No. 102 March/April 2023

Back in 2007, for Imbibe’s 5th issue, I reported a feature on what seemed to be rye whiskey’s pending recovery from a near-death experience. At the time, I put out feelers to find every rye whiskey being made in America; the tally totaled around a dozen.

Sixteen years later, American rye whiskey’s not only recuperating well from its 20th-century near-demise, but the category’s arguably healthier than ever, with scores of expressions in circulation. Venerable brands have brushed up their bottlings and revamped their labels, and craft distillers are both exploring rye whiskey’s heritage to re-create long-slumbering styles, and pushing at the parameters of what rye whiskey can be.

For this issue, we’re diving back into rye to see how far the style has evolved, and where it’s going. Lew Bryson is a longtime observer of American whiskey, and he assesses the modern story of Monongahela rye, a historic style hailing from his native Pennsylvania. Lorain, Ohio, might be an unexpected home for great cocktails, but Robert Simonson brings us the story of Kurt and Page Hernon, owners of Speak of the Devil bar and big fans of rye whiskey. And if all this talk about rye whiskey is making you thirsty, check out our Taste Test picks of high-rye rye whiskies, then grab a bottle for your next Manhattan.

We’ve long tracked the cocktail resurgence and its impact on bars and local culinary scenes. Josh Bernstein takes a look at a surprise flex from the cocktail world—its crossover influence in breweries and taprooms. The tea bag is a ubiquitous fixture in kitchens and restaurants around the world, but as Max Falkowitz explains in his feature, its role in our cup (and our culture) is more complicated than might be expected. And for years, wine observers have been anticipating a wider embrace of wines from Mexico—Jennifer Fiedler checks in to find out if Mexican wine’s time is now. We’ve also got the story about Spanish winemakers reviving ancestral varieties, fino sherry cocktails, a guide for where to drink in Birmingham, Alabama, and Wayne Curtis’ look at the Black Nail, a forgotten cocktail that seems a perfect pick for St. Patrick’s Day.