Visitors to Westmoreland County’s historic Fort Ligonier soon will be able to toast one of the county’s founding officials with a limited-edition whiskey issued in collaboration with West Overton Distilling.

In celebration of the county’s 250th anniversary and in homage to early political and military leader Arthur St. Clair, the fort will host an Aug. 12 tasting and sale of St. Clair’s Spirits, a white rye whiskey.

The whiskey is distilled from rye grown at West Overton Village in East Huntingdon.

The event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. outdoors at the reconstructed 18th-century British frontier outpost at routes 30 and 711 in Ligonier Borough. It will feature a Whiskey Sour cocktail made with St. Clair’s Spirits, food provided by local caterer Simply Good and live music by Pittsburgh-area duo Common Ground in the Lower Fort.

“Fort Ligonier wanted to commemorate the county’s 250th anniversary with a very special project and event,” said Mary Manges, the fort’s executive director. She said the whiskey and tasting are meant to bring attention to St. Clair and his “immigrant success story.”

Born on March 23, 1737, in Caithness, Scotland, St. Clair served as an officer with the British Army during the French and Indian War and was caretaker of Fort Ligonier after it was decommissioned in the war’s aftermath.

Settling in the Ligonier Valley in 1764, he went on to serve the newly formed Westmoreland County as prothonotary, clerk, register and recorder. He also sat as a justice of the first English court west of the Allegheny Mountains — at Hanna’s Town, in today’s Hempfield Township.

Applying his military skills to serve his adopted land, St. Clair was an aide-de-camp to George Washington during the American Revolution and rose to the rank of major general.

St. Clair was president of the Continental Congress in 1787 and governor of the Northwest Territory from 1788 to 1802.

The parlor of one of his homes — The Hermitage, originally located along Route 711 north of Ligonier — now is on display in Fort Ligonier’s museum.

West Overton distilling

In keeping with the county’s milestone celebration, only 250 bottles of St. Clair’s Spirits will be produced at West Overton’s educational distillery. It represents the first time since the 1800s that such a whiskey has been distilled for an outside entity from rye grown at West Overton.

West Overton is the birthplace of Old Overholt, considered the oldest continually maintained brand of American Rye Whiskey.

“There are not many products as uniquely tied to American history as whiskey,” said Patrick Bochy, West Overton’s co-executive director. “Whiskey has endured rebellions and wars, temperance movements and even Prohibition, all while remaining a driving force in America’s growth.”

Aug. 7 is the deadline to register for the St. Clair’s Spirits tasting, by visiting fortligonier.org or calling 724-238-9701. The cost to attend is $25 for members of Fort Ligonier or West Overton Village, $35 for non-members.

A 375 ml bottle of St. Clair’s Spirit’s costs $65 and will be available for sale the night of the tasting event, Saturdays at West Overton, and on additional select dates at Fort Ligonier.

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