When they opened in 2004, Philadelphia Distilling became the first craft distillery in the state of Pennsylvania since prohibition. Their family run facility sports a hand hammered copper still, and is located in northeast Philadelphia. Master Distiller Robert Cassell is a Pennsylvania native, his forefathers purchased land directly from William Penn.

The story behind their Penn 1681 Rye Vodka reads like a locavore’s dream. Named for the year King Charles II granted William Penn that land which would become Pennsylvania, Penn 1681 is made from organic rye harvested from Amish fields first planted hundreds of years ago. The bottles are made from recycled glass, and the spent grains from distilling are sent back to the fields as fertilizer for future crops.