Berks Distilleries and Stein’s Pure Rye Whiskey

The history of whiskey distilling in Berks County can be traced back to the 18th century.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Berks County, like many other areas in Pennsylvania, was part of a thriving whiskey production industry. Pennsylvania was one of the key states in the early American whiskey trade.

Whiskey in Berks County was primarily made from rye and rye malt, which were specially selected for distillation. Farmers grew rye not only for personal consumption but also because it could be distilled into whiskey, which provided a good source of income. Unlike other crops like wheat, corn, or potatoes that were usually grown for personal consumption, rye could be easily converted into whiskey and sold at a good price.

The distillation of rye into whiskey became an important aspect of the local economy. Many farms in Berks County had their own distilleries, and it was estimated that there were more than 200 distilleries in the County. Farmers often engaged in distillation as a way to utilize their rye crops, and whiskey could be sold at a profit, providing a reliable income stream for local farmers.

The estimate of 200 distilleries may appear excessive because it includes both whiskey and applejack output. Applejack was made by distilling fermented apple cider, and many farmers engaged in this alongside whiskey production.

One of the most famous distilleries in the County was Stein’s distillery. The Stein family distillery began with Adam Stein, who emigrated from Germany in 1742 and settled in Greenwich Township, Berks County. His son, Jacob Stein, successfully mixed farming with distilling by the early 1800s, establishing a reputation for producing Stein’s Pure Rye Whiskey. The distillery passed down through four generations, from Adam to Jacob, then to Isaac B. Stein.

The Stein distillery itself was renowned for producing pure rye whiskey. It operated under strict government supervision, ensuring the production of high-quality whiskey. By 1906, the distillery had expanded significantly, including state-of-the-art facilities and multiple warehouses for aging whiskey. Eventually the distillery would be moved to Kutztown.

Below: Former Stein’s Distillery, fermenting room, and warehouse.

A tax on whiskey was imposed in 1791 as part of the federal government’s effort to generate revenue after the American Revolution. Congress passed an act in March 1791 that increased the duty on imported spirits and levied a tax on distilled spirits. This law led to widespread opposition, particularly in the western counties of Pennsylvania, resulting in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.

This tax eventually led to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794, where farmers in Pennsylvania protested the tax through acts of violence and refusal to pay. The rebellion was significant because it was one of the first major domestic challenges to the authority of the new federal government.

In 1794, President George Washington passed through Berks County at the head of a contingent of troops to put down the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania establishing the federal government’s ability to enforce laws.

The whiskey tax remained in place in various forms until it was repealed in 1802 under President Thomas Jefferson.

The tax imposed on whiskey led to a decline in production. The tax created an immediate financial burden on smaller distilleries in Berks County, which involved high capital requirements that many small distillers could not meet. Some distillers complied with the tax, others shut down their operations or sought ways to evade the tax. Larger operations, however, managed to continue due to their better capital reserves.

Later, whiskey was taxed once more during the American Civil War in the 1860s. The government, again in need of revenue to support wartime expenses, imposed a new tax on whiskey. This tax was much higher and more strictly enforced, contributing to a period of widespread tax evasion, illicit distilling, and the rise of bootlegging.

After the Civil War, whiskey production in Berks County saw a significant decline. This was largely due to the new internal revenue taxes imposed to cover war costs, which affected many luxury items, including whiskey. Small distilleries struggled under the weight of these taxes. The distillation of whiskey involved substantial capital, which small-scale producers could not sustain, leading to the near disappearance of these operations. Larger capitalists eventually took over the industry, but the smaller distillers in Berks County were unable to keep up, resulting in an almost complete shutdown of whiskey production at that time.

In 1903, reports revealed that around 6,400 barrels of whiskey were produced in the region. The breakdown by distiller and production volume is as follows:

Neversink Distilling Co. (Exeter Twp.): 5,013 barrels

Miller Pure Rye Co. (near Bethany Orphanage, Heidelberg Twp.): 1,088 barrels

J.P. Drumgoale (at Ryeland Station, Robeson Twp.): 185 barrels

J.B. Stein & Son (Greenwich Twp.): 185 barrels

L.F. Fritch (Albany Twp.): 50 barrels

F.S. Faust (Longswamp Twp.): Not reported, as production had just begun

Another distillery of the era, Dunkle’s Distillery at East Berkley, was noted for burning down in 1901 and likely never being rebuilt

The taxation of whiskey persisted into the late 19th and 20th centuries, playing a significant role in federal revenue until it became intertwined with issues of prohibition and alcohol regulation, particularly during Prohibition (1920–1933) under the 18th Amendment.

Prohibition marked the end of the Stein family’s distilling business, which had been successfully operated for four generations. The Stein distillery, once thriving under Adam, Jacob, Isaac, and Charles A. Stein, was forced to shut down. The nationwide ban on alcohol production and sale effectively ended their operations, as with many other small distilleries at the time.

Below: The former four-story Federal style Stein grist mill (built in 1857) along Route 737/Krumsville Road in Liscum, Greenwich Township. Shown here, it stands today as one of the oldest buildings in the township and on the Federal Register of Historic Places. The mill ground grain for whiskey production at the nearby Stein distillery in the village of Liscum in Greenwich Township.

Prohibition did not completely end whiskey production in Berks County, though it did force it underground. During Prohibition (1920-1933), the legal production and sale of alcohol were banned, but illegal operations such as “wildcat stills” flourished. In Berks County, several large illegal distilleries were discovered, and federal and state agents frequently raided these stills. For example, in 1931, a 1,000-gallon still was seized near Leesport, and more were found in Friedensburg in 1932. Even after Prohibition ended in 1933, many of these illegal operations continued to supply whiskey to speakeasies and private buyers. After the repeal of Prohibition, while some illegal distilleries continued to operate for private use, large-scale whiskey production did not experience a full resurgence in the region.