Templeton Rye Spirits

Templeton Rye imagines a time when cocktails were illegal and the mobsters were real.

Back in 2001, Scott Bush and Meryl Kerkhoff formed a partnership to bring back the “Templeton Rye” brand back to market. Back in the dark days of Prohibition a group of farmers met secretly in the little town of Templeton, Iowa — becoming bootleggers to supplement their incomes. This was the first Templeton Rye Whiskey. It is said that it was Al Capone’s favorite hooch, who called it “The Good Stuff.” The end of Prohibition and an economic recovery put an end to the original Templeton Rye, and the new version is a tribute to it.

Most of the Rye spirits used by brands in the United States comes out of MGP in Indiana (they’ve gotten very good at it), and Templeton is no exception. But it follows their specific formulation: 95% Rye, a dash of corn and barley, and a full four years of aging in new charred oak. Legally, you only need to have 51% Rye in the mash bill to call it “Rye,” so if you are a fan of Rye Whiskey you will definitely get the spice and zing you are looking for. We suggest you get yourself a bottle now, mix up a perfect Manhattan Cocktails, and raise a glass to federal prisoner #AZ-85 — Al Capone.

Smart-ass Corner: So, why not 100% Rye? Well, of all the grains, Rye is the most temperamental. It can be REALLY hard to get the yeast to grab ahold of the Rye and get started off right. So adding just a bit of corn for sugar and barley for enzymes help smooth out the fermenting process.