Special to Road Trips for Foodies
From Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau

From moonshine, rye whiskey, and IPAs to cider, mead, and fruit wines, get a taste for southwestern Pennsylvania on the new Laurel Highlands Pour Tour.

Developed by the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (LHVB), in partnership with 31 craft beverage leaders, the new trail showcases the region’s rich heritage, agricultural diversity, and entrepreneurial spirit.

“The lore and legacy of distilled spirits and craft beverages run deep in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands,” said Ann Nemanic, Executive Director of the LHVB. “Today’s industry has blossomed from those deep-seated roots, providing visitors with authentic experiences and tastes they won’t find in any other region. Our Laurel Highlands Pour Tour weaves together history, exceptional landscape, and entrepreneurship into a trail of flavorful destinations.”

An inclusive effort to collectively promote the region’s craft beverage industry, Laurel Highlands Pour Tour sites include 14 breweries, 11 wineries, four distilleries, one cidery, and one meadery.

Craft beverage leaders throughout the tri-county region are eager to launch the Laurel Highlands Pour, recognizing the importance of showcasing the region’s signature landscape, unique flavors, and burgeoning beverage industry.

“The Laurel Highlands has always been known as a great place for outdoor adventure,” said Jay Bell, Owner, Bella Terra Vineyards in Hunker, Pennsylvania. “Over the last 10 years, the quality and creativity of wines created in our area have definitely grown. With the addition of breweries and distilleries opening, we’ve become an up-and-coming destination for craft beverage fans. There’s so much to see and do here – hiking, biking, art galleries, museums, restaurants. We’re ripe for the picking.”

“There’s nothing quite like the Laurel Highlands,” said Jeff Guidos, owner of All Saints Brewing Company, in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. “Our landscape and surroundings make us extra special. Visitors will enjoy the experience of traveling from place to place, checking out all the surroundings, and sampling some of the local flavors.”

In addition, Lisa Welch, Assistant Manager at Tall Pines Distillery in Salisbury, Pennsylvania, believes the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour may revive interest in the region’s early history.

“Our Laurel Highlands has a rich heritage in the history of distilled spirits,” said Welch. “This is where the Whiskey Rebellion took place. Not only will the Pour Tour help promote awareness of this fast-growing industry, but perhaps pique interest in our region’s role in American history.”

For this program, participants will receive a passport to start a journey along the trail. After visiting a participating site and purchasing a beverage, a sticker will be placed in the passport for validation. Prizes will be awarded for collecting stickers from eight, 18, or 28 participating locations.

Pour Tour Passports can be ordered online or picked up at the LHVB’s administrative offices, visitor information centers, 84 brochure racks, and participating locations.

A magnificent mountainous region, the Laurel Highlands spans 3,000 square miles in southwestern Pennsylvania. Located an hour’s drive east of Pittsburgh, the beautiful four-season destination offers spectacular natural scenery, outstanding outdoor recreation, historic sites and attractions, family activities, and world-class resorts. Notable destinations within the region include four architectural masterpieces by Frank Lloyd Wright – Fallingwater®, Kentuck Knob, Mäntylä and Duncan House – Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Flight 93 National Memorial, Idlewild and Soak Zone, whitewater rafting in Ohiopyle State Park, and more.

Located within 200 miles of the major metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Washington D.C., the Laurel Highlands can be easily accessed from exits 67, 75, 91, and 110 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Established in 1958, the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

(Photo courtesy of Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau)