Westward was founded in 2004 by Christian Krogstad, the early days of American craft distilling. While inspired by elder whiskies such as scotch, Westward also is a proponent of exploration, where according to their website they “brew like a pale ale, distill like a single malt, and age like a bourbon.” Their whiskey is made using an American pale ale brew that is then distilled twice before being aged in charred new American oak barrels. The Westward American Single Malt is their flagship offering and the foundation for their other whiskies, which often have some kind of creative cask finishing.
Stranahan’s Blue Peak
Stranahan’s Whiskey was founded in 2004 and holds a special place as one of the first distilleries in the craft distilling rise of the mid-2000s. Founded by Jess Graber and George Stranahan, who also founded Flying Dog Brewery and the Woody Creek Tavern, the duo latched onto using local ingredients to create their offerings. The Stranahan’s Blue Peak was introduced in 2020 and finished with Solera aging, much like Spanish bodegas do with sherry in large oaken barrels called foeders. New whiskey is put in to replace the whiskey being taken out, which means older spirit continually remains to mingle with the newer and creating a unique effect. It is also, at time of press, their cheapest whiskey.
Liberty Pole Peated Rye
Mingo Creek Craft Distillers, better known by their brand name Liberty Pole, are a craft distillery in southwestern Pennsylvania who deftly weave the line between history and imagination. Their whiskey-focused portfolio includes offerings made using heritage grains like bloody butcher corn and Pennsylvania rye. But they’re not afraid to get creative, as seen by their Peated Bourbon. After seeing what peat could do with with corn, they wondered…why not rye? A few years later, the Liberty Pole Peated Rye was born. The result was so successful, it has become a staple of their portfolio and is released about once a year.