At Pittsburgh International Airport, the outpost of Wigle Whiskey operates as a full-service bar and restaurant located post-security in Concourse A. Wigle, founded in 2011 as the first distillery in Pittsburgh since Prohibition, produces its spirits from regionally sourced grains and draws its name from Philip Wigle, a figure associated with the 1790s Whiskey Rebellion in Western Pennsylvania. The airport location serves a menu of cocktails made with Wigle’s house spirits, along with beer, cider, and a range of food items including breakfast dishes, flatbreads, and sandwiches. I was here for breakfast and had a perfecfly serviceable bacon, egg & cheese sandwich with home fries. The sandwich came on a standard bun with a folded egg, melted cheese and couple strips of bacon, while the home fries were cubed and griddled with light browning on the edges, served as a straightforward, no-frills side typical of airport breakfast menus. Grade: B

Mountaineer Brothers is a West Virginia-based spirits company founded by Tim Kesecker and Michael Greenblatt.

"Our mission is to craft exceptional, premium spirits that celebrate the beauty, culture, and spirit of West Virginia. At Mountaineer Brothers, we take inspiration from the traditions of tailgating and the camaraderie of game day to create products that reflect the values and heritage of our home state."

The idea for Mountaineer Brothera was born in the iconic Blue Lot, the heart of WVU football tailgating culture. For years, we shared our signature West Virginia Jungle Juice, a bourbon-based cocktail made with apple cider and champagne, with friends and family before every home game. The drink became a beloved tradition in the Blue Lot and sparked countless conversations about creating something truly special for West Virginia. Inspired by those moments, we decided to craft our own bourbon that embodied the spirit of our home state.

The name Mountaineer Brothers is a tribute to our lifelong friends, current and past. The great times we have had together during tailgates and celebrations inspired us to create a brand that honors the brotherhood that we share.

I purchased some Blue Lot Bourbon. Have you tried it yet?

The Hatfield Family Distillery has been making unique blends of moonshines and whiskeys for over 150 years. Their cherished recipes, which have been handed down from father to son, are now made here by Mark Hatfield, the Great Great Grandson of Devil Anse Hatfield. "Our moonshine is made with the exact same recipes that was passed down from Devil Anse Hatfield’s ancestors that was kept secret in the family Bible." In 2014 Mark Hatfield, the Great Great Grandson of Devil Anse, decided to take the once kept family secret and bring the product to the public and let everyone taste the drink that many Hatfields had drank over years dating back to the infamous feud. Moonshine
We proudly distill some of Appalachia's finest moonshine, made using ONLY Hatfield family recipes. Whiskey
Symbolizes a special bond which preserves the Hatfield family’s heritage. Wine Though it may be our moonshine that's famous, we make some mighty fine wines here at our Sweeter Side of the Feud Winery. The Winery
Our Winery and Vineyards
Situated in the picturesque backwoods of Roane County West Virginia, The Sweeter Side of the Feud is a family owned and opereated farm winery which grows 12 different varieties of grapes and most of the fruit which goes into the making of their country wines. The winery itself was renovated from an old 12 stall horse barn which sits on 300+ acres overlooking an 8 acre pond. Stalls that once housed horses, now stores wine. Wines made with 100% real Fruits Our wines feature adorable cartoon caricatures of cute pigs of the Hatfield & McCoy family members from the famous feud on the front label, with a matching description on the back that describes their part in the feud. We use only real fruit and grapes in our wine making because it makes a huge difference in the taste. As our name implies, we specialize in the Sweet and Semi-Sweet wines. Have you been?

Black Draft Farm & Distillery is a lovely agritourism destination that I've seen grow over the years. My first visit was to their home property with a barn in the back.



Now, they have a full-on event venue in Martinsburg that plays host to music, food trucks and more every weekend.



Not only that, but they also began serving their own food - hot dogs. So, I had to check that out. First - a little about their booze.



"Founded in 2014, we joined the growing number of artisans seeking to blend our techniques with the West Virginia traditions of times past. We chose to first produce our First Harvest Moonshine because it reflected our commitment to following generations of folks producing fine corn whiskey right here in West Virginia. Over time, the high quality and explosive popularity of our First Harvest Moonshine inspired us to dream bigger and expand into Bourbon. Water in our area comes from the same type of limestone aquifers that western Kentucky distilling legends use. Naturally, we saw the mineral laden waters Berkeley Springs water as a perfect foundation for producing a great tasting bourbon. The overwhelming demand to our first Straight Bourbon batches proved we had another outstanding product to share with our friends and locals. Over the next 3 years, we added 3 more terrific flavors: Rise & Shine Coffee, White Julep Moonshine, and Black Draft Vodka. Each is perfect for mixing or sipping straight over ice."



And then the hot dogs - pretty simple, to be honest. I think it's more so to just have some in-house snacks. I had mine with ketchup, and there's the option to add chips and a drink.



There was also a food truck set up - Rumsey Food Truck - where I got some additional bites: a pepperoni roll, some eggrolls, and a riblet sandwich using a BBQ sauce made with Black Draft Distillery booze. Love that! 
 

Good food, good drinks, what more could you ask for?



What other food trucks do I need to try next?



