A Spirited Tour through the Laurel Highlands

Welcome to the picturesque Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, where lush greenery, stunning vistas and a rich heritage await. Set against the breathtaking beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour is a hidden gem.

Join us on a delightful pour tour as we venture through charming towns, sample craft brews, delightful wines, tasty ciders and heritage whiskey. So grab a pint, soak in the scenic views, and get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey through the Laurel Highlands, where the perfect balance of nature, history and spirits creates an experience like no other. The Laurel Highlands Pour Tour offers a variety of wineries, distilleries, ciderworks and craft breweries. The challenge is, can you try them all?

Below are just a few of the fun places on the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour!

Bella Terra Vineyards

Bella Terra’s Hunker wine-tasting room is in a beautiful location: a small lake, an acre of vineyard as well as hundred-year old trees. And, of course, delicious wine and awesome food options! This winery also offers wine cocktails, including mules and mojitos, and ciders. I sampled the sweet wine flight: the house riesling, winterbella and piquette.

We love that they have wine, beer, AND cocktail options so you don’t have to be afraid to take folks who prefer other spirits. With such a lovely setting, this is a popular place for parties and celebrations. For colder (or inclement) weather, the vineyard offers igloos that can be reserved.

Getting there: 121 Sunny Lane, Hunker PA
Website: Bella Terra

West Overton Museum & Distillery

The site of the Whiskey Rebellion between 1791-1794, the Laurel Highlands also have a strong distillery tradition. An American classic whiskey, Old Overholt Rye, now produced by Jim Beam, originated at the West Overton Farm in the 1800s. Drawing on that tradition, in 2020, West Overton Distilling began producing its own brand of Monongahela rye whiskey at West Overton Village. Located in an historic two-story brick stock barn, the distillery distills whiskey with a recipe of 80% rye grain and 20% malted barley, aged in charred White Oak barrels.

We sampled Monongahelia Rye Whiskey, Jasper’s Stash Rye Whiskey and Pennsylvania White Rye. So hard to decide which I liked best!

Getting there: 109 West Overton Road, Scottdale PA
Website: West Overton Distillery

Tattieboggle Ciderworks

Making hard cider is a proud American tradition. This cidery crafts both traditional and modern ciders using only the finest juice from the heirloom trees from their property and other Pennsylvania orchards. Just what does Tattiebogle mean? The ciderworks’ name, Tattiebogle CiderWorks, honors the settlers of the Laurel Highlands who hailed from England, Ireland and Scotland. (Tattie-bogles are the Scottish versions of the American scarecrows.) This is really a fun place to visit!

While we were there, we sampled ciders such as Crantastic (a cranberry-apple cider that would compliment a Thanksgiving meal), the sweet Sugar Plum Cherry (that combines the flavors of plum, cherry, black currant, cranberries and apricots), the PearSnaster (with a hint of caramel apple mixed with tangy pear) and more. I was super intrigued by the Emperor Chai, with black tea, cinnamon, ginger and cardamon.

Getting there: 175 Ankney Hill Road, Acme PA
Website: Tattieboggle

Unity Brewing Company

The rotation of beers on tap and new inventive creations will keep beer enthusiasts coming back for more. Unity Brewing started as a hobby, grew into an obsession, and then developed into a great place to kick back with friends and enjoy live entertainment — whether a local band or a rousing game of music trivia.

We tasted a variety of entrees and appetizers, served tapas-style, from the brewery’s chef while sampling a flight of Unity’s craft beers, thoroughly enjoying rockstar bingo. With the attention to detail to the craft beers, locally-sourced and created-on-site menu items, and honestly, just a vibe that’s welcoming and fun, this is definitely a great place to visit!

Getting there: 3852 Route 30, Latrobe PA
Website: Unity Brewing

Know Before You Go

Of course, there are a lot more on this pour tour, which leads you through the scenic hills of southwestern PA. Make a weekend of this exploration and plan your stay at Go Laurel Highlands. Please drink responsibly.

Web site: Laurel Highlands Pour Tour