While premium spirits and fancy cocktail cabinets are making their way into more people’s homes, one spirit Brits are being slower to discover is rye. Rye whiskey traditionally comes from the US and is made from more than 51 per cent rye grains. The result is a peppery and strong-tasting spirit that is perfect as a base for cocktails, most famously the Manhattan. Two of the most exciting rye brands are Catoctin Creek, hailing from the home of rye in Virginia, and Sagamore Spirit, from Maryland. Below, the experts at the two rye distilleries recommend their favourite cocktails for enjoying their spirit. 

Classic Manhattan cocktail recipe from Scott Harris of Catoctin Creek

The use of the Carpano vermouth makes this cocktail. The vermouth itself is totally drinkable alone: I taste figs, dates, liquorice and delicious raisins. But when added to the Manhattan, the vermouth adds a wonderful herb aroma to the sweetness of the rye.

Ingredients:

60 ml Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye

30 ml Carpano Antica sweet red Italian vermouth (the absolute best)

1 dash bitters (Peychaud’s or your favourite)

1 tsp cherry juice

Maraschino cherry for garnish

Instructions:

Pour into a mixing glass with crushed ice, stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

The Bed You Made cocktail 

This is a cocktail that celebrates spring and the abundance of flowers after a long, cold, dark winter. It tastes as beautiful as it looks.

Ingredients:

25ml pear brandy

25ml Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye whisky

10ml dry fino sherry

10ml lemon juice

15ml rose syrup

Soda water

Edible flowers to garnish

Method

Stir and strain over fresh ice in a tall glass, top with soda water. Garnish with edible wild violets and pansies. (Omit soda water and serve in a rocks glass if preferred.) 

catoctincreekdistilling.com

Sagamore Rye Whiskey Paloma 

A refreshing tart and sweet combination that brings a new dimension to the traditional Paloma cocktail with the addition of rye.  

Ingredients

45ml Sagamore Spirit Signature Rye whiskey

120ml fresh grapefruit juice

30ml honey simple syrup

Splash of club soda 

Slice of grapefruit to garnish

Method:

Fill a mixing glass and a rocks glass with ice. Combine Sagamore Spirit rye whiskey, grapefruit juice and simple syrup into mixing glass and stir for 10-15 seconds. Strain mixture into rocks glass. Top with club soda and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

Sagamore Winter Mule from Sagamore Spirit

Warming, fragrant and restorative, the Sagamore Winter Mule is the cocktail to take us through the last days of winter. 

Ingredients

45 ml Sagamore Spirit Signature Rye whiskey

30ml cranberry juice

10ml lemon juice

10 ml organic maple syrup

60 ml ginger beer

Sage leaf, optional

Instructions

Fill a Collins glass with ice. Add Sagamore Spirit Signature Rye whiskey, cranberry juice, lemon juice and maple syrup. Top with ginger beer and give a slight stir to combine. Garnish with a sage leaf. 

sagamorespirit.com