Men's Journal

Photo credit: Courtesy Jim Beam

The original American liquor may be staging a comeback of coolness, but it’s never been accused of being smooth. Until now.

by Sarah Rose

Bourbon may have usurped the title of American spirit, but the original king was rye, whose storied history stretches from George Washington’s distillery to the afternoon cocktails of Mad Men’s Don Draper. Over the past few decades, good ol’ boys started drinking other whiskeys, not rye, causing the liquor’s popularity to crash. Now rye is mounting a comeback, and Jim Beam is doing its part with (ri)1 (pronounced “rye one”), its first “ultra-premium” rye. Apart from a higher price tag, what exactly does ultra-premium mean? A top-shelf blend aged up to six years, which gives (ri)1 the spice of traditional rye but with a smooth, almost delicate finish. That polish allows it to better assert itself in such classic cocktails as a Manhattan, in which lesser ryes can turn one-dimensional when diluted. But it’s best on the rocks without accompaniment — besides an appreciation for revisionist history ($46; ri1whiskey.com).

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