Founded in 2005, Philadelphia Distilling (Philly Distilling for short) was the first post-Prohibition craft distillery in Pennsylvania. Their flagship is Bluecoat American Dry Gin, which comes in 3 varieties, but they also produce Penn 1681 Vodka, Vieux Carré absinthe, and Vigo Amaro.

Now you may be wondering, “what’s the difference between American dry gin and traditional London dry gin?” American gin has a much more subtle juniper flavor than it’s London counterpart. This is probably why Bluecoat is the only gin brand I’ve found that I actually enjoy.

To be honest, if we had chosen to move into any other neighborhood we probably never would have given Philly Distilling a shot. Neither my husband or I were fans of gin, but we decided to try it out because the distillery was walking distance from our apartment in Northern Liberties. A big plus was their outdoor seating area, since we’d moved in the middle of COVID Summer 2020. It quickly became one of our favorite places in the city, not only because of the convenience, but for the quality and service as well.

In the tasting room you’ll find a rotating list of seasonal cocktails, as well as riffs on gin classics and tasting flights of their various spirits. I love that they change up the menu so often, so I’m able to try something new/fresh each time we visit. When strawberries are in season, make sure to order Jasper’s go-to [off-menu] drink: the Strawberry East Side.

Drinking Our Way
Through The Menu

1 – I am Afraid to Love Tee : 2 – Strawberry East Side : 3 – A Foolhardy Undertaking
4 – Pennsylvania Punch : 5 – Gin for Seltzer (discontinued) : 6 – Hoff & Duffy
7 – Gin Grapefruit Spritz : 8 – The Five Squares : 9 – Let Brotherly Love Endure

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Favorite Food Items

They have a small all-day food menu with some great options, but definitely don’t come in expecting to order a full restaurant entrée. There are a few sandwich options and the occasional meal special if you really need something larger, but we usually order a couple small plates for the table to share.

GOUGÈRES
Hands down, these are the best thing on their menu. The bite sized savory pastries come with a side goat cheese mousse drizzled in lavender honey.

CRISPY POTATOES
These incredibly well seasoned potatoes are served over a buttermilk sauce and chive oil.

DRY RUBBED WINGS
Their wings are just the right level of lightly crisped, while coated in a coriander honey and served with an Alabama white sauce.

Honorable mentions – blueberry crumble & burrata

Interested in how things are made? Take the tour! We haven’t done it yet, but you can register for one of their tours online Friday through Sunday for $20/person. Tours last about 45 min – hour and include a welcome cocktail and tasting flight. If you like something you tried, you’ll find their various spirits, barware, souvenirs, and even to-go bottled cocktails available in the bottle shop on your way out.

Lets wrap things up with some pros and cons shall we?

Pros:
– Good for date nights and people new to drinking gin or who haven’t liked ones they’ve tried in the past.
– It’s relatively close to public transportation: the Market–Frankford Line (MFL) stops at Girard, which is about a 7 minute walk.
– Has a very laid back atmosphere.

Cons:
– Just one! It can be hard to get in without a reservation on a weekend night, or during the week if there’s a show happening at the Fillmore or Brooklyn Bowl.