Templeton Rye President Scott Bush and Master Distiller Meryl Kerkhoff

Eighty years ago, when bootleg Templeton Rye was in the height of its
production, a very important event happened in tiny Templeton, Iowa. Our
Master Distiller, Meryl Kerkhoff, was born and started a course of
history that would eventually bring The Good Stuff to your glass.

A large group of friends and family came together at the VFW in Manning,
Iowa on Saturday night to celebrate. There was plenty of Templeton Rye
being poured, as well as the traditional cold sandwiches, potato salad,
beans, baked goods and enough birthday cake for the entire town.
Meryl is a living treasure for our company and everyone who knows him.
Happy Birthday, Meryl!

Pictured from left to right: Distillery Manager Kevin Boersma, President Scott Bush, Master Distiller Meryl Kerkhoff, Assistant Master Distiller Keith Kerkhoff and Creative Director Jason Walsmith

Pictured from left to right: (front) Dan Kerkhoff, Scott Kerkhoff, Ron Kerkhoff (back) Keith Kerkhoff, Mary Bertelsen, Imelda Kerkhoff, Meryl Kerkhoff and Marty Kerkhoff

We tracked down and interviewed Shane Smith about his Great Grandfather, who distilled whiskey on the farm, and his Great Uncle who sold lots of sugar at his store in Halbur, Iowa.

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In 1931, a cardboard cutout of a little brown jug with the words X-Mas Spirits was raised along with the holiday lights above Main Street in Templeton. Many claim it was done with the aid of at least one person who occupied an important position in the civic and municipal affairs of the town. A picture of the little brown jug ended up on the front page of the Des Moines Register, which led to the most intense and sustained period of federal raids on booze-making around the town of Templeton, ever.

This holiday season, a little brown jug hangs once again in Templeton. Replicas of the original X-Mas Spirits jugs can be seen hanging at the St. Peters Castle jail and on the Templeton Rye Main Street display at the Des Moines International Airport.

A little brown jug hangs at the St. Peters Castle jail in Templeton.

Another X-Mas Spirits jug hangs on the Templeton Rye Main Street display at the Des Moines International Airport.

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This Flickr post by Genie Gratto couldn’t be more timely with the holiday travel season upon us. Genie, a resident of Oakland, California, shares her story below about how her friends “smuggled” a few 3-oz. bottles of Templeton Rye from Iowa to the West Coast.

Photo credit: inadvertentgardener via Flickr

Friends from Iowa came to visit last weekend, and I had asked them to bring me a bottle of Templeton Rye. However, they were flying with carry-on bags only, so they said they’d have to see what they could do. Thusly and therefore? Here’s a TSA-approved, quart-sized bag of three-ounce bottles of Templeton. My friends rule.

Cheers to Genie’s friends for their craftiness and ingenuity. Looks like the sly spirit of the Iowa farmers who bootlegged whiskey during Prohibition is alive and well.

Templeton Rye’s founder, Scott Bush, was recently featured on Iowa Public Radio’s The Exchange with Ben Keiffer. We’ve posted the audio file in its entirety below. Click the play button to begin listening.

Jim Schumburg of Rockford, Iowa, talks about meeting Al Capone’s driver at a mortuary in the 1960s, and the ties back to Templeton Rye Whiskey.

All aboard! On Wednesday, November 26th, we’ll be cruising through Des Moines in the new Templeton Rye shuttle bus for our first annual Thanksgiving Tour of Des Moines. We’re honored to have such loyal supporters, so this is our way of saying “thanks” for another great year.

The TR shuttle bus will be making special stops throughout the Des Moines metro area, providing groups of up to 12 people a sweet getaway from the monotonous “day-before-Thanksgiving” workday. In case you want to get an early jump on your holiday shopping, we’ll have Templeton Rye merchandise available for purchase. But let’s get one thing straight: This isn’t about selling you stuff, it’s about meeting you all and saying thank you.

Want us to add your workplace to the route? All you need to do is round up a dozen people from your office who love Templeton Rye as much as you do, and ask them to take a short break from work to hang out on the TR shuttle bus. Once you’ve got your group confirmed, please e-mail us at info@templetonrye.com with your location and we will add you to the route!

Iowa Governor Chet Culver was in Carroll County over the weekend for the annual Governor’s Pheasant Hunt, and he stopped by the distillery to say hello. We gave Governor Culver a tour, discussed the history of TR, and chatted about opportunities and challenges facing our company. Our team really appreciated the Governor making time to visit us.

