West Overton Village continues to preserve Pennsylvania's rich whiskey history
SCOTTDALE, Pa. (KDKA) -- The West Overton Village historic site in Westmoreland County is popular for anyone looking to journey back to the industrial past of southwestern Pennsylvania.
Many things have been brewing here over the last few years in terms of preserving Pennsylvania's rich whiskey heritage and tradition.
A heritage that some assume left our state after the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794. Not so, says Co-Executive Director of West Overton Village Aaron Hollis.
"We sort of have a bit of a chip on our shoulder," said Hollis. "Because anytime we hear people talk about bourbon, especially here in Pennsylvania, just thinking of that as 'America's whiskey,' we're like, 'Hey, wait a minute, before that, there was this.'"
It all goes back to Abraham Overholt, whose family started distilling rye whiskey in the early 1800s.
Other than a stoppage in production during prohibition, a variety of Overholt Whiskey is still being made today by Suntory Global Spirts, and it's that company that has sponsored the new James B. Beam Pennsylvania Whiskey Heritage Center at West Overton Village.
The center houses the largest publicly displayed collection of Pennsylvania whiskey history in the world.
"You can see a wall of about 270 whiskey bottles, all from Pennsylvania distilleries," said Hollis. "There are labels, crates, glasses, all kinds of advertisements, artifacts that we hope can help visitors appreciate the scale of this industry that has largely been forgotten."
If you want to get a little more hands-on with your learning, you can check out the Overholt Stateroom, a vintage, whiskey-inspired lounge that's used for special events, or you could cross the street and go to West Overton's distillery.
"I joke that it's the smallest distillery you'll ever see that's not at home on your stove," said Hollis. "It is a 50-gallon pot still, and our main objective is to teach people some of the history we are talking about. Visitors can go in there [and] they can taste our whiskey. They can buy a bottle, enjoy a cocktail, and during special events and tours, they can learn more about the history and science of whiskey in western Pennsylvania."
West Overton Village and the Whiskey Heritage Center are open from now through the end of October from Thursdays through Sundays.
For more information on this historic site, click here.