By Jared Curtis

As you drive to the small northwest town of Templeton, population 350, the hustle and bustle of the city is nowhere to be found. But as soon as you cross Highway 141, your mouth begins to water, as you have landed in the birthplace of some of the finest whiskey, not only in Iowa, but throughout the United States.

“We wanted to offer a unique, high quality product,” says Templeton Rye President Scott Bush. “It is a great American tradition, and we wanted to bring it to the masses.”

Templeton Rye was first sold in Iowa in November 2006. The company was founded in 2002, when the first batch was made. Bush and his team created something they knew people would enjoy, but didn’t realize the demand would be so strong.

“We can’t go back in time and make more whiskey,” Bush says. “We can only learn from the past as we plan for the future. It’s funny when you think about it, but we are making whiskey now that we won’t drink until 2012.”

Therein lies the financial dilemma, when Bush and his team started the company, they sunk a lot of money into a project that they wouldn’t get results from for four years.

“We struggled in the beginning,” he says. “But we always thought we were on to something special, and we scraped together as much as we could to make more product.”

Even though the beginning was tough, the future is looking brighter. Increasing the volume produced from 4,000 cases to 12,000 cases, the company is ready to provide more Templeton Rye to the masses. They are also only releasing 1,200 cases a month to distributors to better spread out the whiskey’s availability so they won’t run out. Last year’s shipment was released in two bulks, and liquor stores were hard pressed to keep the product on the shelf.

“We were getting calls every day for more product, and we just didn’t have it,” says Brand Manager Michael Killmer. “Even my friends were asking, like I had secret stash in my basement. Everybody was out.”

With the new shipment techniques, more bottles will be available, and customers will be able to enjoy the smooth whiskey all year long.

“The consumers were frustrated,” Bush says. “But we were 100 times more frustrated. There was nothing we could do but sit around watching whiskey age. By moving to an allocation strategy, we will avoid being in the position where we are out for several months again.”

The history of Templeton Rye

When Prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920, many enterprising residents of Templeton, struggling in the aftermath of World War I, chose to become outlaws, producing a high caliber whiskey known as Templeton Rye. Thanks to its smooth taste, the whiskey earned its nickname “The Good Stuff” and brought a certain degree of fame to the small Iowa farm town. It also was considered a premium brand for the era, fetching an impressive $5.50 per gallon ($70 by today’s standards).

“I was born here and spent most of my life here,” says bottler Mox Irlmeier. “The feds raided my neighbor, but his barrels were hidden good.”

Bootleggers were known to bury barrels of Templeton Rye until they were ready to be transported, leaving monstrous holes throughout the countryside for people to fall into.

“I remember people and horses falling in those holes,” says Irlmeier. “You would just bury a barrel with the spicket out of the ground and you could go out and get what you needed. It was for more than just drinking; we would use it for toothaches and coughs.”

As the whiskey’s reputation grew, the demand increased and as many as three truckloads of kegs left the small town each week for Des Moines, Denver and Chicago.

“There were at least 30 people I can remember bootlegging Templeton Rye back in the heyday,” Irlmeier says.

The whiskey was a huge success and caught the taste of one of the most famous criminals of all time, Al Capone. Hundreds of kegs were delivered every month to Capone’s gang, who filled the speakeasies throughout Chicago, Des Moines and Denver. Capone was eventually convicted on charges of tax evasion and sent to prison. Legend has it that a few bottles of “The Good Stuff” found their way inside the walls of Alcatraz to the cell of prisoner AZ-85.

“The story certainly helps sell the product,” Bush says. “But it is the quality of our product that will make this a big time brand.”

Most American whiskeys ceased production after Prohibition ended, but Templeton Rye continued to be produced illegally in small quantities for loyal patrons. Now available legally, the single malt, single barrel rye whiskey is ready to take America by storm.

“Iowa wineries are making great products, but it’ll be many years before they will be able to unseat the French and California wines at most high end restaurants,” Bush says. “But I’m confident you will see Templeton Rye on the top shelf in big time bars in Chicago, New York or San Francisco in the very near future.”

The name has been trademarked five times, and it took a lot of hard work and determination to get the company off the ground, Bush says. The recipe has been passed down through generations and comes from Alphonse Kerkoff, the great grandfather of co-owner Keith Kerkoff. Bush’s family was also in the whiskey business with his great grandfather Frank Schroeder involved with the making of Templeton Rye.

“This product has been in Keith’s and my families for generations,” Bush says. “So it’s nice to keep the tradition alive.”

Currently Templeton Rye is only available in Iowa and Illinois. Last month, Bush and his team had a tasting party at the Chicago History Museum with a Prohibition theme.

“Chicago was awesome,” Bush says. “It’s a huge market for us. There are only 500 cases for a town of 7 million, so we had to limit the purchases. There is a great historic tie-in between Templeton and Chicago.”

A few cases of “The Good Stuff” filled everybody with the spirit of the 20s. The “coppers” interrupted the speakeasy vibe, knocking down the front door. But the party raged on thanks to the help of local rockers, The Nadas, who have a Templeton Rye sponsored tour bus. Singer-guitarist Jason Walsmith had tried some bootlegged Templeton Rye and heard the stories. He did some research and ended up writing a song titled after the whiskey.

