Rye whiskey

Lion's Pride Whiskey First Chicago Distilled Since Prohibition

Filed under: Spirits

The first whiskey legally produced in Chicago since Prohibition will be available just in Midway this year, but it will get distribution beyond Illinois in the New Year.

Launched November 6, Lion's Pride Organic Whiskey, distilled at Koval Distillery in Ravenswood, comes in four single-grain expressions: rye, oat, dark rye and dark oat. Price is $48.00 for a 750 ml bottle.

Named in honor of Lion Birnecker, the son of Koval's owners Sonat and Robert Birnecker, Lion's Pride joins a line of vodka, liqueurs and other spirits made in the Birneckers' copper still.

Tags: alcohol, Lions Pride whiskey, liquor, organic, organic liquor, organic whiskey, rye whiskey, whiskey, whisky

WhistlePig 100% Rye Whiskey

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

WhistlePig Farm Distillery, a Vermont-based distillery, has launched WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey, a new 100 proof whiskey made of rye grain.

The whiskey is hand selected by Dave Pickerell, master distiller at this Vermont distillery. WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey retails at a suggested price of $69.99 for a 750ml bottle. That runs higher than most Rye on the market. Rittenhouse, for example, retails for $19.99 in most outlets. Ri(1) retails for about $48.00.

WhistlePig is already being served at several New York restaurants like Blue Hill, Pastis, Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park and The Standard Hotel.

WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey, aged in new American oak barrels for a minimum of 10 years, is hand bottled in Vermont's Champlain Valley at WhistlePig Farm. The whiskey is available in California, Illinois, New York and other select markets. Unlike many rye whiskies, WhistlePig is 100% rye and is bottled at 100 proof, making this a perfect choice for cocktails.

On the nose, WhistlePig offers nice wood notes from the oak casks, with hints of vanilla and caramel. Notes of dried orange peel, cinnamon, allspice and clove also appear, hinting at the flavors to be found inside.

Tags: alcohol, liquor, Rittenhouse Tye, rye, Rye whiskey, spirits, whiskey, whisky, Whistlepig

White Owl Whisky: The Clear Alternative from Highwood Distillers

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

White or clear whiskies aren't entirely new to the market. American distillers have been producing them for years. Explaining their lack of color is simple enough: "fresh make spirit" – that is, whisk(e)y straight from the still – comes out clear. The amber color we're used to in our whiskies is imparted by the years spent aging in wooden barrels. American clear whiskey simply skips that step, giving customers a clear spirit that can be used in cocktails just a you would vodka or gin, just with a different flavor – while skipping the time-intensive aging processs.

White Owl Whisky takes a different approach. Unlike in the United States where regulations don't mandate that a whisky needs to be aged, Canadian rules are closer to those in Scotland: a whisky must be aged for at least three years in wooden barrels to be called whisky. White Owl does even better, with some of the spirits contained therein having been aged for ten years. Its makers Highwood Distillers of Alberta have filtered it extensively through charcoal until the color is gone, but the flavor stays.

The result can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks like any other whisky, or mixed into cocktails for a fresh take on the Bloody Caesar – a Canadian version of the Bloody Mary that adds clam juice and which Highwood calls the Clam WOW (White Owl Whisky) – or the Night Owl, an intriguing alternative to the usual Vodka/Red Bull.

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Tags: canadian whisky, clear whiskey, clear whisky, highwood, highwood distillers, rye whiskey, rye whisky, whisky, white owl whisky

Mt. Vernon Adds Peach Brandy To Rye. Sells Rye for $25K at Auction

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Auctions

George Washington was not only the first President, "Father of our Country" and hero of the American Revolution, he was also a passionate distiller of rye whiskey and brandy.

At a reconstructed distillery [pictured] at Washington's estate, Mt. Vernon, there has been an effort to recreate both the rye and peach brandy that Washington made, sold, consumed, served and gifted to common folk as well as luminaries of his day.

Last summer, Mt. Vernon sold a limited edition of 470 bottles of the recreated rye whiskey. The bottles sold out in two hours at $85 each. And earlier this month, bottles #1 and #2 sold as a pair at auction for $25,000 to, ironically, an anonymous U.K. buyer.