Grade: A

Devil's Due Distillery is a Kearneysville distillery specializing in whiskey and moonshine.



I had a quick tasting and snagged a bottle for my bar. While they specialize in whiskey and moonshine, they also have vodka and bourbon. Some of the most exciting options to me include Blackberry Moonshine, Pickle Moonshine, and Peach Moonshine.



But for me, I had to take home a bottle of Mango Moonshine. Next on my list is the raspberry, though. Make sure you stop by to check it out if you haven't yet!

"New Heritage Distilling, LLC focuses on making delicious apple brandy! Distilled from cider provided by our friends at Winchester Ciderworks, we just love the flavor the apples yield once they are distilled and oak treated. We couldn't be happier to be making brandy in Canaan Valley and the beautiful mountains of Tucker County. Following the renovation of an old 1970's gas and service station, the site not only lends itself, but is perfect for distillation. We are in the heart of Davis, WV and sit right on the Blackwater River with gorgeous views."



I was literally driving around the corner in Davis West Virginia when I saw a small sign that said distillery. I followed the sign around back to see New Heritage Distilling. It is like a garage space, but fairly open for its moderate space with samples, merch, and more to check out.



This new-ish distillery is producing apple brandies in a variety of styles and flavors like: VicBob’s Apple Jack, VicBob’s Oaked Apple Brandy, VicBob’s Maple Syrup flavored Brandy. and Maple Syrup Moonshine.



"Our Brandies - We start with fermented cider we get from our friends at Winchester Ciderworks in Winchester, VA, which is about 6.5% ABV. We distill the mash in our 135-gallon column still to get our base, which is our clear Apple Jack. Then, we add that clear brandy with charred white oak spirals into ultrasonic machines, which break down the cellular structure of the wood and infuse that color and flavor in about 3 weeks, to make our Oaked Apple Jack. We take that oaked apple jack, and add a touch of local WV maple syrup to smooth off the burn on the back. The subtle maple flavor is more of an aftertaste in our Maple Syrup Flavored Apple Brandy. Each batch is proofed to 80 proof using limestone spring water we get from our friends at Still Hollow Distillery in Job, WV.

Our Maple Syrup Moonshine - Unlike anything you've tasted before! We ferment local WV maple syrup with yeast, which takes about 2 weeks. Then distill the maple syrup mash, oak that moonshine using the ultrasonic system, and proof it to 80 with the limestone spring water."



VicBob's Apple Jack Brandy - clean & clear apple flavor

VicBob's Oaked Apple Jack Brandy - smooth & oaky with a nice burn clean

VicBob's Maple Syrup Flavored Apple Brandy - not too sweet, easy on the burn

VicBob's Maple Syrup Moonshine - made with Preston County maple syrup



I loved every single one of these. They all deserve a spot on my bar cart. Which ones of you tried?

BootLeg Distilling is a distillery located in Martinsburg - all the way over in the Eastern Panhandle. I was fortunate to stop by to check out their offerings. But first, a little background:

"You can call us the 'farm-to-table' of distilling. We are a family owned and operated distillery created from a pole barn (essentially a steel barn with support poles). This handcrafted facility was constructed by the unique skills and devoted hands of owner/founder Brad Armel. Being nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains allows you to enjoy our spirits in an atmosphere with nature. We pride ourselves on manufacturing quality spirits. We use grains from local farmers, while also using limestone filtered water. This considerably increases the quality of our premium spirits – aged rum, bourbon, and corn whiskey, with moonshine coming soon. Creating a new-school taste for the old-school drink. This taste is developed through filtering and blending all-natural, locally sourced flavor profiles of smooth/sweet aromas. We can’t give it all away online, so come visit us to learn more. Our distinct process is not just a craft, but a passion. It is our pleasure to produce spirits from our distillery for you to enjoy with friends and family at your table or at ours. Brad and Lucia Armel welcome you to BootLeg Distilling. We’re a family business looking to put a smile on people’s faces by sharing our passion of distilling.



They offer rums in unique flavors - like strawberries & lemon and sweet cinnamon. They have corn whiskey and bourbon whiskey. I had to try the sweet cinnamon - because a local version of Fireball sounds delish. And it is! Smooth, spicy and a great base for cocktails.



It deserves a space on my bar cart and on your shelf, too. Have you been yet?

The Bullock Distillery is West Virginia's newest craft distillery, and it's located right in the Elk City neighborhood of Charleston. 



They JUST opened, and I was lucky enough to join a sneak peek before the grand opening with Generation Charleston.



We were able to sample vodka, gin and whiskey. I'm really excited to have a cool local place for young people to visit. They have a small, but beautifully curated, shop of local products, too. 



We took a tour and were able to get an inside look at the production and some ideas for their future direction.



I left with a bottle of whiskey, a small pamphlet book on Appalachian herbs, a local candle, BBQ sauce, and more. 



A really cool place with some strong spirits and great products.



Have you checked it out yet?

Not too long ago, I saw "MannCave Moonshine" in a local store. I saw it was created in West Virginia, so I put it on my list to try as soon as I could.


The Lewis County distillery actually makes three products: whiskey, moonshine and vodka.


And Lisa and I were lucky enough to take a quick tour around the facility to learn more.


Here are some shots from our adventure: