Not only was it safe to drink, but it went so well with an assortment of rye cocktails and occasions. For generating over 300 gallons of this sweet nectar, and saw critics from mob bosses to movie stars and politicians sip on this new delicious style of spirits. Iowa Legendary Rye is an excellent example, hailing from the prohibition era circa the 1930s from Northern America in the booziest little-town during Prohibition. Proportions are not a reliable indicator of quality, as flavor profiles vary widely regardless, but for a true expression of the spirit, try a 100 percent rye. To be classified as straight rye whiskey, the mash must contain at least 51% rye and be blended with other grains such as corn, wheat, or barley. Because rye is a much more difficult grain to work with than corn, many distillers combine it with other grains. Rye whiskey is generally more delicate, spicy, and complex than bourbon. It is currently experiencing a renaissance, resurfacing in the spotlight due to the emergence of several astute new brands. Due to declining production standards developed a reputation as a bottom-shelf paint thinner, allowing bourbon to usurp it. Then came Prohibition, and rye was never the same again. In the nineteenth century, it was the preferred alcoholic beverage in the United States of America. Many New Englanders began drinking Canadian Whisky and dubbed it “Rye” due to the majority of Canadian whisky made with rye grain. Due to the growing popularity of bourbon, sales of Pennsylvania rye declined, and companies such as National and Schenley relocated rye production to their Kentucky distilleries. Pennsylvania distilling became uneconomical due to rising taxes and stricter regulations than in Kentucky. Pennsylvania reverted to a control state, with politicians hostile to the distilling industry. Maryland rye as a blended whiskey eventually lost market share to aged bourbon, and distilleries began to close. Prohibition dealt the next major blow to the popularity of rye whiskey.Īfter the repeal of Prohibition, distilleries returned to Pennsylvania and Maryland, but not in the same numbers as in Kentucky. ![]() Force labeled as a blended whiskey during the rising popularity of straight corn whiskey. Then the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act came dangerously close to eliminating Maryland Rye as a category. ![]() Both styles were trendy in the nineteenth century. Maryland rye or primarily rectified rye sweetened with cherry or prune juice for flavor. In Pennsylvania, rye whiskey distilled from 100% straight rye was the preferred method. While rye production concentrated in Pennsylvania and Maryland, rye produced in Kentucky and other Ohio Valley states with thriving whiskey industries. The fact is that that region of the United States had a higher population density than the southern or western states. Throughout the nineteenth century, rye whiskey was a prevalent spirit in the northeastern United States. However, there was sufficient demand for unaged rye that Pierre Lacour included recipes for both aged and unaged Monongahela ryes in his 1860s book of rectifying. Melville describes the blood from a harpooned whale as “red as some Old Monongahela” in the novel Moby Dick, indicating that aged rye was widespread and that Americans would recognize the simile. ![]() To meet demand, America needed to develop a new source of distilled spirits.īy the 1820s, rye whiskey had developed into a mature spirit. It gained popularity following the American Revolution, as British political maneuvers caused the supply of sugar cane from the West Indies to dwindle. This early rye whiskey was an unaged product produced by farmer distillers in the frontier region surrounding modern Pittsburg and more significant operations further east near Philadelphia. Rye whiskey was famous in those areas because rye thrived there – probably better than corn. Making rye whiskey was popular in areas settled by Germanic peoples, such as the “Pennsylvania Dutch.” The Beams, the Overholts, and the Schenks are all early Pennsylvania distillers originally from Germany or Switzerland. Rye was the preferred grain in the Netherlands and Germany, reinforcing beliefs that Germanic culture contributed to American whiskey traditions as the Scottish and Scotch-Irish people in Colonial America. In 1640, William Kleft, the Director of the Dutch Colony of New Amsterdam, directed a rye whiskey distillery. The first whiskey recorded in America was rye whiskey. When we talk about the history of prohibition-era rye whiskey, well, many individuals might not know that.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |