We at Templeton Rye would like to congratulate B.J. Hoffman for winning the 2010 Iowa Farm Bureau Cookout Contest with his The Good Stuff Barbeque Chicken Thighs recipe. B.J. used Templeton Rye as a part of his winning recipe and as the theme for his presentation, including a custom Templeton Rye table that he build himself using 144 of our story coasters. We have to say B.J., we knew you would win. You can’t go wrong with The Good Stuff!
It is with a heavy heart that I reach out to tell you that we have lost Templeton Rye Master Distiller Meryl Kerkhoff. Meryl died at Manning Hospital, surrounded by his family. I really struggle to put into words how much we all admired this great man. He will be missed dearly.
Meryl was a child of the Depression, born a mile from our current distillery in Templeton in 1929 to Alphonse and Frances (Bluml) Kerkhoff. He attended Sacred Heart School in Templeton and graduated in 1946. Meryl fought in Korea for two years and went on to a successful career as a farmer and auctioneer. He and his wife Imelda had seven children and 14 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Ohde Funeral Home in Manning, Iowa.
Meryl had a presence that was unmistakable. He was a true gentleman and a man of great stature, both in size and in character. I will always remember how his huge hands, strengthened by a lifetime of farming, would totally engulf those of anyone who would shake them. He dressed well, yet modestly, and had his signature Templeton Rye cap slightly tilted, or “a little cocky” as he would say.
Meryl had a sense of humor and his own language that greatly amused the rest of our team. A nice place was “Uptown” and when things were going well we were “Cadillacing.” He was a caring man who was always excited to see you and would ask, “So, how’ve things been going?” Meryl was a patient man and was more likely to listen than to talk. He gave Keith and I great advice over the years and was always very thorough about issues that impacted our company.
Obviously things will continue at Templeton Rye and Keith has been handling the day-to-day duties for sometime. Genetics are a powerful thing I guess, as I look at what I have written about Meryl, I could very well be describing Keith.
Please keep Meryl, Imelda, Keith and all of the Kerkhoff family in your thoughts and prayers.
At Meryl’s request, we got together a couple of weeks ago to record Meryl, Keith and I reminiscing about some of our experiences with the company. We video taped a portion of the discussion which can be seen below.
Scott Bush, Herb Eckhouse and Michael Killmer at La Quercia in Norwalk, Iowa
We recently visited one of our favorite Iowa companies, La Quercia in Norwalk, Iowa, producers of premium quality American prosciutto and other products. Our friends Herb and Kathy Eckhouse founded the company because they knew they could make a world class product right here in Iowa. La Quercia has been incredibly successful to date and has shocked many of the taste makers in their industry. Their product takes a long time to produce, and they have had trouble keeping up with demand because they have refused to sacrifice quality. If some of this sounds familiar, you will understand why we, and especially Mr. Killmer, are big fans of La Quercia.
Keith and I had the privilege to host some very special visitors at the distillery on Monday, February 15th. Lieutenant Colonel Greg Hapgood and Captain Chris Johnson of the Iowa National Guard didn’t let mother nature ruin their trip to the Templeton Rye Distillery on President’s Day. Lieutenant Colonel Hapgood recently returned from Kuwait, and Captain Johnson is getting ready to leave on his fourth deployment, returning to Afghanistan in the fall. On behalf of everyone at Templeton Rye, we thank you and all of the men and women of the armed forces for doing what you do and giving us the freedom to do what we do. God bless you all, and we will see you soon!
Hey folks, Jason Walsmith here. “Hard to find, just not looking in the right places.” This was a text I received from a friend last week accompanied by the above image. I replied, “Where did you find all that TR?” and he said “In the dining room of my restaurant.” I will keep the location anonymous, so they aren’t ransacked in the middle of the night by thirsty Templeton Rye fans, but I would like to use this as an illustration that there is Templeton Rye out there - you just have to look for it, and luckily, our fans know that Templeton Rye tastes better when shared. By now, everyone is getting into the habit of checking the shelves of the stores where they procure their whiskey. At any time, if you see a few bottles on the shelves, you mentally check your inventory and pick up a bottle if you’re running low. You might buy two bottles, so you can give one to a friend as a gift and save one for that special occasion that’s coming up.
One of the biggest trends we continue to see on Facebook and Twitter amongst Templeton Rye fans is their willingness to help other fans find The Good Stuff. If you’re on Twitter, you might have noticed Templeton Rye Twitter fans using what’s called a hashtag in their updates that looks like this: #TRspotting(s). This hashtag tells Templeton Rye fans that they’ve spotted a bottle (or multiple bottles) of Templeton Rye at their local grocery or liquor store. Sometimes fans even include photos in their tweets to prove that it’s on the shelves. The same trend has carried over to Facebook, allowing fans of our Facebook fan page to easily locate Templeton Rye when their stock is running low.
