Rye is bourbon’s feisty cousin. Unlike bourbon, which must be made from at least 51 percent corn, American rye whiskey requires a minimum of 51 percent of its namesake tall, spiky grain in its mash bill. Its dominance imparts the liquid with a distinctive spicy punch, making it the ideal counterpoint to bourbon’s sweetness. It took a while for rye’s star to rise during the country’s 21st century spirits boom, especially compared to bourbon. Yet the category’s enjoying a spike in gro...
