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Turns out that George Washington was right about Whiskey too.

How often can you say that your Whiskey recipe dates from 1753? That’s when John Shenk founded Shenk’s Whiskey in Pennsylvania. It was America’s first production distillery from before America was a country. In fact, it is said that George Washington himself set out from nearby Valley Forge and personally requisitioned casks for his soldiers wintering there.

The company has gone through several name changes and eventually moved to Kentucky. Now, more than 260 years later, they still do it the right way, producing a range of American Whiskeys.

Rye is really popular these days, and with good reason — it’s tasty! When you see Rye Whiskey newcomers calling their spirit a “classic Rye,” you can bet they are comparing themselves to Michter’s Rye Whiskey, because Michter’s was literally the first. Every bottle of their Straight Rye Whiskey is single barrel. There is no blending, no vatting, no topping off, and it’s served at 42.8% ABV. Since this, almost by definition, means limited quantities it can sometimes be hard to get.

Smartass Corner:
George Washington famously loved his Rye Whiskey. In fact, after he served as the first president of the United States, he returned to his farm at Mount Vernon and started a small Rye distillery of his own.

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