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Some bartenders have a secret weapon: a bottle they keep on hand to enhance drinks or add an unexpected flavor.
While he was working as a bartender at spots like Holland House, Silo, and Josephine, Robert Longhurst created his own—a coffee-infused rye whiskey.
“Rye whiskey is kind of spicy and dry so it pairs well with really bold flavors, like chocolate and coffee,” Longhurst says. “I was playing around with that behind the bar, almost trying to create my own version of amaro.”
At the time, Longhurst was also consulting with Barsmith Craft Mixers, helping create non-alcoholic bottled mixers geared toward bartenders. That’s where he met Bob Angus, CEO of Four Blue Palms, which owns Barsmith. He and Angus started brainstorming ideas and concepts, specifically around the coffee-infused rye.
“When we came up with the name Red Eye Rye, it was like a lightning bolt. The name was good and the product was great—people were already requesting it at the bar.”
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The team started bottling in 2017 and late last year, launched Standard Proof Whiskey Co. and expanded the line.
Red Eye Rye starts as a 95-percent rye-based Southern American whiskey, which is aged for 12 to 18 months in new American oak barrels. They then infuse it with ground coffee beans for around 10 to 12 weeks before bottling. It results in an 80-proof rye that drinks like an aperitif on its own or as a solid addition to cocktails. (Try the Red Eye Russian, which is two ounces of Red Eye Rye with one ounce of heavy cream over ice.)
In December, the company announced five new craft infused whiskeys that use ingredients like ginger, pecan, pineapple, and mint. They change the base rye whiskey slightly, maybe using a 51-percent rye mash bill, to better work with the more subtle infusions. And, down the road, they’re aiming to release a stand-alone straight whiskey.
Standard Proof’s current lineup appeals to a range of palates. For rye drinkers, there’s the Hickory Rye, which is infused with the essential oils of pecans. Note: This is not your pecan-pie flavored whiskey, but rather a smooth whiskey with subtle nutty notes. The Wildflower Rye, infused with honeysuckle, is a more refreshing expression with a floral sweetness and hints of honey on the end—add soda water for a smooth summer sipper. There’s a mint-based Emerald Rye, as well as a Ginger Rye, and a pineapple-infused Golden Rye.
This month, Standard Proof Whiskey Co. is slated to open a tasting room along 5th Avenue North, near Woolworth’s on Fifth. While it’s not attached to a full distillery, it will be an infusion and bottling facility.
“We’re going to have the ingredients there and people will get to interact with everything and see how we do this on a smaller scale. It’s going to be a very visual experience,” Longhurst says.
Ashley Dehnke, formerly of Josephine, has joined the team as general manager; she and Longhurst spent the spring updating and modifying their plans as the effects of COVID-19 played out.
“There's nothing like building a bar during a pandemic—everything kind of falling apart as we’re building it,” Longhurst chuckles. “But we're excited to open the doors.”