Bomberger's Distillery facts for kids
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Bomberger's Distillery
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Michter's Rd., Newmanstown, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1840 |
| Architect | John Kratz; Abe Bomberger |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001649 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 26, 1975 |
| Designated NHL | January 16, 1980 |
Bomberger's Distillery, also known as Michter's Distillery, is a very old building in Newmanstown, Pennsylvania. It used to be a place where whiskey was made. At one time, people thought it was the oldest building of its kind in the whole United States. The distillery stopped making whiskey in 1989.
Even though you might see whiskey bottles today with the names Bomberger's or Michter's, these are new products. They are not made at the old distillery building.
This historic site shows how making whiskey changed over time. It went from a small farm activity to a larger business. The main buildings, like the still house and warehouse, were built around 1840. But people were making spirits here much earlier, starting in 1753. Bomberger's Distillery became a National Historic Landmark in 1980. When it closed, it was the smallest commercial distillery in America.
Contents
A Long History: From Farm to Factory
Early Beginnings: The Shenk Family
The story of this distillery began in 1753. Two Swiss farmers named John and Michael Shenk started making rye whiskey here. They were Mennonite farmers.
Later, John Shenk's son-in-law, Rudolph Meyer, took over the distillery. Then, another family member, John Kratzer, ran the business from 1827 to about 1860. Many of the buildings you see today were built when Kratzer was in charge.
New Owners and New Names
Around 1860, Abraham Bomberger bought the distillery. He was a Pennsylvania Dutchman with family ties to the Shenks. The distillery was named after him for a long time.
In 1919, the distillery had to close because of Prohibition. This was a time in the United States when making and selling alcohol was against the law.
After Prohibition ended in 1934, Ephraim Sechrist bought the distillery. He started it up again. In 1942, Louis Forman bought the distillery. He later bought it back in 1950 after a few other owners.
Forman and his main distiller, Charles Everett Beam, created a special whiskey. They called it "Michter's Original Sour Mash Whiskey." This name came from Forman's sons, Michael and Peter.
The Distillery Today
In 1951, the first batch of Michter's whiskey was made. But the distillery faced challenges and eventually closed in 1989.
Today, the old distillery buildings are in poor condition. They need a lot of repair. In 2011, a new owner, John Barry, bought the property.
Even though the original distillery is closed, the Michter's name lives on. Since 2004, new whiskeys are made in Kentucky under the Michter's label. This company has built a new distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.
Also, since 2014, a company called Heritage Spirits has used the Bomberger's Distillery name. They blend and bottle whiskeys in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 2017, they opened their own distillery in Lititz, Pennsylvania. This new distillery is called Stoll & Wolfe Distillery. People involved include Dick Stoll, who was a master distiller at the original Michter's in the 1970s.
