Category: History

West Overton Whiskey Smash

stollandwolfe
West Overton Whiskey Smash Logo

Visit Stoll and Wolfe on November 16th at the 2019 West Overton Whiskey Smash. We’ll be on hand pouring our award winning whiskeys and talking Pennsylvania Whiskey past, present and future.

We’ll also be donating 1 of 50 bottles released of Stoll & Wolfe Un Aged Rosen Rye. Signed by Master Distiller Dick Stoll, this bottling is the first Rosen Rye sold in Pennsylvania in nearly 50yrs.

From the Whiskey Smash Site:

“Bring your love of whiskey and join us for our 5th annual Whiskey Smash on Saturday, November 16th. The Whiskey Smash celebrates local craft distilleries and the re-surging popularity craft whiskey and distilled products. As our signature annual event, The Whiskey Smash, provides for ongoing preservation and interpretation efforts.

Distillers and representatives from Barrel 21 Distillery, Dad’s Hat Rye, Liberty Pole Spirits, Red Pump Spirits, Stoll & Wolfe Distillery, and Tall Pines Distillery will be stationed throughout the museum sharing and discussing their products with attendees. Light fare, desserts, cocktails and beverages are included with admission. Live music from tribute vocalist Janie Poole will entertain with standards ranging from Patsy Cline to Motown Hits.  Join us learn about distilling and sample various whiskeys and spirits. This an evening you won’t forget!“

To learn more about the event and purchase tickets click here.

Dick Stoll Distills Rosen Rye

stollandwolfe

Column still churning away as Dick Stoll distills Rosen Rye for 1st time in 50 years at Stoll and Wolfe Distillery. Learn more about the journey from 5ozs of seed to 500lbs of grain here.

Dick Stoll distills Rosen Rye Whiskey for first time in 50 years at Stoll and Wolfe.

Thank you to everyone including Delaware Valley Fields Foundation‘s SeedSpark Campign, the Agriculture Department of Penn State University, the many Pennsylvania Farmers who turned 5ozs of seed into 500lbs over 4 years, and team of friends/colleagues who’ve shared so freely of themselves and their knowledge.

PENNSYLVANIA WHISKEY BLOG: 1st BATCH OF ROSEN RYE IN DECADES.

“American whiskey nerds rejoice- Stoll & Wolfe Distillery in Lititz, PA has done a thing. A big thing. One of the amazing and unique things about the rye whiskey that was distilled in Pennsylvania is that much of it was made with a variety of rye called Rosen rye. On the earliest Michter’s jugs, it was even specifically called out as the variety of grain used to produce the Michter’s Pot Still Whiskey.”  Read the full post.

FERMENTED ADVENTURE: HISTORY IN THE DISTILLING

“Dick Stoll was the last man to distill Rosen rye into whiskey at Michter’s Distillery in Schaefferstown, Pa. Liquid began to flow into the still and Dick looked on with a very watchful eye. It was an emotional moment for Erik Wolfe as he explained the process of what was about to take place in the distillation. Finally, all of the hard work and preparation would become a reality.” Read the full post.

Mashing Rosen Rye

stollandwolfe

Dick Stoll’s First Rosen Rye Mash in 50 Years

At 9am this morning Dick Stoll opened the steam valve heating Rosen Rye mash for the first time in 50 years. Thank you to everyone who came out to witness the occasion. Now the mash is cooked and cooled, yeast is pitched and fermentation is bubbling away.

Dick Stoll mashes Rosen Rye Whiskey at Stoll and Wolfe Distillery.
Dick Stoll inspects Rosen Rye Mash at Stoll and Wolfe.

The project is made possible through tireless efforts by Delaware Valley Fields Foundation’s SeedSpark Campaign and the Agricultural Department at Penn State University in State College, PA. We’re thankful to be involved in such a historic project and appreciate their years of hard work and dedication to returning Rosen Rye to Pennsylvania.

Started in 2015 with only 5 ozs of grain sourced from the USDA, after four harvests there’s enough grain to spare 500lbs for distillation while ensuring enough seed for next year’s crop.

2019 Whiskey Rebellion – Recap.

stollandwolfe

Thank you to everyone who braved the July heat and stopped by the inaugural Whiskey Rebellion Whiskey Tasting Tour in Washington, PA.

Always a pleasure to help celebrate 225 years of Pennsylvania Whiskey History while raising money for The Bradford House Historical Association.

Stoll and Wolfe Rye Whiskey and Stoll and Wolfe Bourbon Whiskey bottles on display at the Whiskey Rebellion Festival.
David Bradford House Donation Sign at 2019 Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington Pennsylvania.

