Best Rye Whiskeys For President’s Day

By Richard Thomas

George Washington was a soldier, patriot, and statesman, but he was also an ambitious businessman, determined to break out of the failing business model of the Virginia tobacco planter and wring profit from his land holdings. Part of that effort was building a distillery on his Mount Vernon estate in the late 1790s, which at the time was the biggest in America and a real money maker. Among other things, the distillery produced a barely aged rye whiskey and a rye flavored with cinnamon.

What better way to celebrate the state holiday and remember George Washington than to pour a spirituous descendant of one of his more profitable ventures? Five ryes in particular stand out not just for good sipping, but also because they capture some of the historical character of the Revolutionary era.

1. Mount  Vernon Whiskey: The most authentic President’s Day whiskey is the white rye from Mount Vernon itself, made following Washington’s own mashbill under the advice of Master Distiller Dave Pickerell, formerly of Maker’s Mark and currently with WhistlePig and Hillrock. Many snobs, who praise tradition while disdaining unaged whiskey, want the drinking public to forget that the roots of American whiskey-making, including what came out of Washington’s landmark establishment, were white whiskeys. The Mount Vernon white rye is a big reminder of where it all started (350 ml bottle, $95).
2. Wigle White Rye: Another way to celebrate President’s Day is to thumb your nose at Washington, and embrace the Whiskey Rebellion! Critics of the much-hated Whiskey Tax rightly pointed out that it favored big distillers, like Washington, and slighted farmer-distillers, such as Pittsburgh’s Philip Wigle. Wigle’s Organic White Rye is a nod to what men like their namesake produced, and to date is the only unaged whiskey to earn an “A” grade from us. (750 ml, $28.79, barely available outside of Wigle Distillery).
3. Old Overholt: While Old Overholt is a three year old rye, the brand dates back to 1810, and is one of the most venerable in America. Plus it’s connection Prohibition-era Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon got both of them a recent turn on the historical gangster drama Boardwalk Empire, giving it a certain popular notoriety. Furthermore, it’s cheap and, unlike the aforementioned Wigle and Mount Vernon, it’s widely available. (750 ml, $15)
4. Old Potrero 18th Century: Billed as an 18th Century-style rye whiskey, this is the kind of thing the rye-lover wants to get his hands on. The whiskey is a 100% rye, pot distilled, and cask strength. So if you don’t want to go for an authentic, Washingtonian white rye, and Old Overholt is too predestrian for you, Old Potrero 18th Century is the best rye for President’s Day. (750 ml bottle, $60).
5. Commander’s: From Heritage Distilling in Washington State, Commander’s is a white rye made with an eye on the Washington tradition and in the state bearing his name. (750 ml, $35, barely available outside Washington, Oregon, and Alaska).