Welcome to The Whiskey Rebellion Club
About Us
We are a whiskey tasting group in northeast Ohio
We are a private membership group of whiskey enthusiasts in northeast Ohio who are new or far along on their whiskey journey, from beginners to experts, who love to learn more about this wonderful spirit and to taste and try new things.
We typically meet on the second Saturday evening each month to taste 5 whiskies of a certain style. All active members of the club will be put into a group of 5 members, and those individuals will be required to bring a bottle to donate every few months in accordance with that month’s theme. A small $10 fee to cover food expenses is required every time you attend a meeting. Twice a year we do single barrel picks and we try and invite those who haven’t been on a pick before to be a part of one. All members are required to purchase one bottle from each barrel pick.
We believe in equality, women, gay, and trans rights. We only welcome members who share those same morals and values.
Our journey
Established in 2021, in our short time as a club, we have officially tasted over 200 whiskies from all around the world. We’ve hosted Kenny Coleman of Pursuit Spirits and Bourbon Pursuit, the number one bourbon podcast worldwide, during the Ohio launch of Pursuit United whiskies. We were also selected as the whiskey club of the month by Mark Gillespie of WhiskeyCast, the number one whiskey podcast worldwide.
Teachings, tastings, & discussions
Every whiskey is unique. During our blind tastings, we teach about the whiskies we are sampling, their mashbill, proof, and age. Afterwards, we vote for our favorites before we reveal the bottles. Then, we teach about the history of the brands and distilleries, the differences in various styles, and what makes them unique.
Our Founder’s Ties To The Whiskey Rebellion
A distilled history
My family’s story runs deep in whiskey history and straight through the heart of the Whiskey Rebellion. My 5th great-grand uncles, the Hamilton brothers (Daniel, David, and John), emerged as some of the most notorious rebels. Daniel, with his brothers at his side, was the leader of the group of rebels that was tarring and feathering the tax collectors, with John returning from Kentucky to help in the rebellion. Tied directly to them was their nephew, my 4th great-grandfather Samuel Barr, who was a farmer and distiller and also a rebel whose mother was a Hamilton. Living just miles from the unrest, Samuel likely moved in the same circles and ultimately proved his allegiance to the cause by delaying his Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution until late December 1794, marking him as a hardliner even after George Washington marched troops into western Pennsylvania to suppress the uprising.
The most remarkable story though is John Hamilton. After first heading to Kentucky as a teenager, he returned north to aid the rebellion. He famously relocated his brother Daniel’s still from Pennsylvania to Kentucky before continuing the fight. He turned himself in at the end of the rebellion and was taken to Philadelphia where he was eventually pardoned along with the other rebels. By 1795, John was back in Kentucky, where he became one of the region’s earliest distillers, standing alongside names like Jacob Beam, Elijah Craig, and Evan Williams; a direct link from rebellion to the birth of American whiskey tradition.