Kim McLaughlin knows a thing or two about pivoting. He served as a Marine, a career he had for decades, before starting a life as a dairy farmer. Then, seeing opportunity in Pennsylvania’s gas and oil industry, he moved to the Keystone State to start over. These days, he’s the founder and owner of the growing and award-winning McLaughlin Distillery in Sewickley, about 20 minutes north of downtown Pittsburgh.
We learned all about McLaughlin’s path to spirits and the McLaughlin Distillery offerings by chatting with Jim Plummer, Business Development Manager, known as “Baby Face” around the distillery. Years ago, Jim visited McLaughlin Distillery for a tour and, essentially, never left.
PA Eats: Can you provide some background on how the distillery started?
Jim Plummer: The owner, Kim McLaughlin, has been around distilling his whole life. His parents and grandparents made corn liquor at a dairy farm in New York. He operated his own dairy farm for about 25 years. Then, about 11 or 12 years ago, he landed in western Pennsylvania with the gas boom. He traveled a lot, visited a lot of distilleries and tasted many things. He said, ‘Hey, I can make something that tastes as good as, or better than, this.’
Originally, it was going to be a side hustle. He’d do it on the weekends and have fun with it. As a dairy farmer, he’d worked seven days a week his whole life. Working nights and weekends was not a big deal for him.
Kim McLaughlin of McLaughlin Distillery, and his likeness
Two weeks after getting his license for the distillery, he was permanently laid off from his job. That pushed him into it full-speed ahead about eight years ago. When things like that happen, it’s a terrible thing. But, flash forward, and you can see that, okay, that was a blessing.
What’s the size and scope of the business?
We currently have six full-time people and another 10 who are part-time, working maybe a day a week, a few days a month, three days here or there, bottling and labeling. We call them when we’re backed up a bit, and they do a little extra.
We produce about 3,500 gallons of proof liquor coming out at about 186 proof, or 93% alcohol. It’s dispersed into all the things we make. It goes into a barrel and becomes whiskey and bourbon. 100% corn liquor is the base for everything we do.
How has McLaughlin grown over the years?
It was essentially word-of-mouth at the beginning, and Kim making quality products. He’s more focused on the perfect quality, versus selling 10 million bottles. He wants to make better spirits, and you eventually get to that point of selling a lot more.
Originally, it started with just Kim, kind of here by himself. He had a couple of people part-time to start; local, retired guys volunteering who enjoyed coming and hanging out, maybe having a drink here and there. It’s slowly grown to where it is now.
McLaughlin offers bourbon, whiskey, flavored moonshine, vodka, creamy spirits and more. Can you tell us about some signature products?
Our number-one is bourbon. That’s put us on the map, and it’s what brings people in. 3799 Bourbon is our top product. It’s named for the address here. Kim says it was just a lack of imagination. The Baby Barrel Bourbon is also very popular.
Everything we do is in small barrels. Most mass producers are using 70 – 80 gallon barrels. The largest barrel we use is 10 gallons. With smaller barrels, the bourbon acts as if it’s aging faster. There’s much more surface of wood to product. It gives it character and smooths it out faster with small barrels.
After bourbon, our Mario’s Creamy Limoncello is very popular. We entered a competition for the first time, the San Francisco World Spirits. Our Creamy Limoncello won a Double Gold Medal, which is very difficult to attain. We’re flying out in October to try for best in class, the best in the world. We also got a Gold Medal for our Cask Strength Baby Barrel Bourbon.
The World Spirits competition has a panel of about 70 people tasting. It’s entrepreneurs, people in the industry, high-level chefs, a lot of sommeliers. You’re going up against 5,500 distilleries worldwide that send in products. It’s pretty amazing that we’re in the running for best-of-class for one of our spirits.
What are some unique aspects of distilling in PA?
With a lot of distilling, the flavor of the spirits comes from where you’re located, particularly your water source and how good the water is. Kentucky, known for bourbon, is a limestone base and we have that here, too. Sewickley is thought to be a Native American word for “sweet water” because the water is so good. Our well is 35 feet deep so we get a lot.
We also use as much local stuff as we can. Our corn is sourced from a farm an hour away. Our bottles come from a place 20 miles up the river in western PA.
You have a lot of events, like date nights, tours and classes. How does that balance with the production and operation sides of the distillery?
It is a big part of the business. It’s pretty much all hands on deck. Everyone here is expected to do pretty much everything, from bottling and labeling to giving the tours. We’ve all been a part of building fences and pouring cement. It’s a small business, so everyone has to be involved.
The gentleman who’s been there the longest, for 8 years, his name Jim as well. He handles social media, the tech side of things, and proofing of the spirits. He does the bulk of that, and the rest of us do a little bit of everything. Every day is different.
What’s in store for the future at McLaughlin Distillery?
I’ve heard the owner say, probably eight or nine times in the four years I’ve been here, that we’re not making any more new flavors and we’re not making any more new products. But we just keep adding on. Someone comes up with an idea and we throw it at Kim, and he has ideas of his own. There’s always something coming up. We do whatever Kim feels sounds good. Our two newest flavors of moonshine are Juicy Juicy Watermelon and Hanky Panky Raspberry Tea.
Jim was bugging Kim to make a mango moonshine, so we did and put his face on the bottle. We also have a root beer moonshine. I pitched it for two years. One day I walked in and he said “smile” and now my face is on the bottle. People ask, ‘How’d you get your face on the bottle?’ I was persistent and annoying enough.
Do you have anything else to add?
Kim is a big advocate for the idea that it’s never too late in life. He was 57 when he started this business. He was in the Marines, so we’re veteran-owned. He was in the dairy business almost his entire life until his kids grew up and did their own thing. He realized he didn’t want to be a dairy farmer all by himself, so he sold his business.
He wants to tell people, ‘Go after your dreams. It’s never too late to start something. You don’t know where it’ll go.’
Kim has four kids and, now, six grandkids. When each grandkid was born, he poured a bourbon that will age for 21 years. They will open it for their 21st birthdays. When the grandkids come to visit, I’m super-nice to them. I’d like to taste that bourbon.
Find McLaughlin Distillery at 3799 Blackburn Rd. in Sewickley and enjoy its products for yourself! You can find cocktail recipes on its website and shop online for its products, which ship to your door throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.
- Photos: McLaughlin Distillery
