The Rossville Distillery opened its doors in 1847 in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the then-upcoming rye whiskey capital of the world. Located near the Ohio River, the distillery had a beneficial position for trade, as well as an aquifer directly beneath it that provided limestone-filtered water. During their humble beginnings, a single blind horse was pulling the grist mill, capping the production at 2 barrels per week. But by the 20th century, the company had come a long way, capable of storing 60 thousand barrels at once. Rye whiskey was on the rise and the distillery was up to the challenge. The spirit was immensely popular before Prohibition and the old fashioned was created among other rye cocktails. Rossville Union was resurrected by MGP and continues the tradition at the historic 1847 distillery, focusing on masterfully-crafted rye whiskey. Their Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey expression is a testament to that. The smooth and slightly smoky spirit is aged at least 5 years new charred American oak barrels and bottled at 94 proof.

Tequila Finish: We finished our straight rye whiskey in Extra Añejo Tequila barrels. The result is remarkably unique tequila finished whiskey with notes of agave and vanilla on the nose and honey, peppercorn and orange citrus to taste. Pairing tequila and whiskey is always a risky move, but this was a risk worth the reward.

Tasting Notes

PALATE: Rich agave and sweet notes of honey paired with bitter orange, dried fig with floral notes. Spicy peppercorn creates a lasting finish.

PROOF: 98 (49% ABV)

AGE: 4 – 5 Years

It took over 70 years after the prohibition had ended for the distilling industry to return to New York City. New York had a flourishing distilling industry by the early 19th century, however things changed during the Civil War, when President Lincoln taxed spirits to fund the military. This resulted in many distilleries going underground before the end of the century. The fatal blow for the legal distilling industry in US came in 1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment came into effect making the production of alcohol illegal. It was only in the 21st century that small distilleries started resurging in New York. The New York Distilling Company, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is one of the oldest distilleries in the city, and was founded in 2011 by Tom Potter, a co-founder of the Brooklyn Brewery, and Allen Katz, one of the nation's leading experts on distilled spirits and cocktails. The distillery specializes in gins and rye whiskeys and has been one of the pioneers of the city's distilling renaissance that builds upon the pre-prohibition heritage. Gin distilling in New York began in the 17th century, when Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam (as New York was then called) started making a version of the Dutch spirit genever. However, it wasn't until the early 19th century when the first commercial gin was produced in the US. Gin was a popular drink during the prohibition, as it was simple to make. American gin is a bit different from London and other European gins as a result of using other botanicals. Ragtime Applejack Barrel Finished Rye Whiskey brings together two traditional strong drinks from the northeast US rye whiskey and applejack, which was most probably the first spirit to be produced in the first New York State distillery built in 1640. This whiskey is a version of the distillery's flagship Straight Rye Whiskey. After aging for two years in oak, the rye whiskey is finished for 90 days in barrels that previously held applejack in New York's Black Dirt Distillery.

It took over 70 years after the prohibition had ended for the distilling industry to return to New York City. New York had a flourishing distilling industry by the early 19th century, however things changed during the Civil War, when President Lincoln taxed spirits to fund the military. This resulted in many distilleries going underground before the end of the century. The fatal blow for the legal distilling industry in US came in 1920, when the Eighteenth Amendment came into effect making the production of alcohol illegal. It was only in the 21st century that small distilleries started resurging in New York. The New York Distilling Company, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is one of the oldest distilleries in the city, and was founded in 2011 by Tom Potter, a co-founder of the Brooklyn Brewery, and Allen Katz, one of the nation's leading experts on distilled spirits and cocktails. The distillery specializes in gins and rye whiskeys and has been one of the pioneers of the city's distilling renaissance that builds upon the pre-prohibition heritage. Gin distilling in New York began in the 17th century, when Dutch settlers of New Amsterdam (as New York was then called) started making a version of the Dutch spirit genever. However, it wasn't until the early 19th century when the first commercial gin was produced in the US. Gin was a popular drink during the prohibition, as it was simple to make. American gin is a bit different from London and other European gins as a result of using other botanicals. The Ragtime Bottled in Bond Rye Whiskey features a 75% rye, 13% corn and 12% malted barley mash bill. In addition to meeting the Empire Rye standards, this bottled-in-bond edition of New York Distilling Company's flagship Ragtime Rye is also compliant with the strict Federal Bottled in Bond Regulations. This whiskey is matured in full-size barrels for a minimum of four years and is bottled at 50% ABV.

