On Saturday, June 19 we joined our friends from Ton Up Club Chicago and Delilah’s, the best whiskey bar in the world, in celebrating Mods vs. Rockers vintage motorcycle show on Lincoln Ave. The street was lined with Triumphs, Moto Guzzis, BMWs, Vespas and some custom-made choppers. Whatever your style, there was an epic display of bikes on hand.
Our friend Scott Takes of Underground Art Studios in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, thought this would be the perfect place to unveil the new Templeton Rye themed chopper. Scott was commissioned to paint a 124 Cu. Inch custom chopper built by Tim Carlson of Carlson Customs and Repair in Atkins, Iowa. Scott chose an all Templeton Rye custom paint job. The detail work on this bike is incredible. From the perfect bottle shot on the tank, to the TR on the seat, to the likeness of Templeton Rye’s most famous customer on the back fender. You can even kill the lights on the hidden license plate to make it disappear in case the Feds are chasing you while your running your stash. Check out the photos below, and be sure to get your tickets to the third annual Rock & Rye Celebration on July 31, so you can check out this awesome bike first hand.
Dan Deoliveria, Michael Killmer, and Peter Vestinos at Shift Drinks at Pops for Champagne
Last night’s Shift Drinks at Pops for Champagne to raise money for Shawn Koch of Paramount Room was a great success. Peter Vestinos from Wirtz Beverage Group, Dan Deoliveria and I banged out some classic cocktails for the hard working industry folks of Chicago. All of our tips went to our friend Shawn at Paramount Room who is recovering from brain cancer. We had a great time at this week’s Shift Drinks at Pops for Champagne.
Be sure to stop in at Pops every Monday night to enjoy a local chef or mixologist highlighting his/her skills. All tips go to charity of their choice. Here’s a short video of Colleen L. Healy from Pops for Champagne talking about why she likes Templeton Rye Whiskey during “Shift Drinks” the Monday Industry Night in Chicago, IL:
We’re sure a few of you will find yourselves lugging packages up and down Michigan Avenue this holiday season. Be sure to stop in and see our friends at Hard Rock Hotel’s Base Bar. The bartenders really know how to mix up some amazing cocktails with their favorite house whiskey, Templeton Rye. Of course, they have many creations to satisfy a weary shopper.
Staying true to one of the Hard Rock mantras (”Save the Planet”) - Base Bar offers hand-crafted specialty libations with a focus on high-quality, sustainable ingredients and a beer and wine list showcasing products of organic and biodynamic practices. So, get your holiday shopping done and stay in good cheer by joining our friends at the Hard Rock Hotel. Tell them Templeton Rye sent you.
Here is Autumn (a bartender at Base Bar) talking about Templeton Rye on YouTube:
We are proud to announce that Twisted Spoke at 501 N Ogden in Chicago is the only bar in America to have Templeton Rye on tap! Come in on Whiskey Wednesdays when all whiskey is half price. Here is a photo of Killmer and the staff christening the new barrel.
A Templeton Rye fan sent us this video he saw on Comcast Sports last week, featuring Chicago Bears’ Israel Idonije wearing a Templeton Rye t-shirt during a Game Time Dine segment.
Centenarian Art Rix shares a story about taking a trip to Omaha during the prohibition era and how he and his wife ended up at a speakeasy that served Templeton Rye.
Doug Thompson shares stories about his grandfather, Charles “Red” Thompson, and his connections to the Purple Gang, Al Capone and Templeton Rye during the Prohibition Era.
Patrick Poncher of Five Star Bar in Chicago, Illinois, talks about how he prefers Templeton Rye whiskey over Bourbon and how their patrons are hooked on The Good Stuff.
The Green City Market is Chicago’s only year-round farmers’ market promoting local, sustainable farmers, producers and chefs. Last night I joined over 75 of Chicago’s most innovative chefs at the Green City Market Annual Chef’s BBQ in Lincoln Park. It was a celebration of all things local, from farm to plate.
The chefs shopped the market Wednesday morning, and then went back to their kitchens in a giant tailgate-like setup to create the freshest dishes in the city. Chef Rick Gresh from David Burke’s Prime House even included a little of The Good Stuff in his dish. All of his ingredients originated from less than a thousand miles from Chicago. He started with dry aged prime ribeye, topped with fingerling potatoes combined with Templeton Rye to make a warm potato salad. It was amazing!
While the chefs were busy firing up the grills, I was busy with 3 of the top mixologists in Chicago batching cocktails. BOKA’s Dan De Oliveira and Sepia’s Josh Pearson and Peter Vestinos all volunteered to create special cocktails for TR, Death’s Door Spirits and Casa Noble Tequila. Josh from Sepia created a Templeton Rye cocktail called the R&R Smash, which included fresh-pitted cherries supplied by Pete from Seedling Fruits in South Haven, Michigan.
BOKA’s Dan De Oliveira and Sepia’s Josh Pearson and Peter Vestinos making the R&R Smash cocktail
The event was a huge success and we made lots of new fans. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and said hello and who are embracing the “farm to table” movement.
Templeton Rye was a proud sponsor for the 2nd year in a row of the Mods vs. Rockers vintage motorcycle and scooter rally in Chicago on June 20th. The rally is based at Delilah’s, the world famous whiskey bar. Below are some highlights:
Last night I had the pleasure of sponsoring a BBQ book release party for one of Chicago’s famous BBQ experts Gary Wiviott. Paramount Room (415 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL) graciously hosted the event. Paramount Room featured classic cocktails made with Templeton Rye, along with Paramount’s own creations The Daisy and the Carroll County Fair Sour.
Gary teamed up with author Colleen Rush to share his impeccable attention to detail and his gift for keeping it simple. Colleen waded through Gary’s boisterous personality and helped breakdown his methods and expertise. This book breaks down the basic techniques of BBQ and will make any novice into a pro. Gary also shares some of is time tested recipes for sauce, rubs and all things BBQ. It was a great night and I had the opportunity to talk with some of Chicago’s media and some of Gary’s companions at LTH Forum.
I think everyone is excited for warm weather BBQ and refreshing Templeton Rye drinks this summer. Please feel free to create some of your own cocktails this summer and share them with us. Bartenders all over the country are enjoying the spicy notes of Templeton and combining them with fresh and interesting ingredients.
The Good Stuff is all about Templeton Rye, our fans, our employees, our industry and our history.
We invite you to join the conversation by sharing your comments and stories.
Templeton Rye Whiskey
When Prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920, many enterprising residents of a small Iowa town chose to become outlaws – producing a high caliber and much sought-after whiskey known as Templeton Rye.
TempletonRye: If you purchased tix online to Rock & Rye this Sat, 7/31, your tix will be available at will call on the day of the event. See you there!
TempletonRye: Rock & Rye tix are still available for $10 (+ nominal fee) in advance: http://ht.ly/2hToD & will be available for $15/person at the door.
