Photo by Chris Lasher.
Blackbird Distillery has made its mark in Brookville as a destination for locals and travelers, bringing in thousands of patrons looking for a one-of-a-kind experience. Now, to better serve their growing number of fans, owners Dave and Jen Black are bringing their award-winning moonshine to 10 Pennsylvania Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores.
Popular flavors Apple Black, Apple Pie, and Hot Cinnamon moonshine are now available at state stores in DuBois, Clearfield, Philipsburg, Franklin, Ridgway, the State College location at the Hamilton Square Shopping Center, the Butler location at the Moraine Pointe Plaza, the Erie location at Yorktown Centre, the Pittsburgh location at the Waterworks Shopping Plaza, and the Altoona location at the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center.
Although demand is up for Blackbird moonshine, Jen says they plan to keep making everything the old-fashioned way, completely by hand. Blackbird Distillery is the only distillery in the country to make moonshine completely by hand from start to finish. “We are very, very thankful for this opportunity. And, yes, we are doing it all by hand,” Jen says. “I guess when you love to do something, it’s not so much work as it is fun.”
Owner Jen Black is well known for getting completely into hillbilly character for her customers in homage to moonshine’s rural Appalachian roots.
Jen, Dave, and their small staff work seven days a week to make sure the shelves at their location off Maplevale Road are always stocked, not just with moonshine, but also with handmade canned goods and their signature baloney, beef jerky, smoked cheeses, and wing sauce. They host frequent events like their upcoming five-year anniversary celebration scheduled for March 24.
Jen says it’s the combination of hard work and a fun attitude that have made her work at Blackbird so fulfilling. “We’re an attraction,” Jen says. “We want the customers to have a great time. Plus we are open every day but Christmas, so we make it as convenient as we can.”
As the business continues to grow, the owners of Blackbird Distillery say they refuse to compromise when it comes to the authenticity of their process and the quality of the product. “We will continue to make moonshine by hand,” Jen emphasizes. “We want to stick with the real authenticity of making real moonshine in the woods, just like where it started.”
To learn more about Blackbird Distillery and other wineries, distilleries, and breweries in the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors region, go to UncorkPAGO.com and like the Uncork PAGO Facebook page. Find other interesting places to visit in the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors region and plan your vacation by going to VisitPAGO.com or calling (814) 849-5197.
