TROY HUGHES OF MT. PLEASANT CLUB WHISKEY AND REBOOT BEVERAGE. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MONONGAHELA WHISKEY EXCHANGE

Journalism drove Aaron Kendeall to drink. 

In 2013, after years spent writing about alcohol, he started working at a Washington, D.C. marketing firm focused on the international trade of wine and spirits. He traveled to Kentucky, Ireland, Scotland and Japan to research whiskey and fell in love with the process and the history behind it. 

Now, through Gibsonia-based Monongahela Whiskey Exchange, Kendeall is importing bottles from around the globe and helping underrepresented brands, including Black-, woman- and LGBTQ+-owned distilleries, connect with the customers in an increasingly competitive market. The website went live this month.

“My mission is to share the world’s best spirits with Pennsylvanians and to share Pennsylvania’s best spirits with the world,” says Kendeall, who worked as a distiller at Wigle Whiskey in the Strip District and helped launch Lawrenceville’s Noire Distillery.

Getting local liquid to lips is already a complicated task, especially with PA’s three-tiered distribution system in which licensed producers sell to wholesalers who sell to retailers and restaurants who sell to consumers. As chief programming officer for Diversity Distilled, the nonprofit arm of the Black Bourbon Society, he wants to make the spirits world more inclusive. 

Joe “JJ” Jackson, master distiller at Lucky Sign Spirits in Gibsonia, says the launch of Monongahela Whiskey Exchange is a testament to the growing diversity of the craft. 

“As a moonshiner now navigating the rugged path through the three-tiered system, witnessing the rise of this diverse band of distillers and brand owners is inspiring. Here in these hills, a new chapter is being written,” says Jackson, who appeared on Discovery Channel’s docudrama series “Moonshiners.”

Visitors to the site will also find products from Love, Katie Distilling, Pittsburgh’s first LGBTQ-owned distillery.

The folks at D.C.-based Mt. Pleasant Club Whiskey and Reboot Beverage connected with Kendeall to get their products on the shelves in the Keystone State, the birthplace of rye whiskey.

“This is our first expansion outside of Washington, DC,'” says owner Troy Hughes. “We chose this as the next step in our distribution journey because we know the importance of having an advocate on the ground.”

Monongahela Whiskey Exchange will showcase Black-owned brands at the annual Barrel & Flow Festival on Aug. 10 at The Stacks at 3 Crossings in the Strip. The event, which launched in Pittsburgh in 2018 to promote Black-owned breweries and Black artists, was named the country’s best beer festival by a 2023 USA Today Readers’ Poll. 

“Breaking into the industry can be difficult,” Kendeall says. “It’s really hard to navigate if you’re not a big player. It’s something that I’m passionate about. Hopefully, through MWX, any Pennsylvanians looking for high-quality craft brands will be able to find them. The more people can learn, the better our industry will be for it.”