HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania lawmaker this week announced plans to introduce legislation that would make rye whiskey the official spirit of the Commonwealth.

State Sen. Camera Bartolotta, a Republican representing Pennsylvania's 46th District (Beaver/Greene counties), said rye has deep roots in Pennsylvania history.

She said she plans to introduce the legislation "in the near future."

"Long before Kentucky Bourbon rose to prominence, Pennsylvania distillers were defining the American whiskey tradition with bold, spicy Monongahela-style rye," she said. "That legacy continues today, as craft distillers across the Commonwealth are once again producing exceptional rye whiskeys using local grain and traditional methods."

Bartolotta said whiskey has a unique history in Western Pennsylv

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