Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries operates under the Boyd & Blair brand in Glenshaw, a small suburb about 15 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh. Founded by Barry Young and Prentiss Orr, this operation started in 2008 when the two friends decided to create America’s first potato vodka using Pennsylvania-grown potatoes. The distillery occupies a converted warehouse space on William Flinn Highway, where they’ve built their reputation around small-batch production and locally-sourced ingredients. What began as a vodka-focused operation has expanded to include gin and other spirits, but their potato vodka remains the flagship that put them on the map. Young, who has a background in business, and Orr, who handles much of the production side, wanted to create something uniquely Pennsylvania while challenging the grain-dominated vodka market. The name Boyd & Blair comes from their middle names, reflecting the personal nature of this venture that’s grown from a friends’ experiment into a respected regional distillery.
The story behind Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries reflects the broader craft spirits movement but with a distinctly local twist. Young and Orr spent considerable time perfecting their potato-to-vodka process, working with Pennsylvania potato farmers to source the right varieties for distillation. The transition from concept to commercial operation took several years of recipe development and navigating Pennsylvania’s complex distillery licensing requirements. Their approach centers on doing fewer things exceptionally well rather than rushing to market with multiple products. The potato vodka production process they’ve developed requires more labor and time than traditional grain vodkas, but they’ve committed to this more challenging path because of the smoothness and character it produces. The distillery runs on a philosophy of local sourcing whenever possible and maintaining personal relationships with suppliers and customers.
Visitors to Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries get an intimate look at small-batch spirits production in an authentic working environment. The space feels more like a working production facility than a polished tourist destination, which appeals to people genuinely interested in the craft. Tours walk you through their potato-to-bottle process, and you can see the stills and fermentation tanks up close. The tasting room showcases their Boyd & Blair vodka alongside their gin and seasonal offerings. What makes this worth visiting is the genuine passion of the founders and staff, plus the chance to taste spirits that you won’t find widely distributed. The operation’s scale means you’re likely to interact directly with people involved in production, not just tour guides reading scripts.
