Manatawny Still Works (or MSW for short) is a maker of

American whiskey American whiskey is whiskey (a distilled beverage produced from a fermented mash of cereal grain) produced in the United States. American whiskeys made from mashes with at least 51% of their named grains include bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, r ...

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is often aged in barrels of oak. Rum originated in the Caribbean in the 17th century, but today it is produced i ...

, and

gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink flavoured with juniper berries and other botanical ingredients. Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe. The modern gin was modified in Flanders and the Netherlands ...

. It is produced in

Pottstown, Pennsylvania Pottstown is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts (Pennsylvanian), John Potts. The old name was abando ...

along the bank of the Manatawny Creek.

Production process

The

Wash (distilling) Term used in the production of distilled beverages. Wash is the finished product of fermentation destined to be distilled for the first time. Distillation being the removal of impurities or purification of the spirit (alcoholic liquor), hence it i ...

for Manatawny is produced through a working relationship with Sly Fox Brewery, and is distilled in Italian copper stills from Barison Industry. After the distilling and filtering, the whiskey is stored in new oak barrels, which help to give aged products their signature flavor and color. Various methods are used to impart additional flavors to the product such as Small Batch Whiskey #16 which featured Rival Bros' Whistle and Cuss cold-brewed coffee and Small Batch Whiskey #14 which featured Swarmbustin' Honey's honey. Variations in barrel can also alter the flavor profile as with a limited-edition of the Hidden River Gin that was aged in tequila barrels and released in September 2017 and Small Batch Whiskey #13 which was finished in used port wine barrels.

Master distiller

Max Pfeffer, former lead brewer at Sly Fox Brewing Company, became Manatawny's master distiller in 2013. He is the first in the distillery's history and comes with a chemical engineering degree from Penn State and Master Brewer credential from UC Davis. In addition to having worked with Sly Fox, he also spent time brewing at Victory Brewing Company. The distiller's dog, Piper, is the namesake for the charitable organization founded by the distillery known as The Piper Project, which supports animal rescue organizations.

Distillery

The Manatawny Still Works in Pottstown is situated along the Manatawny Creek. The names of the unaged rum and whiskey pay homage to local colonial Americans and ironworkers. The distillery is a tourist attraction, offering a full service cocktail bar, tours of the facility, and hosting food trucks and live music.Jason Sheehan,
Craft Distilling in Pottstown: Still Works Grand Opening
, Philadelphia Magazine online, May 6, 2014. Retrieved: February 3, 2016. Satellite tasting rooms and bottle shops operate in South Philadelphia at 1603 E Passyunk Avenue, Suburban Station Philadelphia at 1617 John F Kennedy Boulevard, and the Reading Terminal Market at 51 N 12th Street. A retail only location can be found in the lobby of One Penn Center in Center City Philadelphia.

Labels

* ''Hidden River Barrel Rested Gin'': Amber color gin (94 proof/47% ABV). * ''J. Potts Whiskey'': Unaged whiskey (94 proof/47% ABV). * ''Keystone Whiskey'': Aged, four-grain, blended (90 proof/45% ABV). * ''Odd Fellows No.214'': Unaged gin (94 proof/47% ABV). * ''Small Batch Rum'': Aged light rum, numbered limited release within each batch (94 proof/47% ABV). * ''Small Batch Whiskey'': Unique blend, barrel aged, numbered limited release. Each Batch is distinctly numbered, starting with 01 released Dec 5,2014 (94 proof/47% ABV). As of April 2018, the most recent batch release was batch 16 in February 2018. * ''T. Rutter Rum'': Unaged rum (80 proof/40% ABV). * ''Swarmbustin' Honey'': A seasonal release of a recreation of small batch whiskey Batch 14 (84 proof/42% ABV). *''Maple Whiskey'': A seasonal release of whiskey aged in barrels that and then flavored with

maple syrup Maple syrup is a sweet syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Ma ...

from Pennsylvania's Whiskey Hollow (84 proof/42% ABV). *''Pennsylvania Whiskey'': This is Manatawny's "better whiskey. "Aged a minimum of two years, it is blended from select barrels of four grain whiskey (94 proof/47% ABV). * ''Bottled in Bond'': Four-year aged whiskey. Named after the 1897

Bottled in Bond Bottled in bond (BIB) is a label for an American-produced distilled beverage that has been aged and bottled according to a set of legal regulations contained in the United States government's Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, as origin ...

Act (100 proof/50% ABV).

Cocktails

* Manatawny Small Batch Whiskey is the alcoholic component of "Stein", a

cocktail A cocktail is a mixed drink, usually alcoholic beverage, alcoholic. Most commonly, a cocktail is a combination of one or more liquor, spirits mixed with other ingredients, such as juices, flavored syrups, tonic water, Shrub (drink), shrubs, and ...

offered at The Brewer's Art in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. * Manatawny Small Batch Whiskey is the alcoholic component of "Manatawny Smash", a cocktail offered at the Mt. Washington Tavern in Baltimore. * Manatawny Small Batch Whiskey is the alcoholic component of "Old Plow Mule", a cocktail offered at Grill at Harryman House in

Reisterstown, Maryland Reisterstown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Baltimore and Carroll counties, Maryland, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,968. Founded by German immigrant John Reister in 1758, Reister ...

Locations and distribution

As of June 1, 2016, Manatawny products can be purchased through distributors in Washington D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. As of April 1, 2017, New York had been added to the distribution network. In addition to the distillery in Pottstown, PA, they also operate a bottle shop and tasting room in Philadelphia, PA adjacent to the "Singing Fountain"East Passyunk Singing Fountain
Like a Local. Retrieved: February 22, 2020. on Passyunk Ave and at One Penn Center in Center City Philadelphia, PA.

Production process

Master distiller

Distillery

Labels

Cocktails

Locations and distribution

See also

References

Further reading