If you are a whiskey connoisseur, you are going to want to head straight for Mingo Creek Craft Distillers in Washington, Pennsylvania for an unforgettable, authentic whiskey tasting experience and tour along with a history lesson on “The Whiskey Rebellion” which was a 1794 uprising of farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania in protest of a whiskey tax enacted by the federal government
Spotlight on Business recently had the pleasure of meeting Jim Hough and hearing the story of how he left his career in computer science and finance to make the leap into entrepreneurship.
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“We want to give whoever walks in the door, the best whiskey experience they have ever had,” says Jim Hough,
proud creator of Liberty Pole Spirits and owner of Mingo Creek Craft Distillers.
“Six years ago, ten years from retirement, I realized I was ready for a change,” Hough shares. He had been distilling as a hobby, focusing on craft whiskey, and spent hours discussing distilling with his sons Rob and Kevin. The Houghs have always been, “a whiskey family” and Hough wondered if this passion could translate into a career.
Around the same time that Jim was contemplating his next future endeavour, the Houghs had a visit from a neighbor and friend who is a botany professor and renowned historian at a Washington PA college. After their guest saw that Hough was out on the deck trying some experiments in his still, he shared the story of the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington, Pennsylvania. He indicated that the only thing missing from the Festival was a distiller. “That was the trigger that put us over the goal line and decided to develop a business plan and make a go of it. I knew that we had been producing good quality spirit and our product could viably fill this gap,” says Hough.
As a background for our readers, the Whiskey Rebellion Festival is an annual event held each year in Washington that celebrates the heritage and unique character of the region. The focus is on the history of the Whiskey Rebellion – unique to western Pennsylvania and Washington County. Activities at the festival include historic reenactments, period exhibitions and heritage music, food and beverages.
Upon further research about the festival, the Houghs ‘fell in love with the history’ of the whiskey rebellion. Jim Hough’s wife Ellen, who also has a passion for history, “took a deep dive” into the stories of the rebellion preserved in museums, churches and cemeteries around the county.
She learned that in 1791, Scotch-Irish veterans of the Revolutionary War returned to Washington County, 
Pennsylvania but struggled against weather and disease. The Colonists were looking for a livelihood and found a way to preserve grain in the form of distilled spirits. These spirits were safer to drink than the water and improved the spirits of the people, and so, one of the first American Industries was born, in the form of whiskey. The government however saw this as an opportunity for taxation on a society that depended on whiskey making for their survival. In defiance of the new tax, the people gathered secretly in a meetinghouse near Mingo Creek in opposition and, as a symbol of their unity, planted liberty poles throughout the county. These liberty poles were banners for the rebellions that displayed the message of the day. “They were the Twitter of the times,” laughs Hough.
From the Hough’s fascination with this history, the Liberty Pole Spirits brand was born. Pictured on each label of the Hough’s finely crafted spirits is a liberty pole that symbolizes the appreciation for a craft that once again is bringing livelihood to a proud community.
Mingo Creek Craft Distillers officially opened their doors on July 9, 2016, which ironically was perfect timing as it was the Saturday of the annual Whiskey Festival. “We were a bit overwhelmed but it ended up being a great day and a perfect introduction to share our whiskeys with the community,” Hough reminisces.
The distillery is solely family owned. “Each of us wear many hats, but we have morphed into managing our own areas of business,” Hough says. Son Rob runs the production side, son Kevin acts as CEO, participates in distilling, and liaises with all vendors, mom Ellen is the master creative and marketing talent and dad Jim is the distillery emeritus and brand ambassador. “Creating things is in our blood as we all have engineering backgrounds,” Hough explains.
Liberty Pole Spirits produces five whiskeys including the Bassett Town Rye, Corn Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, Bourbon, 
Peated Bourbon and Bourbon Cream. In addition to their five core offerings, they also produce two other annual whiskeys that you won’t find listed on their website. One is their annual spiced whiskey, to be released on November 1.
What really separates this brand from others is that their focus is purely on distilling whiskey. The family is meticulous in how they make their whiskey, from the grains that they choose, to the sanitation of their equipment, to the type of barrels that they use. Since they didn’t need their still to produce a high ABV neutral spirit, they chose to use a pot still instead of a column still which they feel produces a more flavorful and viscous whiskey.
Also unique to Liberty Spirits is their popular cocktail program. The Houghs want to show people “Whiskey is more than a shot that goes along with a beer.” Four different cocktails are showcased each month made strictly with Liberty Pole whiskey, and syrups and liqueurs made only in Pennsylvania. These delicious cocktails are lovingly created by Ellen who is a creative and inventive mixologist. Customers rave about her monthly offerings and the rotating cocktail menu brings people back to sample other creations.
Check out Liberty Pole’s cocktail blog at libertypolespirits.com/blog. The blog features drinks made in the cocktail program. Your mouth is sure to water when seeing pictures of the delicious concoctions. Recipes and directions are included in each cocktail description so that you can even purchase a bottle of Liberty Pole whiskey and mix your favourite cocktails at home.
Or, better yet, visit the Mingo Creek Craft Distillery in person at 68 West Maiden Street. You will be welcomed by one of their four full time or eight part time knowledgeable and friendly employees. It is abundantly clear that people love working at the distillery as it promotes a comfortable, family environment. The good vibe, charming setting and incredible whiskey means that no one leaves the distillery in a bad mood.
If you are from out of town and planning a special trip, the most exciting time to visit the distillery is during the 
Whiskey Rebellion Festival. The festival kicks off at the Bradford House, a home erected in 1788. A liberty pole is carried from the house throughout the streets of Washington on a closed parade route and ends outside the Mingo Creek Craft Distillery. It is in front of the Hough’s beloved distillery that the 25-foot pole proudly stands each summer.
Building this successful brand, as with any new start up, was not without challenges. In the United States, it takes months to receive licensing from the federal government. You have to lease or own a building for set amount of time before operating in the space. Money is going out of pocket, before there is any chance to make a profit.
The biggest challenge though is getting local approval. The Hough family encountered a lot of hoops to jump through, including ensuring fire codes were up to standard as the distilling business was not one that officials had experience with.
However, overcoming these challenges was worth it. The community opened their arms to welcome the distillery and they have helped put the destination on the map for tourism. The city of Washington has been down on their luck over the last twenty years, so the revitalization of the craft beverage industry has breathed new energy into the community. Twelve other businesses have launched nearby since the distillery opened its doors.
Whiskey distilling in the region has also garnered interest. Hough says, “There is a friendly brother/sisterhood among distillers.” And like the Houghs, the surrounding craft distillers subscribe to the philosophy that this camaraderie helps each to produce the best possible whiskey, and that this overall quality will represent the industry well.
The biggest challenge that the company faces now is increasing capacity to keep up with the demand for their 
product, which is a pretty awesome problem to have. The Houghs have already doubled the size of their equipment and are now looking at other ways to produce more whiskey. They have been laying down full size 53 gallon barrels for the past 18 months and in the next few years all of their whiskey will be harvested from these full size barrels. As years pass and whiskey continues to get older and better, the family plans to continue to do what they do best, and that is produce Washington’s finest whiskey.
For more information about Liberty Pole Spirits by Mingo Creek Craft Distillers, check out their website at libertypolespirits.com, visit them at 68 West Maiden St. in Pennsylvania or pop them an email at info@mingocreekcraftdistillers.com.