In 1898, Teddy Roosevelt a Long Island native organized the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, commonly known as the "Rough Riders," in preparation for the Spanish-American War. The regiment comprised 1,250 volunteers from across the country, including cowboys, Native Americans and other pioneers of the West. After seeing action in Cuba, the Rough Riders earned a decisive victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill before returning to Long Island. Upon their return, the soldiers celebrated their victory and presented Colonel Roosevelt with a small bronze statue of a cowboy riding a bucking horse. "There could have been no more appropriate gift from such a regiment," wrote Roosevelt later. "Most of them looked upon the bronze with the critical eyes of professionals. I doubt if there was any regiment in the world which contained so large a number of men able to ride the wildest and most dangerous horses." Crafted by Long Island Spirits, Rough Rider The Big Stick Cask Strength Rye Whiskey pays homage to Roosevelt's First United States Volunteer Cavalry, and reminds us of the President's old foreign policy adage, Speak softly and carry a big stick. The whiskey is crafted from 100% Long Island winter rye, which is planted on local farms to maintain the sustainable characteristics of the soils following the harvesting of Long Island's iconic potatoes. Aged in 30-gallon American oak barrels, Rough Rider The Big Stick Cask Strength Rye Whiskey is micro-blended from just eight barrels before being bottled at 121 proof. Rough Rider The Big Stick Cask Strength Rye Whiskey has an aroma of toasted rye bread, marmalade and cinnamon sugar, which leads to notes of malt chocolate and chile peppers on the palate. The finish is a touch warm and very smooth. "It's part of the pioneer spirit to try to do something by putting your own signature on it," says Richard Stabile, Long Island Spirits founder and master distiller.

Once a year, Long Island Spirits hand selects 5 our finest aged Bourbon Barrels and bottles fewer than a couple of hundred cases per batch. This high-rye straight bourbon whisky is aged between 4 and 7 years prior to receiving additional maturation in French Oak casks from local wineries that have been rinsed with high proof brandy. When the perfect flavor and balance are achieved, Happy Warrior is bottled straight from cask at 114 proof. Extremely limited releases are selected from the finest casks in the barrel warehouse.

Long Island Spirits, makers of Rough Rider, was established in 2007 as the first distillery on Long Island since the 1800's and became the 100th Distillery in the United States of America; today there are over 1,600 distilleries throughout the USA. Surrounded by centuries old of potato, corn and rye farms, the distillery is located on the bucolic North Fork of Long Island, in the heart of the acclaimed wine region. The North Fork boasts over 60 wineries and dozens of pre-revolutionary family-owned farms that have been blessed with a microclimate that is very similar to the Bordeaux region in France. Housed in twin-cupola barn that has been repurposed into a state of the art Craft Distillery. Long Island Spirits is proud of its sustainable distillery practices and the innovative fermenting, distilling and blending techniques it has pioneered and the fact that all our spirits are non-chill filtered.

Although Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the United States, it is most commonly associated with Bourbon County, Kentucky, where it has been produced since the late 18th century. Made from a mash bill containing at least 51% corn, the Bourbon Whiskey distillate must be aged in new, charred white oak barrels. Bourbon Whiskeys are bottled at eighty proof (40% abv) or higher and cannot contain any added color or flavor. A versatile spirit that can be sipped neat, with water or on the rocks, it also performs nicely added to cocktails like the Old Fashioned.