Restoratives, a female-owned distillery started by a former Chief of Staff. They went an alternate route and got the distillery off the ground through a successful crowdfunding campaign. Their offerings include Chapman’s Apple Brandy, fittingly named after Johnny “Appleseed” Chapman.

Experience the trail on your own terms

All four regions of the trail experience have passports that can be purchased (separately or altogether). Once purchased, all passports will be delivered straight to your smartphone. There’s a 30-day window that starts AFTER the pass is first used before it expires.

You can purchase your passports directly from the Whiskey Rebellion Trail website.