But this month saw industry craftsman and leaders gather at Mt. Vernon to see if they could recreate a peach brandy that was as close to Washington's own recipe as they think possible. There is no written recipe for Washington's brandy, but the hope is that by distilling it in a still that is a close replica of the first President's and from juice from the local peaches Washington would have used, the "spirit" of the brandy will be close to what it was 240 years ago.

Tags: brandy, George Washingtons Rye, Mount Vernon, Mt. Vernon, Peach Brandy, rye, rye whiskey, Washington Peach Brandy, whiskey, whisky

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Crown Royal Sending Special Camo Gift Bags to Troops Overseas

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Charity

Crown Royal's iconic purple velour bags have become a symbol unto themselves, but they're getting a dose of the camouflage treatment this year to honor our troops stationed overseas. The initiative will see the Canadian rye whisky distillers sending as many as 10,000 gift packages to American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq (amongst other global positions).

The packages include such personal items such as a toothbrush, razor and sunscreen, snacks and phone cards, all packed inside specially-designed purple camo versions of the iconic pouches. We're guessing that military procedures precluded them from sending actual bottles of whisky, which would undoubtedly be more thoroughly enjoyed, but the public can take part in the campaign – spearheaded by football coach and brand spokesman Jimmy Johnson – by buying bottles of the rye whisky packaged in the special purple-camo bags from their local liquor stores across the United States.

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Tags: afghanistan, canadian whisky, crown royal, gift package, iraq, military, purple bag, rye whiskey, rye whisky, soldiers, support our troops, troops, whisky

Canadian Mist Black Diamond Rye Whisky

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Lovers of rye whisky take note: Canadian Mist is set to march on the United States with a new premium expression. Called Black Diamond, the special Canadian Mist was created in response to customers who liked the existing rye, but wanted something a little more special for special occasions.

Like the regular Canadian Mist, the Black Diamond is distilled in Ontario using water from the Georgian Bay, North America's largest pure water source. Black Diamond upgrades with an increased sherry flavor and a higher rye content, bottled at 86 proof, and will launch in six states this month before being rolled out coast to coast early next year. Suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle comes in at an entirely reasonable $14.99.

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Tags: black diamond, canadian mist, canadian mist black diamond, canadian whisky, rye, rye whiskey, rye whisky, whiskey, whisky

New York Hudson Rye Turning Heads

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Rye consumption has been climbing in cities with a strong cocktail scene: New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami. Bartenders are playing around with variations on the classic Manhattan, among other concoctions. Into the trend has come what the distiller is calling New York's first Rye since Prohibition: Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey.

Created by Tuthiltown Spirits in Gardiner, New York, it is 92-proof, not that high for Rye and many of today's boutique whiskies. But it's high enough to give it a bit of heat on the tongue. The bottles, in limited supply, are hand-filled, capped and waxed. The starting price is $51.00. But the distillery also offers custom labeling and engraving for extra fees.

For Rye drinkers, there is only so many choices for experimenting. This expression, aged in American oak casks, is very much worth having on the shelf. Smooth, spicy and a touch of sweetness. Medium finish. I drank it straight, as well as having it in a Manhattan.

It's best to go to the website to find retail locations, which include Ace Beverages in Washington DC and Daly City, CA and 1st Avenue Wine and Liquors in New York City.

Tags: artisanal spirits, ArtisanalSpirits, Hudson Manhattan Rye, HudsonManhattanRye, Manhattan Cocktail, ManhattanCocktail, Rye Whiskey, RyeWhiskey

Signed Bush Whiskey Fetches Big Bucks

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

More expensive whiskey news. This time it is a relatively new bottle selling for the big bucks. A bottle of George Washington's Straight Rye whiskey, number five of a limited edition of 24 bottles, the first ever made at the distillery of one President and signed by former president George H.W. Bush went for $35,000 at a recent gala. The winning bidder was John R. Frank, Vice Chairman of Sidney Frank Importing Co., a company that imports spirits such as Tommy Bahama rum and Jagermeister. The proceeds benefit Historic Mount Vernon's educational programs. I wonder how much it would have fetched if the current President Bush signed it.

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Tags: george herbert walker bush, george washington, GeorgeWashington, rye whiskey