We traveled to Allentown, PA to a distillery with an interesting story. Bob Piano, the owner of Gallows Hill Spirits, traced his lineage back ten generations and learned that his 8-times great-grandfather Samuel Wardwell was tried and executed during the Salem witch trials in 1692. His distillery embraces this fact the same way the town of Salem, Massachusetts does - with a desire to educate the public while having some fun with the iconography. The tasting room is part museum and part tavern. The back wall behind the counter is a replica of the facade of Salem's "Witch House." On the walls there are tributes to the 20 people executed during the trials. Bats and witch hats abound.
The best part is that a full catalog tasting revealed that every one of their spirits were high-end products with extremely unique flavors. We were really impressed, and the staff and owner made us feel incredibly welcome. Would love to revisit closer to Halloween.
Below are some photos and our take-home bounty (a limoncello and an amazing cinnamon liqueur that will go perfectly in spiced cider)...
.webp)
