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The Distillery: Mountain Laurel Spirits
| Established: 2010 |
| Silent since: False |
| Address: Bristol, PA 19007 |
| → website |
In a way, Herman Mihalich’s childhood in Monessen, PA predicted his future as the owner of Dad’s Hat™ Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey.
It was there, after all, living in an apartment above his family’s bar, where Mihalich experienced the sights, sounds and stories that would eventually inspire him to reintroduce the world to Pennsylvania’s once-rich Rye Whiskey producing heritage.
Before coming full circle back to these roots, Mihalich earned a BA in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and later, an MBA from the prestigious Wharton School of Business – then went on to a three-plus decade career in the specialty chemical and fragrance/flavor industries.
Of course, the fond memories of his father’s bar remained a constant companion throughout Mihalich’s adult life. One that would ultimately lead him to realize his life’s ambition in 2010, when he opened the Dad’s Hat™ Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey distillery in Bristol.
Many years and miles have passed since he was a kid growing up in that Western Pennsylvania town. But for Herman Mihalich, now a resident of Bucks County along with wife Valerie and sons Nicolas and Adam, he’s exactly where he wants to be: carrying on a tradition that’s close to his heart.
With the recent arrival of Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey to the marketplace, the world was once again reintroduced to the Keystone State tradition of rye whiskey production. An achievement made possible, interestingly, with the help of the son of a Stone Mason from the Bronx named John Cooper.
Of course, in retrospect, growing up in the working class Throggs Neck section of the city was the ideal place for Cooper to develop the traits that would serve him so well in the decades that would follow. First in helping him earn a B.S. in Marketing and Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Then over a successful 34-year career is sales and marketing.
The very same qualities that eventually led his old college-friend, Herman Mihalich, to ask the seasoned professional – and lover of fine whiskey – for his help in co-founding Mountain Laurel Spirits LLC, in 2010.
Today, with wife Eleanor, and children Jim and Anne behind him, John Cooper’s goal for the future of Dad’s Hat is simple: to make and sell delicious Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey that people will appreciate end enjoy for years to come.
My Dad wore hats. Real hats. The kind you only see in old pictures or movies these days. He had a lot of hats. His favorites were Stetson fedoras, handcrafted in Philadelphia.
Before he left the house each day, he’d carefully choose one from the rack and don it. The hat always seemed to fit his mood – or the occasion – perfectly. My Dad’s gone now. But my mind somehow keeps coming back to those hats. People don’t really wear hats much anymore, I suppose. It’s become an affectation or a fashion statement. But in those days, it was something more. A symbol of optimism. That we cared about quality, polish and finish. A subtle, personal signature. From an era when taking the time to do it the right way mattered.
I founded Dad’s Hat because I, too, want to do it the right way. To take up a tradition. To make something that mattered. The old way. By hand, in small batches. Using only natural, local ingredients and the most careful methods. Dad’s Hat is made right here in Pennsylvania — the birthplace of Rye Whiskey — in honor of my father, who enjoyed rye whiskey and served it at the family’s tavern; and of that wonderful, optimistic time in America’s history when we made a lot of things and took care to make them well. My heart tells me that many of us are searching for that spirit again.
I believe Dad’s Hat Rye reflects that same simple, uniquely American personality better than any other whiskey. Crisp. Smooth. Delicious — not lingering or heavy-handed in its finish. Perfect for every occasion. After tasting Dad’s Hat, we hope that you feel the same.
By the way, I kept those hats. I still wear them. And you know what? They fit… Perfectly.
It was there, after all, living in an apartment above his family’s bar, where Mihalich experienced the sights, sounds and stories that would eventually inspire him to reintroduce the world to Pennsylvania’s once-rich Rye Whiskey producing heritage.
Before coming full circle back to these roots, Mihalich earned a BA in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and later, an MBA from the prestigious Wharton School of Business – then went on to a three-plus decade career in the specialty chemical and fragrance/flavor industries.
Of course, the fond memories of his father’s bar remained a constant companion throughout Mihalich’s adult life. One that would ultimately lead him to realize his life’s ambition in 2010, when he opened the Dad’s Hat™ Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey distillery in Bristol.
Many years and miles have passed since he was a kid growing up in that Western Pennsylvania town. But for Herman Mihalich, now a resident of Bucks County along with wife Valerie and sons Nicolas and Adam, he’s exactly where he wants to be: carrying on a tradition that’s close to his heart.
With the recent arrival of Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey to the marketplace, the world was once again reintroduced to the Keystone State tradition of rye whiskey production. An achievement made possible, interestingly, with the help of the son of a Stone Mason from the Bronx named John Cooper.
Of course, in retrospect, growing up in the working class Throggs Neck section of the city was the ideal place for Cooper to develop the traits that would serve him so well in the decades that would follow. First in helping him earn a B.S. in Marketing and Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Then over a successful 34-year career is sales and marketing.
The very same qualities that eventually led his old college-friend, Herman Mihalich, to ask the seasoned professional – and lover of fine whiskey – for his help in co-founding Mountain Laurel Spirits LLC, in 2010.
Today, with wife Eleanor, and children Jim and Anne behind him, John Cooper’s goal for the future of Dad’s Hat is simple: to make and sell delicious Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey that people will appreciate end enjoy for years to come.
My Dad wore hats. Real hats. The kind you only see in old pictures or movies these days. He had a lot of hats. His favorites were Stetson fedoras, handcrafted in Philadelphia.
Before he left the house each day, he’d carefully choose one from the rack and don it. The hat always seemed to fit his mood – or the occasion – perfectly. My Dad’s gone now. But my mind somehow keeps coming back to those hats. People don’t really wear hats much anymore, I suppose. It’s become an affectation or a fashion statement. But in those days, it was something more. A symbol of optimism. That we cared about quality, polish and finish. A subtle, personal signature. From an era when taking the time to do it the right way mattered.
I founded Dad’s Hat because I, too, want to do it the right way. To take up a tradition. To make something that mattered. The old way. By hand, in small batches. Using only natural, local ingredients and the most careful methods. Dad’s Hat is made right here in Pennsylvania — the birthplace of Rye Whiskey — in honor of my father, who enjoyed rye whiskey and served it at the family’s tavern; and of that wonderful, optimistic time in America’s history when we made a lot of things and took care to make them well. My heart tells me that many of us are searching for that spirit again.
I believe Dad’s Hat Rye reflects that same simple, uniquely American personality better than any other whiskey. Crisp. Smooth. Delicious — not lingering or heavy-handed in its finish. Perfect for every occasion. After tasting Dad’s Hat, we hope that you feel the same.
By the way, I kept those hats. I still wear them. And you know what? They fit… Perfectly.
from Dad's Hat