Jan 14, 2026 By Brad Hundt 2 min read

Liberty Pole Spirits, the North Strabane-based distillery, has brought home statewide honors from the Pennsylvania Farm Show for two of its whiskeys.

It won the first prize in the rye whiskey category for its Old Monongahela Full Proof Rye Whiskey and second place in the flavored whiskey classification for its spiced whiskey. It was the first time that distilled spirits were part of the competition at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, which is happening in Harrisburg through Saturday. A cornucopia of animals, food and goods vie for honors at the exposition, including llamas, clothing, jams, homemade chocolate cakes and more.

“To be the best rye whiskey in Pennsylvania is pretty nice,” said Jim Hough, who owns and operates Liberty Pole Spirits with his wife and sons. The spiced whiskey that took second place was a special edition that was made available for the holidays, he added.

Hough explained that Liberty Pole Spirits has previously “entered competitions here and there. It’s not a big part of our marketing effort. But we’ve done some things in the past.”

It’s possible that Liberty Pole Spirits will enter additional contests, Hough said, but right now they don’t distribute their goods outside Pennsylvania, so competitions that encompass all 50 states “really don’t move the needle for us.”

A winner of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s award for small business of the year in Western Pennsylvania, Hough first became interested in making whiskey as a hobby while he was working in the finance industry. Liberty Pole Spirits’ first location was on West Maiden Street in downtown Washington, and it is now on Adios Drive in North Strabane, near the Hollywood Casino at the Meadows.

“People appreciate small businesses, local businesses,” Hough said. “I know a lot of customers appreciate local businesses.”