From Pa. coal country, budding boilo baron peddles traditional holiday cocktail to masses

RINGTOWN, Pa. – Each Christmas season in Pennsylvania coal country, people huddle over big pots of steaming liquid, coaxing a potent but soothing elixir from secret recipes handed down through the generations.

This alcoholic yuletide cocktail is called boilo, and it’s been a household staple for more than a century, sipped warm or hot to celebrate the holidays and ward off winter’s chill. Boilo parties are in full swing right now as coal-region kitchens fill with the fragrant, intoxicating aroma of spices and citrus.

Chris Brokenshire, a forklift operator from Ringtown, recently introduced the first commercial boilo. Added to whiskey, it’s a powdered mix available in a few stores and on his website. He says people are buying it as fast as he can produce it.