First legal moonshine distillery opens in Somerset

SOMERSET - Pennsylvania is already known for its role in the Whiskey Rebellion, and nearly 200 years later, Somerset County is bringing moonshine back on the market.

The county's first legal moonshine distillery hosted its grand opening this week. Just along the Mason Dixon Highway, Tall Pines Distillery attracted customers from as far as Florida and New Hampshire this weekend alone.

The owners say they expect to attract even more tourism as their business grows. "People are looking forward to something different, a change. Pennsylvania has worked well with this and it really makes people appreciate new things and having new business in the area. Somerset County hasn't had a lot of things that have been taking place, so this is something new and exciting," said co-owner Keith Welch.

Tall Pines plans to combine the classic process and local history of the Whiskey Rebellion with a new twist. "It's a cross between modern and old. We got the new stainless steel pot still, but we're using some of the older style equipment to give it that same kind of feel," said Welch.

That new "feel" is something the owners combined into the distillery's overall atmosphere and brand, what they call "A Different Class of Hillbilly."

"Our bottles are a little classier. We could have done mason jars, but we're just trying to keep everything at just a little bit better standards maybe, and we kind of liked the phrase 'A Different Kind of Hillbilly," said co-owner Daniel Fay.

They offer samplings and bottles of signature flavors and look to serve cocktails in the near future.

Tall Pines plans to host more events and release many new cocktails throughout this year, including a moonshine margarita.

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