Shift Drink

Why Rye?

The comeback of the beloved cocktail has been woefully overdue and, in the process, many people have forgotten about the spirits that actually made these drinks great. While Gin and some brandies are enjoying the limelight again, Rye Whisky gets lost in he shadows. Everybody knows its good, but does anybody really know what it is? Not likely. Unfortunately, there is not much rye made, it is not regulated by the government, and, frankly, it’s unlike anything else.

The story of Rye is a brutal tale at best, beginning just around the birth of America. Instead of settling in the bustling cities along the Eastern seaboard, Scotch, Irish, and German immigrants ventured further west toward the Alleghany Mountains, throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia. With the influx of such a diverse ethnic mix, drinks were needed to ease the adjustment. If you have ever been to Pittsburgh, the cradle of Rye production, then you’ll understand what I mean. The Scotch and Irish couldn’t figure out how to get barley to grow in the, let’s face it, shitty weather in Pittsburgh, so they needed alternative grains. The Germans had some experience working with rye in the production of schnapps. So, with the combination German know-how and Irish distilling techniques, Rye Whisky took hold.

Before those pesky Brits imposed that silly Molasses Act, Rum was the drink of choice for most colonists. Making Rum cheaply was impossible; Rye was a different story. The irony is that Rye was one of the first things taxed by the same politicians, like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who distilled it. Ah…God Bless Bureaucracy! In defense of their beloved Rye, there are documented accounts where federal enforcers were tarred, feathered and marched right back to the Capitol.

The Whisky Insurrection in Western Pennsylvania of 1794 threatened to burn down Pittsburgh. Alas, two relatively smart men sat down and hatched a plan, no doubt over a glass of Rye. The two men were, of course, Washington and Jefferson. The pair decided to offer the drunken hillbillies of Pennsy the opportunity to move to the Kentucky region of Virginia. If these rugged guys went down to Kentucky to build a permanent structure and raise the native crop, corn, then they would be exempt from paying taxes. The glory days of Rye Whisky were over.

Today, Rye is used in the production of many spirits including Gin, Vodka, and Canadian Whisky. However, a true whisky nut will understand that Rye isn’t Rye unless the word “straight” appears on the label. The term straight means that rye is the dominating grain making up at least 51% of the mash bill (the recipe of the dry cereals used in production). It also lets the consumer know that there are no additives, like caramel coloring or sugar. Today, we are now seeing distilleries make things like 100% Rye, without filtering or diluting them. It may sound a bit simplistic, but, in fact, these spirits have not been produced in this form for hundreds of years. Most Rye Whiskeys on the market today (like Canadian Club) are not examples of Straight Rye. Compared to Bourbon, Straight Rye Whisky comes across softer, not as sharp, but has a much spicier profile. Ryes make excellent cocktails, such as the classic Manhattan, but in my opinion are less ideal examples of the past than exceptional indicators of the future of mixology. If we are all lucky we can share a glass and put Rye right back on its pedestal where it belongs. That much history in one bottle is too much to go unnoticed.

Ethan Kelly
Spirit Sommelier


Visit Ethan at The Brandy Library