by Morgan Paese
Midstate Distillery is manufacturing history. Brothers-in-law Dan Healy and Brian Myers are creating the craft spirits Harrisburg has been craving since, well, Prohibition. It has taken almost 100 years for the artistry and the industry of manufacturing spirits to be welcomed back to the capital city.
On the second Saturday of the year Midstate Distillery opened the doors to begin sharing their story and spirits. Healy describes it as a “soft opening,” giving the public just a taste of what is to come for Harrisburg’s first distillery.
Healy and Myers had been working together in volume manufacturing for five years. At their previous post, Myers was a co-owner and Healy was a business manager. With confidence in their experience, Myers and Healy would continue in manufacturing but wished to dive into a new market. “We wanted to try to find something that played into those strengths, but we also wanted to do something we enjoyed,” said Healy.
Their immediate thought was craft brewing, but research indicated the current market to be competitive and crowded. They would be playing a costly game of catch-up. “There are lot of guys doing it, and a lot of guys doing it very well,” says Healy, giving props to locals like ABC (Appalachian Brewing Company) and Pizza Boy Brewing Company.
In his research, Myers eventually came across craft spirits, an industry being rediscovered in the Keystone State. With only a few distilleries scattered across the state, and Pennsylvania distilling laws relaxing, the timing was right.
Two years ago, the business partners began transforming a vacated paint factory into a working distillery. Healy described the renovation of the one-time Smith Paint building as a lot of “cleaning, scraping and painting.” Original bright-red fire doors and paint-splashed concrete floors remain as gestures to the building’s history while complementing the current industrial and resourceful decor. The tasting room holds a cluster of eclectic high tops, ranging in shape and style, repurposed by Myers, and a rustic bar, built by a friend. Looking up, a series of reclaimed, weathered windows hangs from the high ceiling. At the center of it all stands the 220-gallon copper still accompanied by a 55-gallon stainless-steel still.
All products are double distilled, including the Pennsyltucky Moonshine. Though it is marketed as moonshine, its ingredients differ from the “in-the-woods” recipe of white sugar and corn. The moonshine is an all-grain corn whiskey, made from more than 80 percent corn, which is evident in its flavor and aroma. This moonshine may not be homemade, but the ingredients are homegrown. The corn is sourced from Manheim and the rye from Lititz. This spirit is packed with flavor, without the harsh bite often associated with moonshine.
Each spirit is distilled, bottled, corked and labeled in-house. Take a close look at the label of Midstate’s Shakey Jake’s Rum, and you will see a picture of Shakey Jake himself, Myers’ late grandfather, who is a constant inspiration for the family business. This smooth, white rum is a result of tirelessly testing different sugar varieties to find the right fit. A baker’s blend molasses from Good Food, Inc., based out of Lancaster County, gives this rum subtle sweetness with hints of vanilla and butterscotch.
Iron & Ice Vodka will be the third product released by Midstate. Neither Healy nor Myers has a thirst for the spirit, but found themselves in the minority after receiving a lot of requests for craft vodka. They decided early on they would not be concerned with competing with big names like Absolute or Pinnacle, but instead would think hyper-local with their brand of vodka. Iron & Ice is a nod to the Walnut Street Bridge and its partial collapse during the blizzard of 1996. They hope to be bottling the spirit by the end of February.
These smooth and flavorful spirits can be enjoyed on the rocks or in a cocktail. The simple approach to the cocktail list emphasizes the flavor of the spirits and allows for more than reasonable prices. They are serving up the standard rum and Coke, while putting a local spin on some classic cocktails. The City Island Breeze, a play off of a bay breeze, mixes pineapple and cranberry juice, with Shakey Jake’s Rum. A local take on the Moscow Mule, the Midstate Mule, features Appalachian Ginger Beer sourced from just one mile up Cameron Street at Appalachian Brewing Company.
Midstate is hoping to mix and match their spirits with Harrisburg’s local food and drink. They are looking to partner with other businesses that are farm-to-table and community conscious. Even though Healy and Myers have no plans to add a kitchen to the tasting room, they will coordinate special events with local food trucks and caterers.
But, when it comes to spirits, these guys want to do it all. Healy’s eagerness to learn, and eventually master the craft, was clear and compelling. “I am certainly still developing my palate,” said Healy, having only received permits to begin test batches late this past summer. They are testing rum aged in bourbon barrels, considering apple brandy and gin and looking forward to producing bourbon a few years down the road.
Among many goals for this year, Healy and Myers plan to create three to four new products and hope to foster a local following along with wider recognition. Midstate will also be applying to the PLCB’s “PA Spirits Program,” a newer program that aids start-up distilleries by placing their spirits on the shelves of Pennsylvania state stores. Approval would give the business the ability to place up to 10 products in 10 Fine Wines & Good Spirits locations of their choosing. Currently, all sales are being done out of the distillery. You can take home a 750-ml. bottle of Pennsyltucky Moonshine or Shakey Jake’s Rum for $27 plus tax.
Hours of operation are not set but are regularly updated on their website. Find Midstate Distillery at 1817 N. Cameron St. in Harrisburg; phone: (717) 745-5040.
- Photos: Morgan Paese