These days, if a person finds more than one bottle at any given location, they might feel inclined to buy it all. I understand that many of you are afraid that we might run out, and you won’t be able to get your supply of “The Good Stuff.” I just want to remind you that we will not run out. We have a steady and growing supply. I would also like to remind you that Templeton Rye does indeed taste better when shared. That applies to a single bottle amongst friends, or leaving a bottle or two behind the next time you find the motherload at your retailer of choice. It’s kind of like leaving a pile of dry firewood at the campsite in the woods for the next cold and wet campers that happen upon it in need of warmth. Spread the love.
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the miracle Minneapolis Lakers corn field landing in Carroll, Iowa. On January 17, 1960, the Minneapolis Lakers departed St. Louis after losing to the St. Louis Hawks 135-119. Shortly after takeoff, the DC-3 charter plane began experiencing electrical problems, and eventually lost all electricity, including the fuel gauge. Unable to turn back because of air traffic in St. Louis, the plane flew for three to four hours above a massive winter storm. Eventually the plane started to veer off-course and the pilots decided they were going to have to make an emergency landing. Co-pilots Vernon Ullman and Harold Gifford managed to catch sight of Highway 71 in the snowstorm and land safely in a corn field (the Emma Steffes farm).
Carroll resident John Steffes, whose parents owned the farm where the plane landed, described the story behind the landing on Mouth of Midwest on 1700 the Champ this week. Listen to John’s story here. After landing on the Emme Steffes farm, the players were transported to a hotel in Carroll. The pilots and team were pretty shaken up by the whole incident, and rumor has it that one of the players ripped off the liquor cabinet door at the hotel and poured himself a big glass of whiskey. “The Good Stuff” perhaps?
On January 17th, 2010, the good people of Carroll, Iowa, remembered the miracle landing of the Minneapolis Lakers 50th anniversary with a ceremony. A monument was unveiled by 86-year old co-pilot Harold Gifford in Carroll’s Veteran’s Memorial Park, less than 100 yards from where the plane stopped.
Terry Wessel of Carpentersville, Illinois, shared his story with us about a bottle of The Good Stuff that was gifted to him by his good friend Don Burkett of Algonquin, Illinois, in celebration of Terry’s recovery after a successful but serious heart surgery. Don is an amateur photographer who enjoys sharing his vision and experiences with others. He wanted the bottle of Templeton Rye to develop some character before giving it to Terry, so he took it on a road trip and documented the bottle’s adventures, sending the photos to Terry during his recovery.
Below are few photos from the bottle’s adventures. Follow the entire journey of Terry’s bottle and see more images from Don’s galleries here. We’re glad to hear that Terry is feeling better and wish him a full recovery.
“The boys at the Carpentersville Fire Department thought this whole thing was great fun and contributed both the equipment and some great ideas to the project.” - Don Burkett
“Since rye whiskey is aged in charred oak barrels, I couldn’t resit a shot with the bottle sitting inside the hollow of an old tree.” - Don Burkett
Jeff Allen of Solon, Iowa, recently shared his Templeton Rye inspired painting entitled “Templeton Still Life” on our Facebook Wall. We thought it was really cool and wanted to share it with all of you. Jeff explains the story behind the painting and his inspiration below. Enjoy!
When I was working on set up for the Templeton Rye painting, I was looking for objects that represented travel and adventure, exploring places that lie far from the run-of-the-mill tourist traps that most people visit. What would such a traveler take along with him? What would remind him of home, of the familiar in an unfamiliar place? That’s where the Templeton Rye comes into the picture. Templeton Rye represents an old friend; a traveling companion who’s never out of reach and reminds the traveler to stop and enjoy the best life has to offer.
For the composition of the painting, I placed objects that one would normally take along on a long trip on top of a wooden ammo box (my daughter picked it up at a garage sale). The hat and camera are common accessories for most travelers. The vase adds a touch of class to a bare-bones motel room and it adds a touch of mystery, makes you ask, “Why would someone bring a simple brass vase along on a trip? Maybe he’s not be traveling alone?” I wanted the viewer’s eye to move around the painting and have the viewer’s mind ask questions.
I painted this still life over the course of about a month. I set up the still life in my studio under cool north light where I could leave it up without being disturbed. I prefer the solitude of my studio with only the company of my German Shepherd, Tanner, when I paint. And, of course, a tumbler of Templeton Rye when I’ve done.
