Good old pre-Prohibition New Yorker Rye.

America was a fun place to be before the fun-hating people started the Prohibition, and one of the things one could hear in joyful saloons and hush-hush brothels was "ragtime." Ernest Hogan, Ben Harney, and Scott Joplin were household names and this lovely American Straight Whiskey is bringing back the syncopated rhythms and alluring harmonies. And it has to be Rye, because be it Lincoln or some Dust Bowl traveler, if you asked for a Whiskey cocktail, you got Rye Whiskey.

Now, New York Distilling bets on Rye grown in the New York State (most of the mix), corn and malted barley. They pour the potion into enormous 53-gallon American oak barrels and age it for three years until it's more than just perfect. This rich and intense Spirit can really handle any of the big names out there. But if we can make a suggestion, make Kings of Manhattan with Vermouth, Punt e Mes, Angostura and some orange bitters. Just don't forget to taste it straight first.