Rye Whiskey and the Whiskey Rebellion

A few months ago, I happened upon an interesting article while searching for the perfect birthday whiskey. Entitled "Comin' Through the Rye" by Jim Burger, this article traced the history of the Whiskey Rebellion in the 1790s, whiskey taxation, and chronicled the rise (and unfortunate fall) of many early distilleries in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and throughout the bootlegging countryside. According to his article, Pikesville Rye whiskey was one of the few "originals" to make it through the tumultuous centuries to our modern day (although it's no longer distilled in Maryland - now at Heaven Hill in Kentucky). I contacted my local BevMo to see if they had it in stock, and to my elation, there were two bottles available. I "reserved" them and headed for the store.

I like a good story to go with my drink, and there seems to be a lot of them out there when it comes to rye whiskeys. According to a Scarborough Research study in 2001, most young whiskey drinkers prefer bourbons and older drinkers prefer scotch, with Canadian whiskeys coming in third overall, and rye/blended whiskeys bringing up the rear out of the four. However, many articles published in 2009 (particularly) seem to point to a rye whiskey comeback.

In "The Comeback Kid" by Paul Clarke, he claims that "the preferred whiskey of the saloon era is re-emerging." Along with some sharp photos and cocktail recipes, he gives a short history of rye whiskey's evolution and it's increasing popularity between the 1990s and today, including many new and noteworthy rye whiskeys. It seems that whiskey drinkers are returning to their roots or at least curious about them. Attribute it to what you will: economic hardships, a longing for the simple life, or the basic necessity of a good drink. As a curious whiskey drinker myself, it sent me running for my local whiskey supplier to try an original, and this weekend I'll be going back for more. What's on the docket this time? A Monongahela rye (or Pennsylvania rye) survivor from the pre-Prohibition era (albeit not in it's altogether original form): Old Overholt (formerly "Large").

Other rye whiskey articles for your reading pleasure:
The New Whiskey Rebellion

The Whiskey Rebellion: Whiskey Taxes: The Real Thing

Rye: A classic American whiskey is coming back

Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey Named "North American Whiskey of the Year"

American Whiskey: Messin' 'Round the Old Mawn-Nonga-Heelah

Welcome Sacramento Whiskey Lovers!

I have been scouring the Internet for local distilleries and whiskey forums, but I have noticed a severe shortage in both for the Sacramento area. I'll briefly share with you what I did find (upon a preliminary search), and perhaps you all can educate me further about the Sacramento whiskey-drinking sub-culture. My goal is to develop this blog into a forum of interaction where local whiskey drinkers can share their love for distilling, drinking, and discussing all things "whiskey."

Preliminary findings: First, there are the Whiskey Hills Lofts at 1818 22nd Street, Sacramento. As the name implies, these are properties...and there aren't any moonshining activities going on there that I have been made aware of. Second, there is the Wild Whiskey Saloon, which from all apparent accounts was a half-rate bar/club, which is no longer in operation (the number was disconnected when I called). Apparently they had a decent whiskey list, but not a very inviting atmosphere for the average whiskey drinker. Most Yelp bloggers out there didn't have a very high opinion of the establishment either. Third, a search for "distillery" in Sacramento, yields a hit on an establishment called "The Distillery" at 2107 L Street, Sacramento. I looked around to see if they had a website, but only found their myspace page, which made them look like more of a local band venue than anything else. I called them and found out that they "have a full bar," however they have never distilled their own whiskey. I was informed by a nice gentleman there that they simply thought it was a "cool name" about 30 years ago. When I inquired about how many whiskeys they had on their menu, they replied, "Not many." However, to their credit, they do seem to have about 3.5 stars out of 5 from their patrons. For my own purposes though, it seems that I had hit another dead end.

From what I can tell, the nearest distillery is the Hawj Brothers Distillery at 1100 Garden Highway, Yuba City (about 40 miles north of Sacramento). Beyond that, you'd have to head to San Francisco for distilleries such as Distillery No. 209 (401 Terry Francois Blvd., Pier 50 Shed B, between 3rd St & Pier 48) or Anchor Distilling/Brewing Company (1705 Mariposa Street, corner De Haro). And this is where you all come in...

It's about time that Sacramento's local whiskey lovers united. Share your favorite whiskey (or sub-variety thereof), whiskey-making recipes, local connections to distillers, etc. Let's build this network and see where it goes. I know you're out there...