Contrary to popular belief, rye was actually America's native spirit. George Washington owned the largest rye distillery in the country after he left the White House. Historically, it was a very important cocktail ingredient. But by the end of the 20th century, rye had practically disappeared from stores and bars.
In Regarding Cocktails, Sasha Petraske's posthumous 2016 book, written by Georgette Moger-Petraske, Solomon shares the drink's origins. "I was inspired to create the Bensonhurst as an alternative to the Brooklyn cocktail, partly because of the lack of original-formula Amer Picon," he says in the book. "Vincenzo Errico had already created the Red Hook at Milk & Honey in 2004 as the first of the Brooklyn variations, which set the precedent of choosing other Brooklyn neighborhoods to name the variations it spawned."
2XO ("Two Times Oak") is the work of American whiskey blender Dixon Dedman. The brand takes its name from the blending process, where every release has "additional oak exposure." This is the first 2XO rye release from Dedman, who is best known for his work with Kentucky Owl, a brand started by his great-great-grandfather and relaunched by Dixon in 2014.
Pappy Van Winkle releases new offerings every year, typically in the autumn and in batches of six. Bourbon aficionados come out of the woodwork, many meticulously scheming for the slight chance of snagging a special reserve bottle. Bottles can sell for thousands of dollars apiece on the secondary market - but the actual retail prices upon release are surprisingly much lower. Scoring a bottle of Pappy is indeed challenging, but here's a look at the new offerings and initial list prices (subject to availability with individual retailers).