Thank you to Liberty Pole Spirits family for inviting us to be a part of such a fun event and to Countryside Frame Shop for your hospitality. Rumor has it, plans are already in the works for next year’s festivities.

Whiskey Rebellion Festival

stollandwolfe

If you’re a fan of American History, American Whiskey or a bit of both, visit Stoll & Wolfe at the upcoming Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington, PA. We’ll be on hand Saturday July 14th from 12-4pm to pour samples, and talk PA and Lancaster County Whiskey History. We’ll also have bottles of our Bourbon & Rye Whiskey for sale at the event.

“While the Whiskey Rebellion may be 225 years ago in history, whiskey distillers from across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are once again rallying together in Washington Pennsylvania this summer at the 10th Annual Whiskey Rebellion Festival. 

This year’s festival will highlight the craft distilling movement which is booming across the state. More than a dozen Pennsylvania distillers will be paired with local shops in and around the festival grounds along Main Street in Washington PA.

Participants will receive a souvenir sampling glass and distillery locator map at the check-in point before exploring the festival grounds and the National Road Historic Corridor.”

To Learn More and Purchase Tickets Visit their Site Here.

DICK STOLL AT AMERICAN WHISKEY CONVENTION

stollandwolfe

Join us Friday, April 5th 2019 for the American Whiskey Convention hosted by the Delaware Valley Fields Association at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology. We’ll be on hand to pour our award winning Bourbon & Rye Whiskeys. Legendary Master Pennsylvania Distiller Dick Stoll will be there to talk PA Whiskey Past, Present and Future.

Click Here for More Information and to Purchase Tickets.

From their site:

“Mr. Stoll is the last member of a near extinguished legacy of distillers pre-dating the country itself; representing generations of dedication, commitment and skill hand crafting Pennsylvania Whiskey. 
Mr. Stoll began his distilling career in 1955 as a laborer and worked his way up to his role as master distiller of Pennsylvania’s Michter’s Distillery.
Trained by C Everett Beam in both the Beam Family and Historical Pennsylvania Style, Dick served as both Master Distiller and unofficial steward of Pennsylvania-made whiskey. He is also, notably, the distiller behind the famed and highly collectible A.H. Hirsch Bourbon.”

“The American Whiskey Convention is an annual event, hosted by the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation, where you’ll interact with whiskey experts, distillers, maltsters and farmers. Each year, we create an event that celebrates American-made products and the men and women that craft them. We aim to educate and entertain our guests with exciting event venues, interactive displays, expert whiskey vendors, custom catering, and educational forums. Our guests participate in a grand tasting event, enjoy tailored items, accessories, straight-edge shaves, handmade luxury goods, jewelry and more. All of this takes place within the city of Philadelphia, a city rich with American whiskey history. We have returned whiskey to the state of Pennsylvania where American rye whiskey was born.” Follow links for more on the American Whiskey Convention and the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation.

Lancaster Pennsylvania Whiskey Past, Present and Future

stollandwolfe
Pre Prohibition Grain Ledger from Historic Bomberger’s Distillery. 
Photo by Jordan Bush from December 2018 Issue of Lancaster County Magazine

“Whether or not you’re a whiskey drinker, it’s difficult to imagine Lancaster’s countryside filled with rye fields and dotted with distilleries. Such a scenario existed during the 18th and early 19th centuries. According to an article read before the Lancaster County Historical Society in the 1920s, 183 distilleries had existed in Lancaster County in 1813. Twenty-seven years later, just ahead of the temperance movement and the Civil War, the county total fell to 102 distilleries (along with 135 grist mills and eight breweries).

A Perfect Recipe

What was the reason behind the proliferation of distilleries? A need grew out an abundance of rye grain harvested across the region’s farmlands. A surplus of rye could fall plague to ergot mold, a hallucinogenic, which some theorize spurred on the Salem Witch Trials. Rather than let crops go to waste, farmers could preserve their rye yield and turn it into a tradable commodity, a currency by the gallon or barrel.”

Click here to read the full article on the Lancaster County Magazine Site.

Boehm Transitions to Beam

“If I may interject a bit of foreshadowing before we temporarily depart from the subject of Kentucky, it’s of note that many early frontier-bound settlers traveled through Pennsylvania. Jacob Boehm was one of them, emigrating from Germany in 1740 to what is now Berks County, which was once a part of Lancaster County. The Boehm family owned land purchased from William Penn in Willow Street, where the Boehm Chapel stands to this day. The family name later changed to one you may find more familiar, “Beam,” which we see today on thousands of bourbon bottles from Kentucky. In 1788, Jacob moved to Kentucky ahead of a legal revolution in the distilling community.”

Click here to read the full article on the Lancaster County Magazine Site.


Kindred Spirits Talk

stollandwolfeLeave a comment

Learn about 250+ years of local whiskey making tradition with Stoll & Wolfe’s very own Jim Wolfe.

Discover more about the people, places and products behind our local whiskey history and find out why the National Register of Historic Places recognizes our area as the birthplace of the American Whiskey Industry.

Have a historical item (bottle, book, photo, etc.) you’d like to share? Stop on by. Admission is Free.Copy of Untitled.png

Eby’s Mill

stollandwolfeLeave a comment

Our Distillery and Tasting Room is located in a renovated grain mill built in the mid 1850’s by Amos Bomberger. Located in historic Lititz, PA and surrounded by Lancaster County farmland, the mill’s location adjacent to now unused railroad tracks stands as a reminder of the large amounts of grain exported.

The mill changed hands several times operating as a bakery, feed store, and paint shop just to name a few.

During renovations we uncovered a small room under the Tasting Room with a ladder and a hoist. Seems like the mill used the space to store molasses before mixing into livestock feed. Since there was no refrigeration and locally we maintain a constant below ground temp of mid 50’s, it was an efficient way to keep the molasses cool and prolong spoilage.

Below is a blank receipt from the last owner of the mill, Elmer Eby. Very thankful to have purchased the receipt, returning it home and adding it to our collection.

IMG_0199

Horting’s Rye Whiskey

stollandwolfeLeave a comment

Horting’s Rye Whiskey, distilled by John C. Horting less than a mile from our Tasting Room in Lititz prior to Prohibition. Although distilled here in Lititz, much of the whiskey was sold via retail in Lancaster City (as indicated by the label and link below). For Lancaster County residents, the building is the current home to M&E Roofing located behind The Gatehouse.

Bricks from the distillery where Horting distilled now support our back bar and a portion of our whiskey still. Happy to add this one to the collection and can only hope one of our bottles brings so much excitement to a future generation. For more information on Horting, his distillery and other associated businesses, click here.

Pre Prohibition John C. Hosting Pure Rye Whiskey Bottle. Lancaster, PA.
Pre Prohibition John C. Hosting Pure Rye Whiskey Bottle. Lancaster, PA.

 

Beaming with History

stollandwolfeLeave a comment

Photo of Sylvia Beam & Dick Stoll from Lititz Record
Sylvia Beam of Lititz and Dick Stoll of Lebanon both of whom have ties to PA Michter’s Distillery, recently shared memories of the famed establishment at Stoll & Wolfe Distillery.

From The Beam Boys in Kentucky to PA Michter’s and now Stoll & Wolfe in Lititz – talking family, history and whiskey at Stoll & Wolfe Distillery. Honored and excited to play a small role in helping preserve Charlie Beam’s legacy in Pennsylvania whiskey history.

“Charles was one of the ‘Beam Boys,’ as they were affectionately known,” Sylvia said proudly. Sadly, the facility fell into disrepair, and eventually closed its doors for good on Valentine’s Day in 1990. By the time the last barrel rolled off the line, the national landmark, which produced “The whiskey that warmed the Revolution,” was known as the smallest commercial distiller in America.

Trained by Beam, Dick Stoll, of Stoll & Wolfe whiskey of Lititz, was the final master distiller at Michter’s. And despite all he and Sylvia have in common, surprisingly, they only met recently for the very first time.” Read more of Lititz Record’s article here.

Thanks for taking the time to come out and discuss. We’re honored to play even a small role in helping to preserve Charlie Beam’s legacy, contributions to Pennsylvania Whiskey (Bourbon and Rye) and the knowledge he passed on to Dick Stoll.

Dick Stoll Quoted in Daily Beast by Lew Bryson

stollandwolfeLeave a comment

Is the Secret to Kentucky Bourbon Limestone Water?” BY LEW BRYSON.

“…I grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, and limestone bedrock literally poked up through the grass in my neighbor’s yard. Our well pumped water that was so hard you could taste it. They produced whiskey not far away, at a distillery that’s since closed down: the original Michter’s distillery, where they made the excellent whiskey that has become a legend under the A.H. Hirsch name.

Though the distillery has been closed for almost 30 years, the master distiller, Dick Stoll, still lives nearby. He’s more than 80 years old and in startlingly good health, and is helping a new distillery, Stoll & Wolfe, get started there. I asked him what made the water at Michter’s good for making whiskey.

“The alkalinity in it, as opposed to acid,” he told me. ‘Everyone said that was better for fermentation. Much more than that, I can’t tell you, but it worked very well.’ The new Stoll & Wolfe distillery will be using that same water…”

Full Article Here.