When one comes to truly know and love Wyoming, there’s an important realization. We don’t cherish this place in spite of its harshness, but rather because of it. It’s the intensity of the place that compels us: temperatures that range from bitter cold to blistering heat, storms that drop feet of snow or light forests ablaze, peaks that seem to leave all living things far below and scrape the sky.
Wyoming Whiskey is quite literally crafted by these timeless environmental extremes. Using water naturally filtered by an ancient limestone aquifer deep beneath the distillery in Kirby, Wyo., and select strains of locally-grown strains of non-GMO corn, winter wheat, barley and winter rye, the team cultivates a lineup of truly distinctive spirits. For over a decade, these award-winning whiskeys have gained a loyal following far beyond the “Equality State.”
The temperature extremes that Wyoming Whiskey undergoes while aging in charred oak barrels further enhance the unique flavors that make these award-winning spirits unlike anything else on the shelf. Perhaps that’s a consequence of loving a place so wild and extreme: the distiller is not afraid to do things their own way and stand out from the crowd.
A Taste of Western Heritage
Wyoming Whiskey’s roots run so deep in the state’s heritage, even the names on the bottle have layers meaning. “In horseman terms, the outrider stands apart, securing the herd’s flank and preventing cattle or pricey thoroughbreds from straying. Similarly, Wyoming Whiskey’s Outryder stands apart, forging its own path and offering a taste profile not seen anywhere else in the American whiskey category.”
“It’s not a bourbon. It’s not a true rye. It’s hard to brand but easy to drink.”
– Wyoming Whiskey on Outryder
Outryder American Straight Whiskey is a unique spirit from Wyoming Whiskey, and the 2024 edition of this highly distinctive whiskey is available now. And for any whiskey connoisseur, it’s well worth a taste.
Beginning with aromas of baked orchard fruit and cinnamon, balanced with hints of chocolate hazelnut, Outryder is buttery smooth from the first sip. It delivers a hint of sweetness, echoing maple syrup and a caramelized, citrusy note, and finishes with a lingering flavor of chocolate and espresso bean. The subtle spice and vague hint of smokiness makes it smoothly sippable on its own, as well as a perfect element in your favorite cocktail.
This distinctive taste represents a unique combination of mash bills not seen from other distilleries. Outryder Straight American Whiskey is a blend of two distinct mash bills; an almost Rye Whiskey and a High Rye Bourbon, which represents Wyoming Whiskey’s first use of rye.
The Teller Amendment
Of course, Wyoming Whiskey’s creatively-custom cocktails must carry their own connections to history, thus it’s little surprise to find this gem with an unexpected moniker: the Teller Amendment. (In case your last history class was a while ago, it refers to an 1898 congressional amendment under President William McKinley that essentially confirmed the United States would not annex Cuba.)
But one certainly doesn’t need a robust understanding of the 55th United States Congress to enjoy this sophisticated and inviting cocktail. Almost like a well-traveled European cousin of an Old Fashioned, the Teller Amendment pulls threads of citrus, cherry, and bitters together to weave around and lift up the intrinsic layers within Outryder American Straight Whiskey.
Settle in, pour yourself a glass, and enjoy a truly outstanding taste of Wyoming — past, present, and future. Cheers!
Ingredients
- 1.75 ounces Outryder Whiskey
- 0.75 ounce Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
- 0.25 ounce Campari
- 0.25 ounce Cheery Heering
- 2 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Instructions
- Stir ingredients, strain into a stemmed cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry and lemon twist (expressed and discarded).
