Maryland-Style Rye
ReferenceMaryland
Famous For
★◆◆
Manhattan
Whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters. The cocktail that built the cocktail bar.
Sazerac
New Orleans named it the official cocktail of the city in 2008 but it had been running the town since the 1850s.
Vieux Carré
Rye and cognac split-base stirred with vermouth and Benedictine. The Quarter's finest export.
ABV40-50%
Sub-styles
Tasting Notes
Rye spice gentled by corn, caramel, honey, baking spice, dried cherry, vanilla, smooth corn sweetness, toffee. Defining characteristic: balance - rye assertiveness tamed by corn's cushion. Halfway between bourbon and high-rye.
Brand Guide
Well
Sagamore Spirit ($28-35)
Call
Pikesville ($35-45)
Premium
Leopold Bros Maryland Style ($50-65)
Top Shelf
Sagamore Cask Strength ($70-100+). Pikesville is the standard
Explore Spirits
The Story
Pre-Prohibition Maryland built American rye on sweetness and restraint, not Kentucky's spice-forward aggression.