Episode 57, Where History Ferments: The Story of Stoll & Wolfe, explores how one Pennsylvania distillery is carrying a nearly 300-year legacy into the present. In Lititz, Stoll & Wolfe Distillery draws directly from the Commonwealth’s deep agricultural and distilling roots, using grain grown on a family farm established in 1741 and techniques shaped by centuries of practice. Host Sydney Harris-White sits down with co-founder and distiller Erik Wolfe to uncover why Pennsylvania was once at the center of American whiskey production, and how rye whiskey emerged as a practical, powerful force in early American life.
At the heart of the episode is the influence of Dick Stoll, the legendary master distiller whose mentorship and craftsmanship helped revive a nearly forgotten tradition. Erik shares how Stoll’s philosophy of stewardship, sensory distilling, and respect for history continues to guide every bottle produced today. Together, their story reveals how Stoll & Wolfe is not simply making whiskey, but preserving Pennsylvania history, honoring agriculture, and creating a living connection between the colonial past and the nation’s 250th anniversary.
