At the dawn of a new century, before the turbulence of Prohibition, the stalwarts of saloons and brothels alike were Ragtime and Rye. The syncopated rhythms of a uniquely American music were punctuated by well-built melody and shades of harmony; to ask for a whiskey cocktail meant a hearty Rye in hand – bold, slightly spicy and full of warm flavor. From Lincoln to the Dust Bowl, the wrath of battle to the backyard barbecue, Rye Whiskey has waxed and waned like amber waves of grain, its popularity, only recently, reclaimed as a resolute American spirit.
NY Distilling

This Brooklyn-created craft Empire Rye whiskey is made with a mash bill of 72% NY State rye (planted in 2009 and first distilled in 2012), 16% corn, 12% malted barley and then aged in full sized, charred American oak barrels for no less than 3 years. With a bottle proof of 90.4, it packs a punch yet goes down easy. Flavors of caramel, dark cherry, dried peach and bold rye make it both delicious on its own or as an elevated addition to an array of cocktails from a Boulevardier to a Manhattan or better yet, keep it hyper-local in a Brooklyn.