Wikipedia

Wigle Whiskey

Wigle Whiskey (pronounced "wih-gul"[1]) is an artisan small batch whiskey distillery in the Strip District neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Wigle's whiskeys are the flagship products of the company, which was entirely family owned and operated until 2022, when the company and its sister company Threadbare Cider and Mead was purchased by the Nutting Corporation.[2][3]

Wigle Whiskey
Founded2012
Headquarters
Pittsburgh
Websitehttp://wiglewhiskey.com

History

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Wigle Whiskey Distillery
 
 
Wigle Whiskey Distillery & Tasting Room
Location2401 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Coordinates40°27′16″N 79°58′54″W / 40.454542°N 79.981584°W / 40.454542; -79.981584
Websitewiglewhiskey.com

Wigle began operations in 2011 and opened its doors to the public in March 2012.[4][5] Wigle was the first distillery to open in Pittsburgh since Joseph S. Finch's distillery, located at South Second and McKean streets, closed in the 1920s.[2] At that time, only two other distilleries existed in the rest of Pennsylvania.[6] The founders of Wigle Whiskey were instrumental to the passage of Pennsylvania House Bill 242 in December 2011, establishing a new distillery license allowing craft distilleries to sell their own products onsite, which led to the growth of craft distilleries in Pennsylvania and the ability for Wigle to sell its spirits directly to consumers.[7][5][8]

Wigle was founded by Mark Meyer, Mary Ellen Meyer, Meredith Meyer Grelli, Eric Meyer, Alexander Grelli, and Jeff Meyer. They named the distillery after Philip Wigle, a man convicted of treason in 1794 and sentenced to hang for his actions in the Whiskey Rebellion, wherein Alexander Hamilton levied the first excise tax on whiskey, triggering four years of protests and riots.[2][9] Wigle was one of the Whiskey Rebellion's earliest agitator, culminating in his assault of a Western Pennsylvania district tax collector.[10] George Washington, despite his outrage and contempt for Wigle, later pardoned him, as he feared hanging the rebel would stir a civil war in the young nation.[2][11]

Wigle Whiskey was at the center of the 'Pennsylvania Rye Revival'[12] and the growth of Pittsburgh's whiskey heritage tourism.[13][14][note 1] The distillery offers tours every Saturday and explores the history of the Whiskey Rebellion, as well as the distilling process, Wigle's spirits, and a tasting.[15][16] Founders Mark Meyer and Meredith Meyer Grelli authored The Whiskey Rebellion & the Rebirth of Rye: A Pittsburgh Story, which explores rye's origins and the role Pittsburgh played in its rediscovery, while also providing a guide to making rye whiskey and recipes for cocktails.[17]

Wigle partners with community and non-profit organizations regularly. For example, in 2018, Wigle worked with Pittsburgh's Heinz History Center on a Prohibition Rye whiskey to accompany the museum's "American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition" exhibition.[18] Wigle has also partnered with other museums, including Pittsburgh's Mattress Factory and Carnegie Science Center, Cumberland's Allegheny Museum, and Washington, D.C.'s Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.[5]

Wigle actively supports the development of a Whiskey Rebellion Trail following the Great Allegheny Passage, a trail that extends from Pittsburgh through Southwestern and South Central Pennsylvania and Maryland to Mt. Vernon, home to George Washington's homestead and the distilleries he owned.[5] To this end, Wigle partnered with the Omni Bedford Springs Hotel in Bedford, Pennsylvania, a borough about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh where General Washington led his troops during the Whiskey Rebellion.[5][13] Formerly, Wigle also supported local non-profits with money raised while participating in the Whiskey Rebellion Heritage Festival.[5][19][20]

In 2013, the Meyer family opened a dedicated facility in Spring Garden in Pittsburgh's North Side, the Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse and Garden. A former produce warehouse, the barrelhouse provided a place for tastings and tours up until 2019 with the purchase of the new facility on Smallman Street in the Strip District. The facility formerly hosted weekly bottle labeling parties every Tuesday, where guests could assist in the packaging process in exchange for drink tokens.[21] The barrelhouse now serves as Wigle's storage and distribution center. Wigle also purchased two vacant lots alongside the barrelhouse to develop gardens for herbs and other botanicals used in its spirits.[22]

In April 2017, Wigle opened a craft cocktail bar and bottle shop, the Wigle Whiskey Tasting Room, at the Omni William Penn Hotel; this space closed during the COVID-19 global pandemic.[23][24][25]

Also in 2017, Wigle founders established a craft ciderhouse in Pittsburgh's Spring Garden neighborhood as Wigle Whiskey's sister company responsible for non-spirit alcohol production. Threadbare Cider and Mead serves as an homage to Pittsburgh-native Johnny 'Appleseed' Chapman, who spread apple seeds harvested from the banks of the Monongahela River across Ohio and Indiana, providing new orchards for pioneering Americans. Threadbare produces a variety of ciders and meads, as well as a made-from-scratch pizza kitchen.

In 2018, Wigle opened the Wigle Whiskey Tasting Room and Bottle Shop in Ross Park Mall in Ross Township.[26][27]

In 2019, Wigle opened the Wigle Whiskey Distillery, featuring a state-of-the-art production facility with two German copper stills, craft cocktail bar, farm-to-table restaurant, bottle shop, and two reservable event rooms, in Pittsburgh's Strip District. The Distillery provides more room for tastings, tours, production, events, and community programs.[8][28]

Also in 2019, Wigle worked with Aramark to open a bar and restaurant lounge in the Pittsburgh International Airport in Concourse A.[29]

In 2023, Wigle launched Wigle North Shore, a gastropub concept, in the ground level of PNC Park near the Roberto Clemente Bridge on Pittsburgh's North Shore.

Throughout the year, Wigle supports various farmers markets and other special community festivals and events through pop-up kiosks. During the holiday shopping season, Wigle also provides pop-up kiosks in Pittsburgh's South Hills Village Mall in Upper St. Clair Township and Giant Eagle at Settlers Ridge in Robinson Township.[25]

Process

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Wigle Whiskey production area, prior to expansion

Wigle is a scratch "grain-to-glass" distiller, sourcing nearly all of its ingredients within a 60 mile radius from Pittsburgh, obtaining its grains from nearby farms in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio, and mills, distills, and serves its products on site.[30][6][5][31] The Meyer family worked with the Artisan Distilling Program at Michigan State University throughout the distillery's earliest years.[2]Wigle led a two year study into regional terroir by producing batches of Rye Whiskey from rye grain sourced from farms in Saskatchewan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania.[32] The distillery found differences in the tastes and compounds of the resulting whiskeys that could be traced back to the regional grains used in the distilling process.[33]

Products

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Kilted Rye & Deep Cut

Wigle Whiskey produces Straight Rye Whiskeys, Straight Bourbons, American Wheat Whiskeys, Flavored and Barrel-Finished Whiskeys, Dutch-Style Gins, Rums, Vodkas, Aquavits, Liqueurs, Bitters, and Ready-to-Drink Bottled Cocktails.[34] Wigle's Pennsylvania Straight Bourbon was the first bourbon produced in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in more than 40 years.[35]

In March 2020, Wigle began manufacturing hand sanitizer for Pittsburgh's first responders to help ease coronavirus-induced shortages.[36]

Current Spirits

Whiskeys

Rye Whiskeys

  • Wigle Reserve Pennsylvania Straight Four-Year Rye
  • Wigle Reserve Pennsylvania Straight Four-Year Single Barrel Rye
  • Wigle Reserve Pennsylvania Straight Four-Year Cask Strength Rye
  • Wigle Reserve Pennsylvania Straight Nine-Year Single Barrel Rye**
  • Phil's Shadow Rye Whiskey**

Bourbon Whiskeys

  • Wigle Reserve Pennsylvania Straight Four-Year Bourbon
  • Wigle Reserve Pennsylvania Straight Four-Year Single Barrel Bourbon
  • Wigle Reserve Pennsylvania Straight Four-Year Cask Strength Bourbon
  • Pennsylvania Wapsie Valley Bourbon
  • City of Champions Bourbon
  • Oaked & Ember Smoked Bourbon
  • Oaked & Ember Single Barrel Smoked Bourbon (Ross Park Mall exclusive)**
  • Runner of Steel Bourbon**

American-Style Whiskeys

Flavored Whiskeys

  • Honey Bourbon
  • Cinnamon Whiskey
  • Walkabout Apple Whiskey
  • Afterglow Ginger Whiskey
  • Pennsylvania Peach Whiskey** (collaboration with Tröegs Independent Brewing)

Barrel-Finished Whiskeys

  • Sherry Cask Finished Rye Whiskey
  • Port Cask Finished Rye Whiskey
  • Rum Cask Finished Rye Whiskey
  • Kilted Cask Scotch Finished Rye Whiskey
  • Madeira Cask Finished Bourbon
  • Northern Exposure Maple Syrup Barrel Finished Whiskey**
  • Stout Cask Bourbon** (collaboration with Levity Brewing Company)
  • Shop 412 Honey Cask Rye Whiskey** (Shop 412 exclusive)

Rums, Gins, Vodkas, and Aquavits

Rums

  • Landlocked White Rum
  • Landlocked Spiced Rum
  • Landlocked Oaked Honey Rum

Gins

  • Dutch-Style Gin
  • Barrel-Rested Dutch-Style Gin

Vodkas

  • Smallman Street Vodka
  • Watermelon Spritz Ready-to-Finish Vodka (wholesale exclusive)
  • Cranberry Smash Ready-to-Finish Vodka (wholesale exclusive)

Aquavits

  • Eau de Pickle Aquavit

Specialty Spirits

Liqueurs

  • Apple
  • Limoncello
  • Coffee
  • Spiced**
  • Rhubarb**

Brandys

  • Six-Year Apple Brandy
  • Four-Year Peach Brandy**

Bitters

  • Aromatic
  • Pomander Orange
  • Molé
  • Rosemary Lavender

Ready-to-Drink Bottled Cocktails

  • Rye Old Fashioned
  • Bourbon Old Fashioned
  • Rum Old Fashioned
  • Manhattan
  • Bird-in-Hand Sazerac - soon to be discontinued
  • Saffron Negroni - soon to be discontinued

** denotes seasonal or limited spirits

Discontinued Spirits

  • Pennsylvania Straight Rye
  • Pennsylvania Straight Bourbon
  • Terroir Rye
  • Deep Cut Rye
  • Deep Cut Bottled in Bond Rye
  • Oaxaca Rye
  • Pennsylvania Straight Wheat Whiskey
  • O'Zapft Whiskey
  • Al Centro Whiskey
  • Rivers and Mountains Whiskey
  • Pittsburgh Harvest Whiskey
  • Hopped Whiskey
  • Prohibition Rye
  • Dunder Rum
  • Abajo Rum
  • Trope Vodka
  • Absent Minded Absinthe
  • Ginever Gin
  • Dzinn! Barrel-Rested Gin
  • Maple Liqueur
  • Amaro Vermut
  • Saffron Amaro Vermut
  • Shop412 Mesquite Malt Whiskey

Awards

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Two of Wigle's co-founders, Alex Grelli and Meredith Meyer Grelli, were named James Beard Award Semi-Finalists in 2018 and 2019.[37][38][39][4]

From the American Craft Spirits Association, Wigle has won Best-in-Category for its Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey in 2015, Best-in-Category for its Pennsylvania Straight Wheat Whiskey in 2016, Best-in-Class for its Dutch-Style Gin in 2016 and 2018, Gold for its Pennsylvania Straight Bourbon in 2019, the Innovation Award for its Eau de Pickle Aquavit in 2019, Best-in-Class for its Saffron Amaro in 2020, Best-in-Class for its Amaro Vermut in 2022, and Best-in-Class for its Peach Brandy in 2022.[40]

The Distillery has been recognized as the most awarded craft distillery in the country by the American Craft Spirits Association in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021.[41]

From 2012 through 2022, the Pittsburgh City Paper recognized Wigle Whiskey as Pittsburgh's Best Distillery.[42] Additionally, from 2012 through 2023, Pittsburgh Magazine recognized Wigle Whiskey as Pittsburgh's Best Distillery.[43]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Przybylek (2017) describes how historical views of the Whiskey Rebellion changed over time. Historians and organizers of civic commemorations of the Whiskey Rebellion tended to see rebellion in negative terms up until the 1960s, when progressive historical scholarship produced more positive perspectives on dissent. By 2008, a marketing firm named Brandmill was able to create the "Whiskey Rebellion II" campaign against a drink tax imposed by the Allegheny County government on Pittsburgh area restaurants, taverns, and banquet halls (see Young, Chris (October 25, 2007). "Whiskey Rebellion II". Pittsburgh City Paper. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved January 3, 2019.).

References

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  1. ^ "Wigle Whiskey: Pennsylvania's Rebellious New Spirit". Drink Philly.
  2. ^ a b c d e Toland, Bill (May 22, 2011). "Pittsburgh gets its first distillery since before Prohibition". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
  3. ^ Graver, Kristy (2022-08-11). "Pirates Owner Bob Nutting Purchasing Wigle Whiskey And Threadbare Cider & Mead". Pittsburgh Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  4. ^ a b "American Craft Spirits Association convention visits a growing Pittsburgh scene". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Przybylek, Leslie (2017). "Return of a Rebellious Spirit: Whiskey Distilling and Heritage Tourism in Southwestern Pennsylvania". In Kline, Carol (ed.). Craft Beverages and Tourism, Volume 1: The Rise of Breweries and Distilleries in the United States. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 119–138. ISBN 978-3-319-49851-5.
  6. ^ a b Toland, Bill (May 9, 2012). "Wigle Whiskey, Pittsburgh's first distillery since Prohibition, to open soon". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  7. ^ Ingle, Laura (April 3, 2012). "Pittsburgh, from 'steel city' to 'whiskey town'". Fox News. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Schooley, Tim (January 25, 2019). "Wigle Whiskey commits to Strip with building buy". Pittsburgh Business Times. Pittsburgh, PA.
  9. ^ "Whiskey Rebellion". HISTORY. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  10. ^ Hogeland, William (2006). The Whiskey Rebellion: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and the Frontier Rebels Who Challenged America's Newfound Sovereignty. New York: Scribner. p. 238. ISBN 0-7432-5490-2.
  11. ^ "Whiskey Rebellion | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  12. ^ Thomas, Richard (March 19, 2018). "The Pennsylvania Rye Revival". whiskeyreviewer.com. Black Gold Media. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  13. ^ a b Brown, Ryan (February 6, 2016). "'Whiskey Rebellion' tourism eyed for Pennsylvania county". The (Altoona) Mirror & AP. Altoona, PA. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  14. ^ Curtis, Wayne (April 24, 2017). "America's Oldest Rye Whiskey Is Back from Extinction". Punch. Brooklyn, NY: Punch. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  15. ^ Millman, China (May 9, 2012). "Wigle Distillery offers tours of their Strip District operation". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  16. ^ Walls, Kathleen (2016). "Bourbon: It's not just from Kentucky". American Roads and Global Highways. Middleburg, FL: ARGH. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  17. ^ Meyer, Mark; Grelli, Meredith Meyer (2017). The Whiskey Rebellion and The Rebirth of Rye: A Pittsburgh Story. Belt. ISBN 978-0-9989041-6-0.
  18. ^ Harrop, Joanne Klimovich (February 22, 2018). "Cheers to Wigle Whiskey's Prohibition Rye". Trib. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  19. ^ "Wigle Whiskey Hosting Tar & Feather Party". KDKA Pittsburgh (CBS television news). Pittsburgh, PA. June 20, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  20. ^ Booth, Katie (July 3, 2014). "Who Wants to Tar-and-Feather a Tax Collector?". Pittsburgh Magazine. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  21. ^ roxyru92 (2014-03-26). "Wigle Whiskey". Pittsburgh Bucket List. Retrieved 2019-01-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Cercone, Jason (June 22, 2017). "SESSIONABLE: Wigle Whiskey Barrelhouse and Whiskey Garden". Local Pittsburgh (Magazine). Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  23. ^ Roberts, Larry (April 21, 2017). "Wigle opens shop in Omni William Penn lobby". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  24. ^ Omni William Penn Hotel (advert). "Whiskey: Pittsburgh's fourth river". Washington Post. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  25. ^ a b Kristy, Locklin (November 14, 2018). "Wigle Whiskey's new tasting room brings craft cocktails and bottle sales to Ross Park Mall". NEXTpittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  26. ^ Locklin, Kristy (2018-11-14). "Wigle Whiskey's new tasting room brings craft cocktails and bottle sales to Ross Park Mall". NEXTpittsburgh. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  27. ^ "Wigle Whiskey to open shop in Ross Park Mall | TribLIVE". triblive.com. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  28. ^ Batz, Bob (January 25, 2019). "Wigle Whiskey to expand so it can make and serve more booze". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  29. ^ Locklin, Kristy (2019-06-04). "Wigle Whiskey opens bar, restaurant at Pittsburgh International Airport". TribLIVE.com. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  30. ^ Rhoades, Liz (2018-03-22). "Grain to Glass: A Technical Overview of the Whiskey Making Process". The Whiskey Wash. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
  31. ^ "Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey". flaviar.com. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  32. ^ Risen, Clay (2018-08-21). "Can Liquor Have a Local Taste? They're Banking on It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  33. ^ Risen, Clay (2018-08-21). "Can Liquor Have a Local Taste? They're Banking on It". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  34. ^ "Wigle spirits". wiglewhiskey.com. Wigle Whiskey. 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  35. ^ "Expert Liquor Reviews, Track Your Liquor Collection". Distiller. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  36. ^ Machosky, Michael (April 6, 2020). "How Pittsburgh companies are pivoting to face the coronavirus crisis". Nextpittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  37. ^ Cioletti, Jeff (2018-02-22). "Wigle Whiskey co-founders named James Beard Award semi-finalists". Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  38. ^ Davis, Kathleen J. "Pittsburgh Chefs And Restaurants Among Semifinalists For 2018 James Beard Awards". www.wesa.fm. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  39. ^ "The 2018 James Beard Award Semifinalists". James Beard Foundation. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  40. ^ "Hometown distilleries win some American Craft Spirits Association bling". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  41. ^ Batz, Bob Jr (March 7, 2018). "Hometown distilleries win some American Craft Spirits Association bling". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  42. ^ Submitted, Reader. "Best of Pittsburgh 2022: Food and Drink winners". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 2024-11-23. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  43. ^ Readers, P. M. (2023-06-21). "2023 Readers' Poll Winners: Drinks & Beverages". Pittsburgh Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
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