Pictured, from left to right: Assistant Master Distiller Keith Kerkhoff, Brand Manager Mike Killmer, President Scott Bush, Governor Chet Culver

For those of you interested in an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the history of Templeton Rye, we are now offering The Ultimate Templeton Experience: an exclusive trip for groups of up to 20 people aboard our private TR shuttle bus. We’ll pick up your guests at a designated meeting spot, provide transportation to and from Templeton, Iowa, and treat your group to lunch and refreshments — both aboard the bus and at the distillery.

The experience is perfect for groups of friends or corporate outings, and can be customized to include any of the following activities:

Please e-mail us at templetonexperience@templetonrye.com for more details and available dates.

On December 5, 1933, the United States Congress repealed the Prohibition Act, restoring Americans the freedom to enjoy their spirits again — legally, that is. On Friday, December 5th, Iowans all over the state will celebrate the end of the “Noble Experiment,” as coined by fellow Iowan Herbert Hoover.

We’re teaming up with the following bars to sponsor Prohibition Repeal Parties:

Sweet Fanny’s - Sioux City, Iowa
CJ’s Bar and Grill - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Jameson’s - Waterloo, Iowa
Royal Mile - Des Moines, Iowa
Depot Lounge - Grinnell, Iowa
Legend’s Bar and Grill - Ames, Iowa
Short’s Burgers & Shine - Iowa City, Iowa
Silver Dollar Saloon - McGregor, Iowa
Pastimes Bar & Grill - Huxley, Iowa
Vito’s Bistro - Iowa City, Iowa
Mac’s Tavern - Davenport, Iowa
Beckett’s Public House - Cedar Rapids, Iowa
11th Street Precinct - Davenport, Iowa
Swamp Fox Pub & Grille - Knoxville, Iowa
Barley’s - Council Bluffs, Iowa
Uncle Buck’s - Ottumwa, Iowa
Whitey’s - Manning, Iowa

These modern-day speakeasies will feature Templeton Rye drink specials and select guests will receive Templeton Rye flasks, t-shirts and other items. Come out and join us!

Full Court Press group visits the Templeton Rye tasting room

In October, we embarked on our maiden voyage in the new Templeton Rye shuttle bus, bringing along the owners and staff from Full Court Press for a VIP distillery tour. Full Court Press operates several of the coolest and most unique bars in Des Moines, including The Royal Mile, The Red Monk, Shorty’s, High Life Lounge, Hessen Haus and Buzzard Billy’s. The trip was a chance for the whole gang to learn more about the history of Templeton Rye and the production, aging and bottling process.

Our brand new Templeton Rye shuttle bus

Our day included a tour of the distillery, a classic cocktail demonstration in the tasting room, and lunch at the Corner Station (the local diner that also serves as a convenience store / gas station). We then headed north to Maple Valley Junction to Little Gus’s for some post-lunch beers and good times.

If you are interested in a tour of the TR distillery, please visit our tours page for dates and times.

Uncle Buck’s, an Iowa-themed bar full of reclaimed barn wood located in West Des Moines, has recently added a special touch: the Templeton Rye Distillery Bar. We worked with their designers to recreate the personality and aura of our distillery inside their establishment.

The TR Distillery Bar will feature various Templeton Rye cocktails including the Rye and Ginger, Shirley Templeton, Classic Manhattan, Templeton Boilermaker and The Capone. The detailed recipes for these cocktails can also be found on our website’s barkeep page.

Iowa Liquor Commissioner Lynn Walding lends a hand on the bottling line.

Lynn Walding, Administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, recently visited the Templeton Rye distillery and toured our updated production, laboratory, warehouse, bottling and storage facilities. Commissioner Walding was joined by Steve Kuzynowski, Design Engineer for the Iowa ABD.

The tour concluded with lunch at the legendary Corner Station in Templeton, where we discussed distilleries in Iowa and how the Iowa ABD division operates. Distilleries are relatively new to Iowa, so we’re all learning as we go. We really appreciate Commissioner Walding taking the time to visit and tour our new-and-improved facility. Lynn is a former NABCA President and is well-known in the industry.

Gene Wiese of Manning, Iowa, talks about the “unspoken” presence of Templeton Rye in his hometown:

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Meryl Kerkhoff of Manning, Iowa, talks about the Templeton Rye taste test being a selling point for customers.

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The Templeton Rye team has been hard at work filling up the calendar with events for September, so celebrate the kids going back to school and join us this month.

