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Developers break ground at former Joseph F. Finch Distillery

Whiskey distillery returns to South Side
Whiskey distillery returns to South Side 01:00

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A whiskey distillery is being brought back to life here in Pittsburgh. 

On Wednesday, developers broke ground at the former Joseph F. Finch Distillery on the South Side. 

The $20 million project by Big Spring Spirits will turn the building into a distillery with a tasting room, a cigar club, event space, and rooftop bar and grill, among other offerings. 

It will be the second manufacturing space for Big Spring Spirits, which also has a location on Bellefonte. 

Their CEO said the project has already posed some unique challenges. 

"It's a project that was a challenge from the start," said Anthony Mazzarino, President & CEO of Talleyrand Holdings. "The building itself being a 170-year-old structure was a challenging structural issue but we figured it out, we overcame it, it took a lot of time and a lot of effort, but we're so excited we're here now."

The original distillery was first established before prohibition, back in 1856, and its reincarnation as the "South Shore Distillery" is expected to be up and running in late 2023. 

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