New PA Distillery: Manatawny Still Works

Whiskey lovers, rejoice! As of Dec. 11, word as rippled through the local booze industry that a brand-new distillery will soon make its public debut—meet Manatawny Still Works of Pottstown, PA. Based next door to the award-winning Sly Fox Brewing Co.’s HQ and founded by one of brewery’s very own backers (John Giannopoulos), the craft distillery announces it will open and start pouring as of early February 2014.

mSW

MSW

Manatawny Still Works (MSW) arrives additionally backed by Jeff Vaughan, Paul Czachor, Al Matarazzo and Derek Menaldino. MSW will have a working relationship with Sly Fox Brewing Co., with the brewery producing the whiskey’s wash (the first step in production) in their state-of-the-art brewhouse. Sly Fox’s former lead brewer, Max Pfeffer, is even hopping over to the distilling operation, taking on the title of head distiller. Pfeffer is an ideal candidate for the job too, packing a resume that includes studying Chemical Engineering at Penn State University before completing the Master Brewer Program at UC Davis in California. He gigged at Victory Brewing Company before moving on to Sly Fox.

MSW

Based in a 7,500-square-foot facility along the banks of the Manatawny Creek, MSW will be the first craft, small-batch distillery in Montgomery County since 1969. Wide-eyed whiskey lovers will geek out over the operation’s brand-new, Italian-made, 1,200-liter still from Barison Industry. So far, MSW announces that their barrels are stacked and awaiting the first batches to come off the stills. Although you’ll have to wait two years for the distillery’s signature spirit, Pennsylvania Whiskey, MSW will launch with an unaged white whiskey named Virgin Whiskey and a light rum called Sedition.

More information is available at manatawnystillworks.com. “Like” Manatawny Still Works on Facebook here. Find Manatawny Still Works at 320 Circle of Progress Drive, Suite 104 in Pottstown, PA; phone: (484) 624–8271.