Jameson’s Public House
Date: Thursday, Sept 4th
Location: Jameson’s, 310 East 4th St, Waterloo, IA

Join TR President Scott Bush, Brand Manager Michael Killmer and various celebrity bartenders at the famous Jameson’s pub. They will be preparing various classic Templeton Rye cocktails during the evening and then heading to the Hub for the Nadas show.

Call 319-233-0701 for more information.

Gatsby Gala at the Salisbury House
Date: Friday, Sept 5th
Location: Salisbury House, Des Moines, IA

Templeton Rye will be supporting the annual Gatsby Gala at the beautiful and historic Salisbury House. The classic cocktail bar will be set up on the Salisbury House lawn and guest will enjoy a combination of classic cocktails and classic cars.

The scene includes modern day socialites dressed in 1920s-style spats and suspenders, beads and boas, fedoras and feathers. Guests enjoy luscious, lavish cuisine and fine wine and spirits. They dance to the music of lively bands, and climb aboard vintage autos for a spin around the block. If that sounds as fun to you as it does to us please plan to attend the 4th Annual Gatsby Gala and be sure to keep your eyes out for a first of its kind Templeton Rye auction item.

Tickets are $200, or $125 for ages 35 and under. To order tickets call 515-274-1777.

For more information, visit: www.salisburyhouse.org

Randall’s Wine and Spirits Pre-Holiday Show
Date: Saturday, September 6th.
Location: 10800 Lincoln Trail Road, Fairview Heights, IL

Templeton Rye is proud to join Randall’s Wine and Spirits for their huge pre-holiday show. Randall’s is by far one of the most impressive stores we have ever seen. If you are in the area stop by for a sample of The Good Stuff and many other interesting samples. Randall’s is also one of our internet sources for those of you outside of the Iowa and Illinois markets.

For orders, visit: www.internetwines.com

Farmer’s Market
Date: Saturday, September 6th
Location: Downtown Des Moines, IA

Emerging Artist Showcase
Date: Saturday, September 6th
Location: Subterranean, 2011 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL

TR is one of the proud sponsors supporting live music and new, emerging artists. Stop by, check out the music, and enjoy a little of The Good Stuff.

For more information, visit: www.platform-1.com

Templeton Rye-inspired Dinner at Sage the Restaurant
Date: September 8th and 9th
Location: Sage the Restaurant, Des Moines, IA

Our friends at Sage the Restaurant will be featuring a Templeton Rye-themed menu on September 8th and 9th with a cash bar starting at 6:00 p.m. and dinner beginning promptly at 7:00 with communal seating. Click here for more information.

Recently, we were honored to host United States Senator Tom Harkin for a VIP distillery tour. Senator Harkin has long known about Templeton Rye from his travels across our great state, and he was very excited to see the distillery.

The Templeton Rye team discussed many issues with the senator, including rural development, renewable energy and specific challenges facing our company. Below are photos that we captured during the tour.

From left to right: Master Distiller Meryl Kerkhoff, Senator Tom Harkin and Assistant Master Distiller Keith Kerkhoff in front of the Templeton Rye still.

Master Distiller Meryl Kerkhoff and Gene Wiese of Manning discuss historic photos in the tasting room.

Assistant Master Distiller Keith Kerkhoff explaining the finer points of whiskey filtering.

By the early 1930s, many Templeton Rye stills had been shut down and destroyed by authorities. Despite these Prohibition efforts, there was still a surprising abundance of Templeton Rye.

The excerpt below from the Iowa News Service describes one young man’s account of the Templeton Rye supply in 1932.

It is estimated by persons who should know that there are now only three stills of any importance in the surrounding county. The rest, they say, were wiped out a year or so ago when for a short time authorities destroyed them at the rate of three a day.

The supply, however, is still adequate. Recently, a young man with an investigative turn of mind barged into Templeton to see what he could drink. In response to his initial inquiry he was informed that finding Templeton Rye these days was like locating a needle in a haystack.

Never, the young man now reports, did he come in contact with a needle so large, or a haystack so small.

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During the Great Depression, many Iowans were making and selling Templeton Rye just to get by. The small towns would work together to warn each other when the Feds were coming. “The roads are rough” was code to watch out for the Feds, but it was also very symbolic of the times.

Gerald Gesinger of Carroll County shares the story behind the warning message and his memories of bootlegging during the Depression in the video below:

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Harry W. Harmeyer of Carroll, Iowa, reminisces about drinking Templeton Rye and his dancing days in Templeton:

View more stories on YouTube at our Templeton Rye channel.

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