Indulge in Laurel Highlands无毛视频� Pour Tour experience
Alex Byers/GO Laurel Highlands
After the success of last year’s craft beverage passport program, which is estimated to have given a $2 million boost to the local economy, GO Laurel Highlands has launched Pour Tour 4.0. The new version of the program will include 52 beverage makers, including breweries, distilleries, wineries, cideries and a meadery, which will take visitors through Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland Counties.
Ann Nemanic, GO Laurel Highlands executive director, is expecting the program to be a hit, explaining that the kickoff earlier this year started with 30,000 passports available to whomever wants to participate.
“It’s not just the fun of collecting stickers at each of the craft beverage locations and the prizes that can be won along the way, it’s also about savoring every sip of a new product and sharing those stories with other enthusiasts,” she said.
This is how the passport program works: With every qualified purchase, participants will receive a sticker from the beverage maker for verification. Passports can then be redeemed for prizes.
The new tour is intended to showcase the region’s rich heritage, agricultural diversity and entrepreneurial spirit, according to Nemanic.
Ponfeigh Distillery
One distiller that visitors will meet along the way is Maximilian Merrill at Ponfeigh Distillery in Somerset. His business opened in November of last year.
Merrill sells rye whisky, with rye-aged rum and gin in the works.
“I opened the shop because Somerset County is the birthplace of American rye,” he explained, adding that before prohibition the county had a whopping 14 distilleries. “My mission is to bring back that whiskey heritage.”
It’s been a long road for Merrill, a lobbyist-turned-distiller. After studying whisky for 25 years, he came up with a business plan 13 years ago. During the pandemic, Merrill said that he lost two bank loans, which forced him to secure yet another loan. The challenge didn’t end there. Because of supply chain issues, it took until last year before the project was complete.
“No one can call me a quitter,” he said.
Merrill is proud to be the largest distillery in Pennsylvania at this point, with a 16,000 square-foot production room, which, when at full capacity, can churn out about 3,500 barrels a year. Coming soon is an event venue, with a capacity of 200 for wedding receptions and other parties.
“I think that the Pour Tour is a wonderful tourism initiative and educational tool that gets people excited to travel in our rural areas and explore the county,” said Merrill, adding that a lot of people wouldn’t hear about Ponfeigh if not for the tour.
“We’re happy to be on it and can gauge how many visit us when they ask for the stickers. I’ve never seen anything move the needle like the Pour Tour does,” he said.
El Diablo Brewing Co. & Wood-Fired Kitchen
Rachel Flowers, owner and CEO at El Diablo Brewing Co. & Wood-Fired Kitchen in Greensburg, opened her establishment in October 2021 and in 2024 was voted among the top 10 Best New Breweries in the United States by readers of USA Today.
Her beautifully appointed dining room is described by USA Today as “sleek.” Among the menu items are burgers, salads, steaks, Nashville Hot Chicken, fire-roasted tacos, ramen and more. El Diablo features a rotating selection of 10 beer taps, with four of their own house brews. Liquor flights of tequila, whisky and bourbon are also available, as is a selection of wine for those who prefer vino over other libations.
Flowers said that the Pour Tour brings people who otherwise may not be aware of her business.
“We enjoy giving our guests a dining experience that is unique to Greensburg and it’s our hope that both local guests and those traveling to the area will stop in to see what we have to offer,” she said.
A New App
Interested parties can pick up a passport at any participating location, or they can download the new Laurel Highlands app.
“The app makes it easier for participants to digitally stamp their passport, provide a leaderboard for some friendly competition and showcase our craft beverage makers and partners in the Laurel Highlands, such as nearby hotels, restaurants and retail shops,” said Jennifer Benford, GO Laurel Highlands’ senior director of marketing.
Officials at Go Laurel Highlands hope to surpass last year’s numbers when more than 2,200 Pour Tour prizes were redeemed by participants from 10 states, including as far away as Florida, Colorado and Washington.
To learn more about the Pour Tour and how to participate, visit https://golaurelhighlands.com/plan/pour-tour.