The Broad Ford distillery is located along the Youghiogheny River in Pennsylvania. It was once one of the nation's largest producers of whiskey and had its own company housing.
Broad Ford shut down in 1951, and now its blond brick veneer is collapsing, its interiors are flooded and bedecked with graffiti, and it is a dilapidated building.
Kom Samlenic, an expert in Pennsylvania's distilling history who takes the occasional visitor on unofficial tours around the ruins, said that this is the greatest distillery in the United States.
Old Monongahela whiskey was made by Broad Ford and it was unlike almost all other whiskeys made in America, it did not contain any corn or wheat. Like Broad Ford, the style had its glory days, only to disappear after the end of the 19th century.
As the number of distilleries increases, so does interest in reviving old styles like Old Monongahela, which has not been seen in decades.
There are nearly 50 distilleries in Pennsylvania. Several of them make and serve whiskey and could easily fit into a weekend trip across the state.
During the cocktail craze of the early 20th century, Old Monongahela provided the basis for many of the most popular drinks.
"If you look at the old recipes for the classic cocktails, you know, manhattans, old-fashioneds, Sazeracs, they would often call for rye whiskey."
It was the first major distillery in Pennsylvania in 20 years. Mr. Mihalich was inspired by his childhood when he lived above his family's bar.
Mr. Mihalich and John S. Cooper give some of their whiskey a modern twist by aging it in barrels that used to hold sweet vermouth or port.
New Liberty, which is northeast of downtown Philadelphia, makes a whiskey called Fortunato's Fate, which is similar to the one in The Cask of Amontillado.
Robert said that he didn't want it to be a perfect repeat and that he was taking some inspiration from the past.
The small town of Lititz has a distillery called the Stoll & Wolfe Distillery. The last manager at Michter's, a distillery a few miles north, was one of the founding fathers. Michter's abandoned trademark was acquired by a New York-based company.
After Michter's closed he was so desperate for work that he ended up on a road construction crew. In 2012 he met Eric Wolfe, who was a child when he lived near the Michter's distillery, and they became friends.
You didn't know there was a whiskey tradition when you were a kid.
A nod to the plentiful cornfields around Lititz, Mr. Wolfe said to the Stoll & Wolfe distillery. Farmers who use traditional, sometimes human, or animal- powered machinery to harvest most of the grain that the distillery buys.
Six months before Mr. Stoll died, the company released its first rye.
The area around Lititz was the jumping off point for settlers in the 18th century. They packed barrels of whiskey into their wagons. Whiskey replaced money when hard currency was hard to come by.
Currency was useless when you went to the west or south. Good luck if they had Maryland or Massachusetts dollars.
Philip Wigle was one of the early settlers who found themselves in a conflict with the federal government. The tax on whiskey imposed by George Washington and Alexander Hamilton was a heavy burden on frontier communities.
The Whiskey Rebellion began when settlers in Western Pennsylvania rebelled against the tax. Thousands of troops were sent by Washington to suppress the revolt. The unrest subsided despite the fact that the army arrested many people. The locals hung Hamilton's portrait upside down as a protest. Some people do.
The founder of a distillery in Washington, about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh, said that it will be seen in people's homes. They said that they had Alex upside down all their lives.
The Liberty Pole line of whiskey is made by Ms. Hough and her family, which includes her husband, Jim, and their sons, Kevin and Rob. It is a classic Old Monongahela, grassy and fruity, with a hint of pepper.
The appeal of Old Monongahela is that it grows better in western Pennsylvania than in Kentucky.
The region's history and agricultural bounty led to the opening of a distillery in Pittsburgh in 2012 and the naming of their new whiskey after Philip wigle.
Ms Grelli said they wanted to bring back regional flavor to American whiskey. The first thing we wanted to do was to get to the Old Monongahela rye.
Washington helped forge a regional identity by demonstrating the power of the federal government over the hinterlands. Most of the commercial distilleries in Western Pennsylvania made Old Monongahela.
The whiskey had a strong flavor. Old Monongahela became one of America's dominant spirits at a time when Kentucky whiskey was just starting.
All fountains need to run wine today. Melville wrote in "Moby-Dick" Would it be old Orleans whiskey or old Ohio?
Pennsylvania rye is making a comeback after nearly a century in oblivion.
The Whiskey Rebellion Trail is a group of distilleries and historic sites. An Old Monongahela version of Old Overholt will be released by Beam Suntory this fall.
Abraham Overholt's family founded the huge distillery at Broad Ford but got their start at a different location 40 miles south of Pittsburgh. Mr. Komlenic is helping build out a display on the history of Pennsylvania whiskey.
A small amount of Old Monongahela, distilled and aged in one of the museum's buildings, was released last year. It reflects Pennsylvania's long distilling past and may be its future as well.
Dadshatrye.com is located at Mountain Laurel Spirits Canal Street in Bristol, Pa.
The New Liberty Distillery is located on Cadwallader Street in Philadelphia.
The location of the distillery is 35 North Cedar Street Rear in Lititz, Pa.
The libertypolespirits.com is located at the Mingo Creek Craft Distillers.
There is a wiglewhiskey.com in Pittsburgh.
Westoverton Village is located on West Overton Road in Scottdale, Pa.
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