Looking for a job? Wigle Whiskey posted via social media it is planning to fill 99 positions over the next nine weeks.

“We are definitely in rebuilding mode,” said Meredith Meyer Grelli, co-owner of Wigle Distillery and Threadbare Cider & Mead, an award-winning craft distillery.

The concept of “99 jobs” came from the well-known tune “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” and Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” song, Grelli said. The company had seven operating sites, including a new restaurant, bar, tasting room and bottle shop that opened on March 13, 2020, in the Strip District.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced a pandemic shutdown six days later.

Wigle Whiskey had 175 employees, Grelli said. With the closure she surveyed the workforce to see who was comfortable staying on.

“We wanted everyone to feel safe,” said Grelli. “Most of the full-time employees stayed. We understood that not everyone was going to feel comfortable working during a pandemic.”

With things starting to reopen somewhat, she said the need for more workers “shifted basically overnight.”

Grelli said they scheduled an in-person cocktail class and it sold out within minutes.

“I think people are desperate for connection,” she said. “We’ve noticed people are lingering longer at the table when they are dining because they miss being with each other.”

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The plan is to hire for pretty much every area of the company, full and part-time positions, she said.

“Things are starting to feel really positive,” she said. “The sun has been shining and the weather is getting warmer and people are getting vaccinated. We are all hopeful.”

Currently, the location in the Strip District is open. The Ross Park Mall bottle shop is open but not the tasting room.

Locations at the Pittsburgh International Airport, Omni William Penn Hotel Downtown and the Barrelhouse on the North Side remain closed.

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The online store has done well during the pandemic, said Grelli.

Hiring is being done virtually but most of the positions will be in-person jobs. Potential candidates can apply here.

Grelli said the response has been good since it was announced earlier this week.

“We really want to build things back up again,” Grelli said. “I wasn’t sure if people were ready to come back to work because there has been so much stress with everything that is happening in peoples’ lives right now. It took us years to build up to that number to 175 employees and now we are trying to get to the number in nine weeks. I am confident we can do it. Our team has been amazing through all of this.”

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