Pennsylvania’s Second Whiskey Rebellion

The Fighter
Philadelphia Distilling
products: Bluecoat gin, Penn 1681 vodka, Vieux Carré absinthe, XXX Shine, The Bay // It took almost six years of lobbying and fighting to make Philadelphia Distilling legal. But when the company eventually won, it got to open the first (legal) micro-distillery in Pennsylvania since Prohibition. The prize for that? A Pennsylvania limited distillery license with the code “001.”

The Purists
Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries
products: Boyd & Blair potato vodka // The Whiskey Rebellion might be the pride of Western Pennsylvania micro-distilling enthusiasts, but the browns and the ’shine aren’t the only liquors being produced there. Owners William Blair and James Boyd Rafferty went the potato vodka route for their eponymous liquor, which recently earned a five-star rating from Spirits Journal.