Welcome to The Whiskey Rebellion Club
About Us
We are a whiskey tasting group in northeast Ohio
We are a private membership group of whiskey enthusiasts in northeast Ohio who are new or far along on their whiskey journey, from beginners to experts, who love to learn more about this wonderful spirit and to taste and try new things.
We believe in equality, women, gay, and trans rights. We only welcome members who share those same morals and values.
Our journey
Established in 2021, in our short time as a club, we have officially tasted over 300 whiskies from all around the world. We’ve hosted Kenny Coleman of Pursuit Spirits and Bourbon Pursuit, the number one bourbon podcast worldwide, during the Ohio launch of Pursuit United whiskies. We were also selected as the whiskey club of the month by Mark Gillespie of WhiskeyCast, the number one whiskey podcast worldwide.
Teachings, tastings, & discussions
Every whiskey is unique. During our meetings, we teach about the whiskies we are sampling, their mashbill, proof, and age. We talk about the various styles, and what makes them unique.
Our Founder’s Ties To The Whiskey Rebellion
A distilled history
My family’s story is woven into the heart of the Whiskey Rebellion.
My 4th great-grandfather was a rebel in The Whiskey Rebellion. Samuel Barr along with his brother Joseph, and their three uncles (my 5th great-granduncles), Daniel, David, and John Hamilton, were all farmer-distillers and participants in the Whiskey Rebellion. The Hamilton brothers emerged as some of the most notorious rebels of the insurrection.
Daniel Hamilton was the leader of the Mingo Creek Boys, the band of rebels known for tarring and feathering federal tax collectors. He fought at the Battle of Bower Hill and was later indicted for treason, but evaded arrest. Ultimately, he received a presidential pardon from George Washington on Washington’s final day in office.
David Hamilton was one of the two men entrusted with one of the rebellion’s boldest missions: stealing all of the mail from Pittsburgh. Near the end of the rebellion, a federal excise collector and a detachment of soldiers arrived at his home during a blizzard to confiscate his still. David welcomed them in, served them generous amounts of whiskey and ginger beer, and waited until they fell asleep. Under cover of darkness, he reclaimed his still and disappeared into the night. The area was renamed Ginger Hill due to the events of that night.
The most extraordinary story, however, belongs to John Hamilton. When the unrest began, John was already living in Kentucky. He traveled back to Pennsylvania to dismantle Daniel’s still and transport it to his farm back in Kentucky, preserving both the equipment and the family’s distilling tradition. He returned to Pennsylvania, where he was elected sheriff of Washington County during the rebellion. Rather than suppress the insurrection, John secretly diverted county and state funds to support the Mingo Creek Boys and their cause.
As the rebellion came to an end, John surrendered to federal authorities and was among the twenty prisoners taken to Philadelphia to stand trial for treason. He was eventually pardoned along with the other rebels.
By 1795, John had returned to Kentucky, where he became one of the state’s earliest distillers, standing alongside names like Jacob Beam, Elijah Craig, and Evan Williams; a direct link between the Whiskey Rebellion and the birth of the American whiskey tradition.