Whiskey And History Collide In Vibrant Style Along A Spirited Trail Through The Northeastern US

If you're a whiskey fan, you've likely heard of Kentucky's bourbon trail, but the South isn't the only area where you can plan a trip around historic American spirits. Connecting the cities of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore through the story of the Whiskey Rebellion, one of the very first challenges the United States faced in its nascent post-Revolutionary War years, is the Whiskey Rebellion Trail, a unique way to taste your way through history.

The Whiskey Rebellion Trail chronicles the story of the 1794 rebellion, an uprising that began years earlier after Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton introduced a new tax that was not appreciated by rural whiskey distillers around the country. After many tax collectors were tarred and feathered, a brutal form of humiliation, the conflict came to a head when an organized group of 500 armed men burned the home of a tax inspector, prompting President George Washington to ride for Western Pennsylvania with 13,000 troops. This was intimidating enough to disband the rebellion, and the moment marked the first test of the federal authority of the United States.

The main cities of the trail represent the timeline of the rebellion: The tax was conceived in the historic halls of Philadelphia, the rebellion began near Pittsburgh, it was stopped in Baltimore, and the conflict was resolved in the brand-new capital of Washington, D.C. To commemorate this history, you can pay a visit to prominent distillers in each area and complete your own version of the Whiskey Rebellion Trail.

The Whisky Rebellion Trail was originally launched in 2019 as a collective of over 75 distilleries and museums that tell the history of American Whiskey. Although passes, which once bundled distillery and museum visits, are no longer available online, you can recreate your own version of the trail by visiting some of the best locations on the trail. Two spotlighted distilleries near Philadelphia include Stoll and Wolfe Distillery and Five Saints Distilling, located in the suburbs of Lilitz and Norristown, respectively. In the Pittsburgh area, there are three museums and historical sites, the Whiskey Rebellion Festival hosted by the Bradford House Historical Association, and six distilleries along the trail: absinthe distillers Lawrenceville Distilling Co., Wigle Whiskey, Liberty Pole Spirits, Maggie's Farm, the Burgess & Burgess Distillery, and moonshine distillery Tall Pines. In Baltimore, spotlighted distilleries include Old Line Spirits and McClintock and Tenth Ward distilling companies, which are in Frederick, Maryland. In Washington, D.C., Republic Restoratives, Cotton & Reed, and Don Ciccio & Figli are all included on the trail.

When in Maryland, we also recommend paying a visit to Baltimore Spirits Company, a rye whiskey distillery that offers a Blend Your Own Whiskey Tour Experience. Among other adult-focused activities in Washington, D.C., visit Republic Restoratives Distillery for a woman-owned operation that makes a smooth 100-proof rye whiskey. The main action of the Whiskey Rebellion took place in Pennsylvania, where you can visit the Bradford House, a museum that dives deep into this chapter of history. If the exhibits make you thirsty, you're in luck because Liberty Pole Spirits, a family-owned distillery, is just 15-minute drive away. Both are 45 minutes outside the bustling city of Pittsburgh, where you can do your final tasting at Wigle Whiskey, an award-winning craft whiskey distillery famous nationwide.