Just 20 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, now free of British imperial control, Washington County farmers found themselves faced with quite a conundrum. To makes ends meet on the harsh rocky land they turned to distilling whiskey, but their fledgling government began demanding taxation on its sale. In protest, they formed the Mingo Creek Society, and began planting liberty poles that flew the words "No Excise Tax" across the countryside. This would be the first step in the historic Whiskey Rebellion. Today, the political tension has thankfully faded, but not the passion for fine spirits. Liberty Pole Spirits, a family-owned and operated distillery, takes inspiration from those early whiskey distillers. In their tradition, Liberty Pole uses local grains from neighboring Washington and Westmoreland County farms, including an heirloom, natural ingredients like non-GMO corn known as Bloody Butcher.