By Kayleigh Kulp
July 12, 2014
Rye whiskey is difficult to get. Decent ryes take anywhere from five to 10 years to age, and there’s a shortage of grain producers. So search it out, and savor it.
Rye whiskey is America’s spirit, arguably even more than bourbon. When the British blocked American ports during the Revolution, preventing molasses shipments from getting in, the colonists forewent rum and instead made rye whiskey with local grain. (Take that, redcoats!) Revolutionary soldiers were given rye whiskey rations to get through the day. George Washington eventually created a wildly successful business distilling, selling and trading it. Bourbon came later.
“Truly, America was settled on the back of rye whiskey and our independence was won on the back of rye whiskey,” says Dave Pickerell, a master distiller and spirits consultant for brands like Hillrock Estate Distillery, WhistlePig, and George Washington’s Distillery & Gristmill at Mount Vernon.
