Old School

Back in the day, way back in my teenage years, the only straight rye whisky that my dad sold was Old Overholt. Suffice it to say that I knew nothing at all about Old Overholt. (Today's Overholt is owned by, and distilled at Jim Beam. Originally, it was distilled somewhere in Pennsylvania, which was also the home of other great American distilleries, chief among them Michters, where Hirsch was brewed and bottled.) What little I knew back in the 60s was that most whiskies were blends, and that the leading top shelf blends in those days -- Canadian Club and Seagrams VO -- were largely rye. And in fact, back in those days, when one ordered a highball like rye and ginger, one was likely to get CC or VO as the rye. Maybe 7 Crown. As for straight whisky, in those days one was pretty much talking about bourbon. All the scotch sold in this country, except perhaps for a couple specialty stores located in big cities like NY, was blended whisky. Glenlivet had not yet hit the shelves here, so scotch drinkers were buying Johnny Walker, or Cutty, or Dewars, or J&B, or Ballentine, or Pinch, or Black and White, etc. etc. etc. There were loads of blended scotches. Anyway, we sold about as much Overholt as Rock & Rye -- in other words, close to nothing. Maybe a bottle or two a month, if that.

So as my readers know, I've been making my own Rock and Rye for the better part of a year now, having discovered the recipe in Imbibe, the history of the cocktail in America. I've typically made it with Sazerac, which is an excellent rye whisky that's bottled at 90 proof. One time I made it with Rittenhouse Rye, which comes in at one hundred proof. Of the two, I preferred the Sazerac; maybe it was the higher alcohol content, but the Rittenhouse seemed to give the Rock and Rye a little bite. But more recently, I made a batch with Old Overholt. I wasn't all that familiar with Overholt, despite my long standing acquaintance with this whisky, but I know that some places, including Good Luck, use Overholt as their well rye, so I figured it couldn't be all that bad.

I'm pleased to report that the latest batch of Rock and Rye might be the best yet. We tasted it before we had finished the last jar, and the Overholt batch was softer and smoother than the Sazerac recipe. That might be simply because Overholt is only eighty proof, and the extra five percent alcohol gives the other mix a harder edge. But I liked the flavor better as well. It wasn't just the softer profile; it was a touch sweeter, which works well for Rock and Rye.

So there you have it.  It can't get any more old school than Rock and Rye made with Old Overholt straight rye whisky.