Food & Drink
BSSF LOCAL BREW TOUR: Thistle Finch Distillery
"I loved the idea that you can pick these ingredients...and end up with this delicious, smooth whiskey. It’s a little like magic."
The craft beer movement has been sweeping across the country, led by a desire for high-quality flavors and an urge to support local economies and communities. Lancaster City is no exception, and BSSF wanted to showcase some of the unique local breweries with a sponsored series called BSSF Local Brew Tour that will appear in each issue of Fig. Cheers!
For Andrew Martin, a Lancaster-born history buff with an entrepreneurial spirit, Thistle Finch Distillery is a quest. The object: to create the best possible rye whiskey and honor Lancaster’s whiskey-making tradition.
Prior to prohibition, everyone in the US drank rye whiskey and most of it was made right here in Pennsylvania. Of course, that changed after prohibition when bourbon whiskey became popular, and production moved to Kentucky, where corn was more abundant.
“The idea of creating a distillery to honor that history and to take us back to our roots in creating excellent rye whiskey here in PA really caught my imagination,” says Andrew. “I loved the idea that you can pick these ingredients from a farm right down the street, then distill the grain and end up with this delicious, smooth whiskey. It’s a little like magic.”
When Andrew found an old tobacco warehouse on West Grant Street that was on the national register of historic places his imagination got to work. That location became Thistle Finch Distillery, where all of his whiskey is produced, and then served in the tasting room and bar. Tours of the operation and building are available every weekend.
This feature is sponsored by BSSF. Committed to their profession and to their community, BSSF is proud to support Lancaster County breweries, small and large, who are shaping the impact that the craft beverage industry has on the future of this county. BSSF is your premier advisory firm for accounting, assurance, tax, and consulting services.
