What The Heck Is Empire Rye? And Why Should You Drink It?

Isn’t this logo cool?

A few months ago I wrote a big, long, slightly nerdy (but engaging!) article for Whisky Advocate (only available in print in the Spring 2022 issue, so no link) about distilleries that use either their own estate-grown rye or locally grown rye in their whiskeys. I talked to a lot of people and got a lot more information than could fit in the article. I’ve been meaning to post some of the interviews I did in relatively unedited form on this very site, and I swear it’s gonna happen — stay tuned! But in the meantime, I used some of my interview with the founder/distiller of the NY Distilling Co., the legendary Allen Katz, to take a deeper dive into Empire Rye for the good folks at Alcohol Professor (the link for which is right -> HERE <-).

Empire Rye isn’t an official designation — yet. But through the efforts of Katz and his fellow NY State distillers, it’ll hopefully get there. If you’ve enjoyed rye from Hudson Whiskey, Kings County Distillery, Katz’s own Ragtime Rye, or a host of other New York-based distilleries, then you’ve already had Empire Rye. If not, read the article and you may find yourself thirsty for it. You’ve been warned.