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West Overton Village Museum, Pennsylvania
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Yesterday we visited the museum at
West Overton Village in East Huntingdon Township, some 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The museum is housed in the old distillery and mill house of Old Overholt Whiskey, the oldest continual whiskey brand in the country. The distillery was established in 1810 when Abraham Overholt took over his father Henry's farm and converted his distilling operation into a major commercial business.
We had been to the village a couple times before, and visited the new distillery on the premises, but this is the first time we'd been able to tour the museum now in the distillery building erected in 1859. The museum includes the Sam Komlenic Gallery, which is said to comprise "the largest publicly accessible collection of artifacts related to Pennsylvania's rich history of whiskey distilling," including some 270+ whiskey bottles dating from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries. (
westovertonvillage.org)
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| West Overton Village Distillery |
The property, then extending over 263 acres, was acquired by Henry Overholt in 1903, and like most Pennsylvania farms of the time began to distill whiskey. When Abraham took over he "developed the family farm into an industrial enterprise centered around whiskey production," expanding the farm "into a village that included the 1838 Overholt Homestead, the 1859 combined distillery and gristmill, several brick barns, a cooperage, shops, worker housing, and numerous outbuildings." For the next 100+ years, up until federal prohibition took effect in 1920, "the Overholts maintained the tradition of distilling Monongahela rye, considered the quintessential American whiskey." (ibid)
Starting in 1881, the operation was owned and run by Abraham's grandson Henry Clay Frick. In that same year Frick, who had been born in the village and already become wealthy from his coke coal operation, was introduced to Andrew Carnegie, and in the same year would merge his operation with Carnegie Steel and become its chairman. It was in this capacity that Frick would in 1892 precipitate the "Homestead Massacre," by loading up barges on the Ohio River with 300 Pinkerton agents, with the goal of opening the Homestead plant for non-union workers, forcing their way past the striking workers, their families, and other townspeople determined to keep the plant closed until ownership reached a bargaining agreement with their union. The resulting conflict and exchange of gunfire left 10 to 16 steelworkers and Pinkerton agents dead, and eventually the American labor movement significantly weakened. (
wikipedia)
For the highly wealthy Frick, the distillery "was a sentimental side-business," to which he added partners Andrew Mellon and Charles W. Mauck. In 1888, the product, originally labeled "Pure Rye Old Farm Whiskey," was officially named "Old Overholt," in homage to Abraham, and by 1900 was a national brand. When Frick died in 1919, with prohibition pending, this ended the Overholt/Frick family's involvement, as well as operations at the village. For the production of "medicinal" whiskey during prohibition and resuming regular production post prohibition, the company used only their newer location in Broad Ford, PA. The company would be sold to various interests over the following decades, most notably to Jim Beam in 1997. (
wikipedia)
The whiskey would change its mash bill and decline in quality and reputation over the next 20 years. But happily, beginning in 2017, new versions of the product would revive its reputation with serious whiskey fans and the craft cocktail world. For a good description of this I quote from an article by Eric Zandona on his
EZdrinking blog:
"... Beam decided to move production of Old Overholt from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, changed the mash bill to the minimum 51% rye and drop the bottling strength to 80 proof.
For about 27 years Old Overholt sat as bottom shelf whiskey overshowed by other more popular whiskeys in the Beam portfolio.... but in 2017, the now Beam Suntory began to get label approval for several new Old Overholt expressions. For the first time in about 30 years, Beam Suntory re-released a bonded version of Old Overholt which cause quite a buzz among whiskey writes and bartenders. And, two years later in 2019, Beam Suntory increased the standard bottling strength from 40% to 43% ABV. From then on there has been a steady release of new Old Overholt expressions which has helped to revitalize the brand from its bottom shelf ignominy to a brand that is once again well respected and sought after by American whiskey fans. It has been exciting to see Beam Suntory put some money and effort into supporting this historic brand by creating new and interesting offerings such as the return of the 4-year age statement on the standard bottle, the 11 Year Old Cask Strength, and the A. Overholt Straight Rye made with a traditional Pennsylvania rye whiskey mash bill. Hopefully this trend will continue and who knows what we will see in the future for this more than 200-year-old brand."
Bourbon Culture adds "Things changed yet again in 2023 when Beam rolled out with a cask strength, 10-year-old Old Overholt. Then came the news that this would be an annual review where the age should continue to increase."
Finally, while the village no longer owned the Old Overholt name, in 2020 it opened a new distillery on the premises, producing its own set of rye whiskeys under the
West Overton Distilling name, as well as collaborating annually with other distilleries such as Stoll & Wolfe and Dad's Hat on blends. These and a small set of rotating cocktails are available in a remodeled 19th century barn across the road from the old residence.
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West Overton Village circa 1867
homestead, spring house, and distillery/grist mill buildings still intact today |
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