Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on May 30, 2024.
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We are spoiled to have many great distilleries in Pittsburgh. Pick a spirit, and odds are good you can find it being made locally.
Some of our local distillers are highly specialized, and focus on one (or a small handful of products). One such distillery is Maggie's Farm Rum, producing all things, you guessed it, rum!
This one is proof that you don't have to fly to the Caribbean or Indian Ocean to find amazing rum, and their accolades speak for themselves. Maggie's has won numerous national awards including Pennsylvania Distillery of the Year at the NY International Spirits Competition and America's Best Rum by the American Craft Spirits Association to name a few.
Thirsty yet? You know we are, which is why we find ourselves returning to the distillery's two locations again and again.
Maggie's Farm Rum is a Pittsburgh Gem
For many years, Maggie's Farm Rum operated their distillery out of an unassuming space in the Strip District in a more industrial area of the neighborhood near the border of Lawrenceville.
It is the kind of spot where you may question if you're in the right place for a distillery, but then once you go inside a cozy and welcoming space greets you with some of the best spirits and cocktails Pittsburgh has to offer.
In 2023, Maggie's underwent a massive expansion to open a state of the art, two-floor facility in the South Hills to massively increase production with an on-site bar and restaurant for good measure. So now those craving Maggie's spirits and cocktails have two great locations to check out, both serving up their spirits, classic, seasonal specialties, and more!
So, what is the rum like?
Maggie's base spread of spirits includes an array of aged rums, including straight rum, a 50/50 blend with some of their rum and others sourced from the Caribbean (a personal favorite), white rum, a premium white rum made in collaboration with local tiki bar Hidden Harbor, pineapple and spiced rums, falernum, a boozy seltzer line, and periodic flavored brandy releases to name a few.
A tasting at Maggie's really lets you sample the intricacies of all things rum, and the versatility the spirit provides when adding select flavors as well.
For die-hards, however, you have to be on the lookout for their limited release Queen Share rums. These are the premium bottles made from the tail runnings of a distillation (or Queen's Share) and are often finished in interesting barrel combinations like rye, sherry, double oak, and more and are what has put Maggie's on the rum map for awards again and again. We personally always pick one up on their frequent Black Friday releases (most, but not all years), and they've been a favorite in our private collection ever since.
Don't Sleep on Cocktails at Maggie's
As you may have guessed, the cocktail program at Maggie's Farm Rum does an excellent job at highlighting their house spirits with a mix of classic cocktails and other unique creations you're unlikely to find anywhere else.
If there are two classics you really cannot overlook at Maggie's, it would be the Painkiller and the house Daquiri. It is hard to throw around the phrase perfect with cocktails that are made the world over, but at Maggie's, you really get just that- so much so that we make it a habit of ordering at least one Painkiller on every single visit. It is the perfect balance of cream, nutmeg, and pineapple that we just can't get enough of. (For a variant, try the Strumming My Pain(killer) which feels like a riff on an Old Fashioned with the classic Painkiller flavors.)
But, of course, Maggie's has non-traditional cocktail creations as well- some on the permanent menu and some rotating classics with seasonal flavors and other fun surprises. We've had fun creations like a play on the Shamrock Shake in the spring, a pumpkin spice latte riff one fall where the bartenders made up names for the side of the cups it was served in, and other even more inventive creations finding their way onto the menu as the seasons change.
So while you may not be able to get the hammock on the beach while having a cocktail at this distillery, a rum-filled boat drink in-front of a gorgeous still is the next best thing. But, when it comes to Maggie's we have to admit we don't really need the beach at all. They're just that good!
Maggie's Farm Rum is located at 3212A Smallman Street in the Strip District. In 2023, Maggie's opened a second location at 1387 McLaughlin Run Road in Upper Saint Clair.
Want to keep drinking in the Strip District? Head over to Pittsburgh Winery, grab another cocktail at Wigle Whiskey, or celebrate happy hour at Kaya Pittsburgh!