Thank you for sharing your story, Jeff. Do you have a Templeton Rye inspired creation that you would like to share with us? Feel free to tell us all about it in the comments below, or post your photos or video to our Facebook Page.
You might remember bikers Troy Cobb and Zach Snavely from their visit to the Templeton Rye distillery back in July. After graduation, they set out on a cross country biking adventure from Pennsylvania to Oregon, passing through Iowa along the way. We welcomed them to Templeton, Iowa with a tour of the distillery, treated them to lunch and gave them some Templeton Rye gear for the road. The guys completed their trip to Oregon in mid-August and recently sent us this “thank you” note and photos from their trip. Congratulations to the guys for completing their tour. We love meeting people who are doing cool things and were excited to be a part of their journey.
Hey Scott,
Wanted to thank you so much for the generosity you and the rest of the
Templeton Rye crew showed us as we were passing through. We concluded
that Iowa was the most fun state that we passed through, mainly
because of the great people that we met there. Troy and I completed
our trip to the Oregon coast in mid August. I’m attaching a few
pictures we took along the way with our TR gear including Mount
Rushmore, Bighorn Mountains, Yellowstone National Park, and our
continental divide crossing in Idaho. Have been telling everyone here
in PA about the uniqueness of your product; hopefully someday we’ll be
within your sales area! Hope to visit Iowa again soon. Thanks again
and best wishes!
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.
Bob Hoffman of Carroll County, Iowa, talks about growing up in Templeton and how he and his friends would capitalize on the success of the bootleggers by redeeming their empty bottles for five cents each. Once they redeemed the bottles, the hotel clerk on Main Street would put them in a storage shed on his lot for safekeeping. Find out in the video below how Bob and his friends “liberated” the bottles to keep them moving.
The Templeton Rye team was honored to be involved with our friend Steve Cannon as he courageously ran all the way across Iowa in The Run to Cure Cancer. We are always on the lookout for folks in Iowa doing special things, and we were happy to allow Steve to use our bus as his support vehicle.
We are pleased to report that Steve completed his run on July 2nd and has raised valuable funds to support research. Congratulations to you, Steve, and thanks for making a difference! You can track Steve and help support his efforts at http://theruntocurecancer.com.
This is the last of our 4-part Happy Hour at The Plaza TR story videos series. In this video, the residents share a few more memories about Templeton Rye during the prohibition era and raise their glasses to The Good Stuff.
We continue our 4-part TR story series this week with part 3 of Happy Hour at The Plaza. In this video, a resident of The Plaza named Hilda shares a few stories involving the revenuers, drunk hogs and her father hiding Templeton Rye under the swing set.
We continue our 4-part TR story series with a video of residents of The Plaza, an assisted living facility in Manning, Iowa, reminiscing about The Good Stuff with Templeton Rye’s Keith Kerkhoff and Jason Walsmith during their weekly happy hour.
One resident tastes the “legal” Templeton Rye for the first time at the age of 91. Another resident, Florence Parson, shares a story about a doctor nursing her mother back to health with Templeton Rye in 1929.
The Plaza is an assisted living facility in Manning, Iowa. Manning is a neighboring town to Templeton, and many of the people who live there are lifelong residents of the region. Every Friday afternoon they have a happy hour. On this particular Friday, the function was hosted by Templeton Rye. After a couple of sips, everyone started reminiscing.
We kick off this TR story series with a video of Merlin Rostermundt of Manning, Iowa, sharing his memories about Templeton Rye and his grandfather’s visit from The Feds.
This thermometer and hydrometer were given to Templeton Rye founder Scott Bush by his maternal grandmother, Mary Margeret Blum Schroeder. They were given to Grandma Schroeder by her mother, Mava Bennett Blum.
Mava, who is Scott’s great-grandmother, was born in 1903 and was one of the first female graduates from Creighton University in 1924. During her teens, she would accompany her father Jess Bennett, on various “runs.” Jess, born in the 1870’s, was an entrepreneur and owned at least one bar in Omaha. His other business was bootlegging, particularly around Defiance, Iowa.
Mava had many stories about these times but told only a few, including being chased and shot at by the Feds and abandoning several cars. Jess was apparently also quite a card player with winnings including a wheat farm in South Dakota, a gold tooth and a beautiful diamond ring still worn by his granddaughter Mary today.
Photo credit: Mandy Miller Photography Templeton Rye President Scott Bush and his grandmother Mary Margeret Blum Schroeder
Sandra Hines talks about her memories of Templeton Rye growing up in Carroll, Iowa, and how the telephone operators would warn the local tavern owners of raids during the prohibition era.
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.
“Templeton Still Life” by Jeff Allen
Photo credit: Mandy Miller Photography
