WhistlePig Pushes Congress to Declare Rye America’s Official Whiskey Ahead of 250th Anniversary

(Photos: WhistlePig Whiskey)

On Wednesday, WhistlePig Whiskey unveiled a national campaign urging Congress to recognize rye as the official whiskey of the United States, tying the initiative to the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

The campaign, which runs through July 4, centers on a public petition that, if it reaches 1,776 signatures, will be formally presented to lawmakers. The campaign is backed by Max Miller, who has more than 4 million subscribers on YouTube and is known for highlighting historical food and drink traditions.

The petition will be available to sign here.

“Rye isn’t just part of American whiskey history – it is American whiskey history,” said WhistlePig CEO Alex Roberts, pointing to rye’s prominence in early U.S. distilling before bourbon rose to dominance.

If successful, the petition would bring the question of an “official” American whiskey designation to Congress.

While most most closely associate bourbon with the U.S., rye whiskey played a central role in early American spirits production, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where the grain was more readily available than corn. The campaign frames rye as a foundational style that predates and helped shape the broader American whiskey category.

WhistlePig has long been a leading advocate for rye and is one of the biggest faces of rye whiskey, building its portfolio around the grain and expanding into critically acclaimed experimental releases.

Limited Releases Tied Into Campaign

Alongside the petition, WhistlePig Whiskey is introducing two limited releases designed to mark the anniversary and support the “Rye, White and Blue” campaign.

The first is a special-edition version of its PiggyBank 10-year rye, packaged in its its usual pig-shaped decanter  — silver instead of gold this time, complete with flairs of red, white and blue. Bottled at 110 proof, it’s distilled from a mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley and has a suggested retail price of $249.99.

The second expression, Declaration Wheat Whiskey, offers a contrasting style with a wheat-forward profile. The wheat whiskey is distilled from a mashbill of 93% wheat and 7% malted barley, double-oaked and bottled at 86 proof. It has a suggested retail price of $73.99.