Founded in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, IL in 2011, Few Spirits is a grain-to-glass distillery that crafts award-winning whiskey and gin, while constantly innovating and experimenting in order to bring surprising flavors to the discerning drinker. Evanston held the 1893 World's Fair, where the US was introduced to several modern inventions. The town was also known as the seat of Prohibition and would remain a dry community long after Prohibition was repealed in 1933. These 2 events became the inspiration that fueled the distiller Paul Hletko's vision of creating Few Spirits, the first legal distillery ever to craft spirits in Evanston. The ever-creative Hletko has always loved making new things, whether as an engineer, lawyer, or musician. "At the end of the day, I like to have created something that didnt exist that morning and offers something completely different," says Hletko of the passion that drove him to open the distillery. With it he focused on creating urban whiskey that could rival that of his Kentucky friends with humble beginnings in an old chop shop. Now he crafts artisanal small-batch spirits using locally-sourced grains, ages them in American oak barrels and bottles on-site into US-made glass bottles. Hletko was named Distiller of the Year in 2018's edition of the Gin Magazine's "Icons of Gin" feature. The Few Immortal Rye expression is based on their award-winning grain-to-glass Straight Rye Whiskey that is aged in air-dried oak barrels. The cask-strength straight rye that has received a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition is then brought to proof with 8 Immortals oolong tea, resulting in a complex whiskey that retains its rye character and ramps up the complexity with fruity and creamy notes of the famous tea.

Lovingly handcrafted and aged in Kentucky, Pinhook Bourbon was established in 2014 and has produced several small batch bottlings in their newly restored Castle & Key distillery in Frankfort, KY, to much critical acclaim. What makes their line unique is the brand's three distinctive characteristics: its limited availability, mass appeal and strong ties to Kentucky's legacy of horse racing. Each release of Pinhook Bourbon is named after a thoroughbred owned by Bourbon Lane Stable. The label also features the horses racing records on their brand's website. Every fall Pinhook releases a new bourbon and rye, each of which is connected to a promising young thoroughbred horse. The whiskey in each release is the best expression of our barrels at that moment in time, and we blend and proof each release to be as unique as the horse on the label. The result is an annual vintage of Pinhook Bourbon and Pinhook Rye that become instant collectibles. The Rye Humor release is the second edition of straight rye whiskeys produced by Pinhook. The traditional mashbill has over 3 years of barrel age and was blended and cut to 97 proof by Sean Josephs at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, KY. This straight rye whiskey has a perfumed nose of elderflower, aromatic wood, and preserved lemon which leads to a palate of dried papaya and caramel. Toasted vanilla, candied black licorice and honey linger, balancing an elegant yet powerful rye.

Elijah Pepper began distilling whiskey at the dawn of the American Revolution and during the War of 1812, he built the first log cabin distillery in Versailles, Kentucky. Eventually, he passed the family business on to his son, Oscar, and then on to his grandson, James E. Pepper. Colonel James E. Pepper was one of Kentucky's first Bourbon aristocrats he raced thoroughbreds in the Kentucky Derby, traveled in a private rail car and made famous the Old Fashioned cocktail. "Pepper Whisky is an old fashioned whisky, made in the old time way from a formula used for more than 100 years by three generations of the Pepper family," wrote James, in an advertisement dated August 22, 1887. "We claim not only to make the oldest but absolutely the purest and best brand of whisky made in America, and we invite comparison with any whisky of any age." In 1958, after the whiskey industry fell on hard times, the James E. Pepper Distillery was forced to close its doors. During its tenure, Pepper Whiskey, or "Old 1776 Whiskey" as it became known as, was a favorite of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Ulysses S. Grant, and was preferred by Daniel Webster, a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts. Today the re-launched brand is back in full force. "We did extensive research and spent years collecting and analyzing full, preserved bottles of original Pepper Whiskey," says Amir Peay. They even acquired a letter written by Pepper himself, detailing the exact mash bill and recipe used to create Old 1776. "We wanted to pay homage to Pepper's legacy and do our best to recreate the original Pepper Whiskey something that was part of American history," he says. The limited-quantity Single Barrel Rye Whiskey contains some of their best barrels. Crafted from a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, this straight rye is double oaked, meaning it goes for a second round of maturation in heavily toasted Kentucky oak barrels that have been air-dried for 2 years. It's a rich and complex 4-year-old rye that is bottled at 110 proof.

