By Robert Plotkin

Rye whiskey has a long and storied history in the United States. Prior to Prohibition, it was our nation's whiskey of choice. George Washington distilled rye at his home in Mount Vernon, and it was the whiskey at the center of the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791. Until recently, however, rye whiskey's glory days appeared to be over.

Forlorn, Reborn

For more than a century, rye's production centered in and around Pennsylvania and Maryland, areas where large numbers of Scottish and Irish immigrants settled and applied their collective knowledge and expertise in distillation. Following World War II, however, sales of rye whiskeys went into a protracted slump, a decline that reflected the steady rise in popularity of soft blended whiskeys and light mixable spirits. By the 1970s rye whiskeys had all but disappeared from American bars. Fortunately, that trend has reversed itself, and the bold, exuberant flavors of American ryes are attracting a broadbased following again. It's easy to understand why after a sip or two. These are whiskeys with broad shoulders and big personalities.

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