The stage was Mantini's Woodfired restaurant in the South Side, mid-August, and the scene that played out was this: A couple sits at the bar, surveys the offerings, and asks the bartender, "Say, do you guys carry that local vodka yet?"

Once is chance. Twice, a trend: It happened again in November, this time at Cioppino in the Strip District. The couple was different, but the question was the same. And the answer, this time, was yes.

It must be music to the ears of Prentiss Orr and Barry Young. The little vodka company operating out of an old glassworks warehouse in Shaler has done big business in its first four months of distribution. Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka, distilled by Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries, can be found on cocktail menus at restaurants around the city, and soon plans to begin selling in Ohio, with sights also set on New York and Maryland.

It's hard to imagine a better debut for the two unlikely spirits pioneers -- Mr. Orr, the marketer, and Mr. Young, the pharmacist -- who sank four years and more than a million dollars into their two-room distillery, the first in Western Pennsylvania to produce booze of any kind since the Monongahela rye distilleries closed up decades ago.

"The initial purchase was really low -- it was only 150 cases," said Mr. Young, talking about the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's first order, back in August. A month ago, they were shipping 220 cases.

But the Dec. 19 shipment was 300 cases. Total, they've shipped 2,300 cases -- 13,800 bottles -- since August.

"Sales have just steadily grown," he said.

Which seems to suggest that word of the vodka is spreading. In October, Moon's Hyeholde, one of the region's finest restaurants, organized a dinner party using Boyd & Blair with each course. The Union Project annual "Unwrapped" fund-raiser, in November, featured a Boyd & Blair tasting. And Boyd & Blair vodka was one of several being offered for sampling at the second Pittsburgh Whiskey and Fine Spirits Festival at Heinz Field, also in November.

Today, Boyd & Blair is featured on 20 cocktail menus, Mr. Orr said, and it's on the shelves in about 75 bars and restaurants, including Cafe Zao (Downtown), Dish Osteria & Bar (South Side), Enrico's Ristorante (Shadyside), Hoffstot's (Oakmont), Mountainview Inn (Greensburg) and Sauce (Bridgeville). Today it's carried at state stores from here to the edge of the Philadelphia metro area, and in a few weeks, 72 Philadelphia-area state stores will carry it, too (No. 005936, $29.49).

"Unfortunately, it's not always [carried] on a regular basis," Mr. Orr said.

"People hear that it's at this restaurant, and they'll migrate there. And the next thing you know, the restaurant is out."

The good news is, they'll soon be able to migrate to Ohio. On Dec. 17, the pair ventured to Ohio to prepare for Boyd & Blair's launch across the state border, planned for early this year. Mr. Orr and Mr. Young don't know yet if the state's Division of Liquor Control will allow their vodka to be distributed across Ohio, or just in the eastern half of the state, but either way, it's another big step for the young distillery.

As long as we're talking about vodka, we should mention that White Diamond vodka is now available in Pittsburgh-area state stores. That's notable for two reasons -- first, the vodka is distilled in Latvia, which is a bit unusual, because traditionally, the Latvians had called their vodka degvins, meaning "burned wine," and it was made with grapes instead of grain or potatoes, a rather loose interpretation of what we now know as vodka. White Diamond, on the other hand, is made with grain, one of just a few Latvian distilleries now making vodka the "authentic" way.

Second, the American distributor for White Diamond is Beverage Brands Inc. (vodkabrands.com), in Shadyside. Mark Lucero runs the operation. If it's not in your state store, find it online (PLCB No. 009352, $12.99 for 1 liter).