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Philadelphia Leads Local Distillery Boom

By Paul Kurtz

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Local brewers sparked a craft beer revolution some 20 years ago. Now it appears that area distillers are doing the same thing with spirits.

"I sell the booze retail. I sell direct to about 120 different restaurants and bars in Philadelphia and outlying counties. We're also available through ten of the local LCB stores around the Philly area," said Dean Browne, a former IBM software product manager, as he watches the first run of his latest batch of brandy pour out of a small still inside RowHouse Spirits.

dean browne
(credit: Paul Kurtz)

These small batch distilleries have been popping up like mushrooms since Browne opened RowHouse less than two years ago.

"You've gone from two or three distilleries. And now we're talking 50 to 100," said Browne.

And this apparently is only the beginning.

Along with various liquors, Browne churns out whiskey, gin and rum.

One of Browne's customers is William Reed, co-owner of Johnny Brenda's, just about a mile down the road on Frankford Avenue.

"Customers are really excited. If I can equate it to beer, it used to be we were introducing people to local beers. People were like, I drink local beer. Now the same thing is happening with he spirits," said Reed.

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