Windmill whiskey hits the shelves

FULTON – The Windmill Rye Whiskey, made with the help of volunteer millers at the historic de Immigrant Windmill in Fulton, was released Friday at the Mississippi River Distilling Co. in LeClaire, Iowa.

The distilling company collaborated with the millers to make the seasonal liquor. The company that started last year uses only ingredients provided from local farms and businesses within 25 miles of the distillery. Recent collaborations included the Iowa Coffee Company in Runnels, Iowa, and Wide River Winery in Clinton, Iowa.

The company is making 3,200 bottles of the Windmill Rye Whiskey, according to co-manager Ryan Burchett.

Burchett describes the drink as a “spicy and earthy rye whiskey.” The unique spirit was handcrafted the old-fashioned way, with rye grown locally in Reynolds, Burchett said. A portion of the grain then was taken to de Immigrant Windmill in Fulton for milling.

“The power of nature churned the rye into a flour that was then returned to our distillery for fermentation,” Burchett said. “The spirit is 100 percent rye and was aged over charred oak, and then finished in used bourbon barrels. The result is a smooth but spicy whiskey that demonstrates the complex and bold qualities of rye.”

Burchett says the bottles will sell fast, so enjoy it while you can.

The company also has unique “batch notes” for all of its spirits. This allows customers to go on to its website, click on the name of the liquor they bought and find information on how it was made and specifically who helped out in the process. This includes things like what farms the ingredients came from, the names of the farmers, the dates that the beverage was made, the names of the bottlers, etc. Windmill Rye Whiskey will have batch notes as well, including information on the windmill and the millers who helped make it.

In addition to Eagle River Liquor in Fulton, Windmill Rye Whiskey will be sold at Hy-Vee and Jewel Osco.

Take a taste

There will be a Windmill Rye Whiskey Tasting from 4 to 6 p.m. today at the Eagle River Liquor, 1501 10th Ave., Fulton.