The Rise of Ryes
Bourbon may get all the glory, but its cocktail cousin rye has also been enjoying quite a boom. Sales of rye whiskey in the United States have increased 900 percent in the past eight years—or $160 million. Credit George Washington himself for the American renaissance—the founding father (and the cause of the Whiskey Rebellion) made his own rye at Mount Vernon, and his original distillery reopened there in 2007. As for the taste, rye is bolder and spicier than bourbon—which is made from at least 51 percent corn, hence the sweetness. So if you like a cocktail dry, go with rye.
Front row: Hochstadter’s Family Reserve ($200); Redemption 18-Year-Old Rye, the Ancients Collection ($450); Lock Stock & Barrel 18-Year Straight Rye ($230); Ragtime Rye ($44). Back row: Whistle Pig The Boss Hog, The Black Prince IVth edition ($499); Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye ($75); Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye Whiskey ($70)