Rittenhouse
Ask just about any bartender for his go-to rye, and you’ll hear the same two names: Rittenhouse and Old Overholt. (We’ll get to the latter in a second.) Produced in Kentucky by the Heaven Hill distillery, it’s made from the minimum of 51 percent rye, but since it’s bottled at 100 proof, there’s still a pleasant bite to it. Around $30 a bottle? It’s hard to find any whiskey, period, that’s a better value.
Old Overholt
Like Rittenhouse, another mixologist favorite; like Rittenhouse, a killer value. Though now produced in Kentucky, Old Overholt began its life more than two centuries ago in western Pennsylvania, and it’s got everything you want in a bottle of rye—spicy and smooth and easy to mix into cocktails. At 80 proof, it’s a little less aggressive than Rittenhouse (and a little cheaper, too). $17
Ragtime Rye
The New York Distilling Company had always intended to make spirits for cocktails, gin and rye chief among them. Gin is a lot quicker to produce, and the distillery’s Dorothy Parker and Perry’s Tot gins are huge favorites in the bartender community. Only much more recently, after years in the barrel, was Ragtime Rye released. Distilled from rye grown in New York State, it’s warm and distinctly spicy, a dream in cocktails. $45
Knob Creek
Even Knob Creek’s bourbon contains a strong dose of rye, so it’s no surprise their own rye whiskey has a real bite to it. At 100 proof, it’s aggressive but pleasant, the barrel flavor robust, the spicy-fruity personality of rye shining through. $40
George Dickel Rye
Headquartered in Tennessee, Dickel treats its rye like the rest of its whiskey—filtering it through charcoal that’s made from the wood of sugar maple. The result is softly textured, almost creamy, while its 95 percent rye content means there’s still a sharp, spicy bite. $26
