PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALLEGHENY DISTILLING

Allegheny Distilling, the decade-old, Strip District-based facility that makes Maggie’s Farm Rum, is experiencing a lot of growth; so much so that owner Tim Russell has to open a suburban production outpost to keep up with demand.  

Located in a 22,000-square-foot former wig warehouse at 1387 McLaughlin Run Road in Upper St. Clair, the new site includes an 800-gallon still that is three times the size of the current system. On the second floor, there is a retail area and a full-service restaurant and bar that seats 99.

After a year and a half of construction, the space opens for business Dec. 20. An exclusive bottle release of Blueberry Eau de Vie is scheduled for Dec. 23. 

Chef Addi Klobusnik’s kitchen will churn out boozy takes on comfort food, including rum-brined pork loin and rum-roasted beet salad. The dishes complement the company’s award-winning libations. My favorite, Maggie’s Farm Falernum, a rum-based liqueur made with ginger, lime and clove, won a Double Gold medal and was named Liqueur of the Year at the 2023 New Orleans Spirits Competition. 

In 2012, Russell, who received his distilling certification from the Siebel Institute in Chicago, produced Pennsylvania’s first commercially available craft rum since Prohibition and named the flagship beverage after a Bob Dylan song.

Maggie’s Farm now has dozens of products distributed to 14 states. 

You can still grab a drink at the original location at 3212A Smallman St. I enjoy raising a glass at this cozy bar away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip. For years, the 3,000-square-foot building housed movie props and vehicles. These days, visiting the place is like taking a tropical vacation; a much-needed respite in the dead of winter.

After a long absence from the market, the company’s popular line of Personal Day Hard Seltzers will make a return in early 2024, Russell says, along with ready-to-drink, canned cocktails.

Russell says his crew is always looking to improve on shelf-stable recipes that include fresh fruit juices.