RIGHTEOUS RYE’S TIME TO SHINE

BY TOM FIRTH

Rye has been used for millennia to fill hungry bellies, and by extension - whet thirsty palates. But, it’s really in the last few decades that things have been taking off again. In the United States, seemingly as an alternative to bourbon (being corn-centric), but also as more distilleries expanded out of the corn belt during the craft boom, and fueled too by America’s love of Canadian whisky (more on that another time), but also bringing to the fore a bigger, fuller, and yes - spicier spirit, to drive cocktail creation and expand the offerings to consumers. Canadians owe their love of rye in whisky to Dutch and German settlers who brought the hardy, long-stemmed cereal over with them, and it was these same settlers who likely started adding a little rye into the mash for whisky, making for a little extra “oomph” and flavour. Adding a “little” rye to the wheat and barley, and corn to the mash, is operative as rye is a bit of a pain in the ass to work with. The “mash” for those interested, is a bit like a porridge that is fermented (like making beer) and later distilled. Rye contains more complex polysaccharides, and most distillers try to get some of the rye flavours into their whiskies without too many of the rye drawbacks. Keith Robinson of Canmore’s Wild Life Distillery shares that, “Rye can be challenging to work with as a grain but the flavour that flows from the still makes it all worth it… using the right combination of enzymes to break down the starches present in the rye grain, you can successfully convert starches to sugars that are fermentable.”

Most rye produced in Canada comes from the Prairie provinces, with smaller amounts coming from Ontario and Quebec, but it’s the cold-hardiness and ability to grow in a shorter season and in less fertile soils that are part of the appeal for farmers. Geoff Fischer, of the Country Malt Groups, explains that “Rye whiskey, in general, has been experiencing a resurgence in the last decade. Distilleries are looking at heirloom, regional sources of rye and experimenting with different inclusion rates, yeast strains, and barrel finishing techniques. Craft distillers are even embracing specialty ryes such as Crystal Rye, Biscuit Rye, and Chocolate Rye to create unique profiles.”

According to Kensington Wine Market’s globally recognized whisky expert, Andrew Ferguson, “Rye is one of the most difficult grains to work with, but it also produces one of the most flavourful spirits. Whether it is distilled straight, or in a mixed mash of grains, rye gives the resulting spirit a rich, oily, and spicy profile.”

“I think Canadian rye (100 percent rye) is one of the most exciting categories of Canadian whisky for consumers right now, and I expect we’ll see producers and brands continue to respond to that. We still struggle from confusion in the category that the terms “rye” and “Canadian whisky” are interchangeable,” says Alex Hamer of Artisan Distillers Canada, adding, “This isn’t a criticism of brands that chose to call their whiskies rye, as this has been a tradition for a long time, but as the diversity in the market changes, and consumers come to expect more transparency, we may find this impacting the category in some way or another.”

Canada in some ways is at a turning point for its whisky production. Canadian whisky doesn’t have to actually contain any rye in it at all, though historically it was more of a nod to some of the spicier flavours (often coming from rye) in our whiskies. Producers likely need to focus on updated labelling, clearly sharing their grain content for their whiskies, but also even borrowing from the wine world and discussing the terroir of their whiskies. Site and situation – what are you doing that makes yours so special? So too would producers benefit from updated regulations from both provincial and federal regulations – clearly identifying what makes a whisky “Canadian” and what makes it a rye whiskey FROM Canada.

Now is the time for distillers to lead the way and show both domestic and international markets that right now, we are in the renaissance of rye spirits.