Manhattan Finish : Awarded 94-points from the Beverage Testing Institute.

We finished our straight rye whiskey in vermouth, bitters, and cherry brandy barrels to create a unique Manhattan Finished Rye Whiskey. Herbaceous undertones and fresh cherry sweetness make this an incredible whiskey to mix into its namesake, or savour on its own.

Tasting Notes

PALATE: Spicy herbaceous, bright cherry, vanilla, honey, a touch of dryness at the finish.

PROOF: 103 (51.5% ABV)

AGE: 4 – 5 Years

Our Laws San Luis Valley Straight Rye is born at 7,400 feet above sea level in Colorado’s pristine San Luis Valley on the Cody Family farm which has been cultivating this low yield, semi-wild rye grain since the 1930's. Using our traditional, labor intensive distilling technique we bring this grain's unique, individual character to life while our open-air, on-grain sour mash process adds the soulful complexity found within all our whiskey. Aged for a minimum of three years in our rarified thin air, this rye is luxurious in texture and generous in perfume. 

This special expression of our flagship Laws San Luis Valley Straight Rye is the first Bonded Rye in Colorado history. Aged six years, this distinctive offering exemplifies the craftsmanship, patience, and perseverance that are the hallmarks of the Laws ?here Are No Shortcuts?mantra. All of our grains are grown & harvested from family-owned Colorado Farms, furthermore our traditional practice of open air, on-grain fermentation captures the essence of Colorado? terroir with the result being a truly unapologetic authentic American Whiskey. The US Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897 was an important turning point in the history of bourbon and set forth exacting standards that offered consumers a guarantee of transparency, process, and quality. Specifically, it stipulated that the whiskey must be the product of one distilling season, from one distillery, aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof. 123 years later, this designation continues to offer those same guarantees, providing consumers with the knowledge of where, how, and when the Bourbon was produced and aged.

This distinguished straight rye whiskey is hand-crafted from rye and other grains which are 100% locally grown in New York State. Aged two to three years, this rye begins its journey in new American oak barrels and is then finished for at least one year in used Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.  Notably bottled at cask strength, this impressive rye is incredibly complex and compares favorably to even the most prestigious names in the category.  

2020 Gold – USA Spirits Ratings 96 points

2020 96 Points – The Tasting Panel

2019 Gold – John Barleycorn Awards

2018 Gold – NY World Wine & Spirits

2018 Gold Medal – Artisan Awards Competition

2018 Gold Rye Whiskey – 50 Best

Allen Katz, co-founder of New York Distilling Co., together with Tom Potter, founder of Brooklyn Brewery, Katz opened the doors to the 5,000 square-foot New York Distilling Co. facility in Brooklyn (the distillery straddles the neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Greenpoint one door to the distillery opens up to the Williamsburg zip code and the other to the Greenpoint zip code) in 2011. Since its launch, the distillery has produced a number of highly innovative and original spirits. This Ragtime Rye is the passion project of the New York Distilling Company. A longtime goal came to life as their whiskey came of age, in 53-gallon new, charred American oak barrels. The distillery's lineup includes several innovative releases including this Ragtime rye. This spirit spent 3.5 years in the barrel, handcrafted from a mash of 72% rye, 16% corn and 12% barley.