“Every time we played up around the area, we heard the stories and got to try some of the bootlegged version,” Walsmith says. “I used to drink ‘Makers Mark,’ but I have converted. I love introducing it to friends and giving it as gifts; it’s the best product out there. It’s something our state can be proud of.”

Why rye?

Rye Whiskey is not a new thing, but it has gained popularity as a smoother taste than the average bourbon, which is made with corn. Rye is known for having a peppery flavor with a bitter quality. Bourbon is distilled from corn mash and has a different flavor. Bourbon is noticeably sweeter and tends to be slightly heavier bodied than rye. The two types of whiskeys can be used in cocktails, but the character of the cocktail will be somewhat drier with rye. Aficionados maintain that certain cocktails traditionally made with rye, like a Manhattan, are better that way.

“Rye whiskey is unique,” Bush says. “There is so much more character, and it really brings out the taste. It’s just like the difference between rye and wheat bread. They both are good, but you can definitely taste the difference.”

Some of the most popular whiskeys made exclusively from rye include Wild Turkey, Van Winkle and Mitcher’s. Bourbon powerhouse Jim Beam has even released a yellow-labeled rye whiskey.

“Rye is on the rise,” Killmer says.

Bush knows the secret of making whiskey and points to Iowa as one of the best places to have a distillery.

“The basics of whiskey are water and grain,” he says. “It’s a shame we are the only Iowa whiskey. What state has better water or grain than Iowa?”

How do they make it?

The process of making whiskey is three ingredients: water, grain and yeast. With Templeton’s whiskey, rye is predominately used in their mash bill. The process starts in the mash tank where they add grain and water, then boil them together. As the grain heats up, it releases sugar into the water, becoming sugar water. 

The next step is to clear the grain out and add yeast. It is then pumped to a fermentation tank, where the yeast and sugar react exponentially and produce alcohol. The process lasts seven to 10 days, and leads to the creation of a substance called “wort” that is 12 to 17 percent alcohol. The wort is then pumped into a copper pot still, the kind that used years ago in making Templeton Rye. The liquid is heated again, and the alcohol evaporates at 178 degrees while water evaporates at 212 degrees, separating the alcohol from the water. 

“A lot of hard work and handcrafted care goes into each and every bottle that goes out,” Killmer says.

As things heat up, alcohol evaporates and the vapors travel up the column of the still, which is wrapped with copper piping that has cold water running through it. As the vapors reach the coils, it cools them, turning them back to a liquid and creating a whiskey that is usually between 117 and 120 proof and is crystal clear.

After that process is complete, the aging begins. Templeton Rye uses American white oak charred barrels from Missouri to store its product. Inside the barrel is what gives the whiskey its color and flavor.

“We try to make it the old way,” Bush says. “We want people to drink the same thing that their great-grandparents enjoyed while socializing.”

The barrel has three flavor profiles, which the whiskey seeps in and out of: the first layer is the black char, which gives the whiskey color and smokiness; the second layer is more of a caramelized layer, giving sweetness and mellowness; and the third being the white oak, which has vanilla and wood flavors. For four years, the flavors merge with the whiskey, which evolves into the product you see on the shelves at liquor stores.

The distillery

The Templeton Rye distillery sits on the outskirts of Templeton, with a few offices and one large room filled with the mash and fermentation tank. The barrels sit in this room, which also acts as a bottling assembly line. About 15 Templeton residents work part-time bottling, cleaning and corking.

“I advertised in the church bulletin that we needed help,” Bush says. “We have a wonderful group of great people that help us out.”

Every label that goes on a bottle of Templeton Rye is hand written. During a recent visit, Jan Wieland was doing
the labeling.

“It’s a fun job and a great tradition,” she says. “It made our town famous.”

After each bottle is filled, it is capped and wiped down. The labels are placed, and the cork is secured by a plastic shrink-wrap. Then the bottles are loaded into cases and sent to distributors.

“There is so much to do all the time,” Bush says. “It’s a struggle, but you look back at where you started and it’s amazing how everything has gotten done.”

In the meantime, the distillery is expanding. What began as a 1,500 square-foot building will soon become an 8,000 square foot distillery with extra storage for raw materials and a barrel room. Bush hopes to have the entire building finished by Thanksgiving.

“We appreciate people’s patience and all the great feedback we receive,” Bush says. “We are very excited to be back in Iowa with a great product that will eventually be known as one of the best products in the state.” CV

For more information about Templeton Rye or upcoming tasting events, visit their Web site http://www.templetonrye.com.

A few Templeton Rye drinks you can try

On the Rocks —
Templeton Rye and ice

Rye and Ginger —
Templeton Rye and Ginger Ale

Rock N’ Rye —
Templeton Rye, simple syrup and rock candy

Manhattan —
Templeton Rye, Sweet Vermouth, kissed with a cherry

Old Fashion —
Templeton Rye, orange and cherry mash, simple syrup and bitters

The Sazerac —
Templeton Rye, Absinthe, simple syrup and bitters

Comment on this story | Return to top