Rye Whiskey Continues to Soar in Popularity

Exploring, Industry | | View Counts (3225) |Return|

Once a “dead drink” – a whiskey largely passed over by post-prohibition drinkers as inferior to its sweeter cousin Bourbon – rye whiskey has been making an incredible comeback in the past few years as the trend for classic cocktails has brought rye back to prominence.

In fact, US sales of the spirit have increased six fold in the last six years, from slightly over $15 million in supplier revenues in 2009 to more than $106 million in 2014. That translates to about $300 million in retail sales. And it’s not just Americans leading the trend. “It’s now a global phenomenon,” DISCUS Vice President Frank Coleman told NBC News. “Bartenders in London are crazy to get their hands on American Rye.”

The overall whiskey market has been dominant in the US for the past several years, with sales of whiskey besting the performance of tequila, vodka, gin and all other key categories of spirits. But rye’s rise has been nothing short of stratospheric. “Rye whiskey should be America’s historic spirit,” says distiller Dave Pickerell. “Rye is a gloriously spicy grain. It’s big and full-bodied. It’s what you want to graduate to if you’re an American whiskey drinker.”

Rye has a good claim on the label “America’s historic spirit.” When the colonists threw their tea overboard it wasn’t just tea that went; it was the British way of life as well, and at that time that meant rum. But Americans weren’t ready to quit drinking altogether. With rye adapting well to the climate of the new colonies, there were thousands of rye distilleries up and down the east coast by 1810. George Washington himself made a good living making rye whiskey at Mt Vernon. Now Rye is back, restored to its rightful place in classic cocktails like the Manhattan.

At times, the rising demand for rye whiskey has caught producers off guard. Wild Turkey, for example, essentially ran out of its rye whiskey at one point a few years ago. Now with big brands like Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, Knob Creek and Bulleit getting in on the rye action (and more than a hundred craft distilleries across the country producing rye) there’s not likely to be another shortage anytime soon. But can rye maintain its popularity? Pickerell certainly thinks so. “Whiskey is exploding,” he says. “So it’s not about carving the pie. It’s about making more pie.”

Related

Winston Churchill: Thoughts on Whiskey

Winston Churchill: Thoughts on Whiskey

Thoughts on whiskey: “The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to add whis...

Read More >
King’s Family Distillery

King’s Family Distillery

We are proud to announce the opening of King’s Family Distillery in Sevierville, Tennessee.&nb...

Read More >
Brooks Grain Exhibiting at ADI Conference & Vendor Expo

Brooks Grain Exhibiting at ADI Conference & Vendor Expo

Brooks Grain, LLC will be exhibiting at the American Distilling Institute’s (ADI) Annual Craft...

Read More >
How to Have a Whiskey Tasting

How to Have a Whiskey Tasting

Everyone knows about wine tasting parties, but if you want to host a night that will set you apart f...

Read More >
The Bourbon Trail

The Bourbon Trail

If you have never been on the bourbon trail you simply have to place it on your bucket list. The tou...

Read More >
Bourbo-geddon? Whiskey Demand at All-Time High

Bourbo-geddon? Whiskey Demand at All-Time High

We believe it is important to be on top of Bourbon inventory levels. This article sheds some light o...

Read More >