Heather McGurrin’s Visit Bucks County feature put Ashlynn Distillery on the radar. Here’s the full story behind one of Morrisville’s best-kept secrets.
Step inside and the place announces itself. Reclaimed barn wood aged 75 years lines the walls. Honeycomb shelves glow with house-made bottles.
This is not a chain, not a concept, not a theme. It is a working craft distillery that happens to have a great bar attached.
Ashlynn produces small-batch premium spirits: Summerseat Vodka, Bourbon, Whiskey, Rum, and a rotating seasonal lineup.
The building sits directly on the Delaware Canal Towpath, the 60-mile trail connecting Easton to Bristol, which means you can hike or bike in and drink well on the way out.
The history in the glass runs deeper than the branding. Summerseat Vodka is named for the Georgian mansion up the road where Washington kept headquarters from December 8 to 14, 1776, just days before his crossing of the Delaware changed the course of the Revolution.
At the time, the house belonged to diplomat Thomas Barclay. Robert Morris, the Philadelphia financier who eventually gave Morrisville its name, owned Summerseat from 1791 to 1798.
George Clymer acquired it in 1806. Both men signed the Declaration of Independence, and both arrived at Summerseat after Washington had already made history there.
The vodka itself is a corn, rye, and beet blend with no artificial ingredients, and the distillery claims it is the first triple-blend of its kind in the world.
Morrisville has always been a town worth knowing. A Dutch West India Company trading post operated here as early as 1624.
The borough incorporated in 1804, making it the second-oldest in Bucks County behind Bristol, and the Delaware Canal has run through its eastern edge ever since.
At the tasting room, the flight is the move. Caramel Apple Whiskey and Espresso Infused Bourbon lead the lineup.
Seasonal pop-up menus bring surprises, and a full events calendar keeps things moving year-round: Comedy Shows, Open Mic Nights, Magic Shows, Cigar Nights.
The staff knows the product and treats you like a regular from the first visit.
McGurrin called it a must-see, must-experience distillery in her original Visit Bucks County piece.
She was right. Now you know why.
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Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on BUCKSCO Today in January 2023.
