DILLSBURG, Pa. — After years of planning and research, the Eichelberger Distillery at the historic Dill's Tavern is set to open its doors to the public.
"It's kind of dream-like that it's actually happening," said Sam McKinney, the distillery manager at the Eichelberger Distillery.
The 18th-century style distillery replicates the old Eichelberger Distillery that operated in Dillsburg. The facility operated during the 1800s and sold barrels of whiskey to customers across Pennsylvania and Baltimore, Maryland.
“They were producing a lot for the time period," said McKinney. "In one year from 1813-1814, they made almost ten thousand gallons of whiskey with this old type of equipment. So they probably had at least five stills running almost 24 hours a day."
McKinney said the historic distillery was a project 15 years in the making. Around $2 million in grants and donations were sent to the Northern York County Historical and Preservation Society to make it happen.
McKinney added that each piece of equipment from furnaces to stills was authentically built to match what would be seen in 18th century distilleries.
“Even though it’s plastered in and you can’t see it, there’s a lot of brick in these [furnaces] and boilers," said McKinney. "It was very time-consuming and laborious.”
The Eichelberger Distillery will offer tours, taste tests, and classes, allowing people to learn more about Pennsylvania's history through one of its oldest industries.
"For almost 150-200 years, [whiskey distilling] was a giant industry in Pennsylvania and nobody knows about that," said McKinney.
The Eichelberger Distillery will open its doors on Saturday, Sept. 7.