America is approaching a milestone that only comes around once in a lifetime. The country's 250th birthday is on the horizon, and while fireworks, parades, and patriotic speeches are all but guaranteed, one Vermont distillery thinks something important is missing from the celebration: an official American whiskey.
WhistlePig Whiskey, the independent craft distillery tucked away on a 500-acre farm in Vermont, has launched a campaign to have rye recognized as the official whiskey of the United States. The push comes alongside two new limited-release bottles timed to the country's semiquincentennial — and the distillery is not shy about making its case.
A Petition With a Purpose
At the heart of the campaign is a nationwide petition that anyone can sign on WhistlePig's website between now and July 4th. The goal is to collect at least 1,776 signatures — a number no one needs to explain to anyone who paid attention in history class. Once that threshold is hit, WhistlePig says it will take the petition directly to Congress.
Helping WhistlePig carry the message is Max Miller, the creator and host of Tasting History, a popular series known for connecting audiences to the past through food and drink. Miller is a co-signer of the petition and has helped put a human face on what might otherwise feel like a corporate marketing move. His involvement gives the campaign a sense of genuine historical grounding, tying rye whiskey back to the era when it was simply what Americans drank.
The campaign leans hard into history, and for good reason. Before bourbon became the dominant American whiskey style, rye was the grain that distillers across the young nation relied on. It grew well in the mid-Atlantic states, it fermented reliably, and it produced a spirit with a distinctive spice-forward character that set American whiskey apart from what was being made elsewhere in the world.
"Rye isn't just part of American whiskey history – it is American whiskey history," said WhistlePig CEO Alex Roberts. "Before bourbon, there was Rye. Rye was a common grain in early American whiskey production and it defined how this country drank. As America turns 250, we're raising a glass to the original."
The argument is not without merit. Bourbon gets most of the attention today, but rye has a legitimate claim to being the founding spirit of the American whiskey tradition. Roberts and WhistlePig are betting that enough people agree to get a piece of paper in front of a congressional committee.
The Distillery Behind the Push
WhistlePig is not exactly a newcomer looking for attention. The brand has spent years building a reputation as one of the more serious and adventurous rye producers in the country. The distillery operates out of a working farm in Vermont, well off the beaten path, and has built its identity around a willingness to push boundaries — different grains, unconventional aging techniques, and releases that don't follow the industry's usual playbook.
Much of that ethos traces back to Dave Pickerell, a legendary figure in craft distilling who served as WhistlePig's founding father and whose influence continues to shape the way the brand approaches its craft. Pickerell, who passed away in 2018, was widely respected across the industry for his technical knowledge and his willingness to challenge conventional thinking. His legacy at WhistlePig is part of what gives the distillery the credibility to make a case like this one.
Two New Releases for the Occasion
To mark the occasion, WhistlePig is putting two new bottles on shelves starting May 20th, available at select retailers and on the distillery's website. Both are designed with the celebration in mind — and both come with packaging that makes clear they're meant to be more than just something to drink.
Rye, White & Blue PiggyBank
Image credit: WhistlePig
The first release, called Rye, White & Blue PiggyBank, is a limited-edition version of WhistlePig's flagship 10 Year Straight Rye Whiskey. The whiskey itself is the same expression that made WhistlePig's reputation — a 10-year-old straight rye bottled at 110 proof that delivers the kind of big, bold flavor the distillery is known for. What makes this release different is the packaging.
The bottle comes in a collectible PiggyBank decanter, a design choice that leans into the patriotic theme while also giving buyers something worth holding onto long after the liquid is gone. At 110 proof, this is not a subtle pour. It's the kind of whiskey meant to anchor a holiday gathering, not disappear quietly in the background.
For anyone who already knows WhistlePig's core lineup, the 10 Year Straight Rye needs little introduction. It has been the foundation of the brand since the beginning and remains one of the more consistently impressive rye expressions on the market. Getting it in a collector's bottle ahead of a major national anniversary makes the purchase feel like something beyond a routine addition to a home bar.
Declaration Wheat Whiskey
Image credit: WhistlePig
The second release is something different entirely. Declaration Wheat Whiskey represents a departure from WhistlePig's rye-forward identity, but it does so deliberately and with a clear purpose.
Made and aged entirely in the United States, Declaration Wheat Whiskey is built on a high-wheat mashbill, giving it a softer and more approachable character than the spicy, assertive ryes the distillery is best known for. It is bottled at 86 proof and double aged in New American Oak, a process that adds depth and smoothness to the final product without overwhelming the grain's natural softness.
The result is a whiskey positioned squarely as a summer sipper — something that works well in warm weather, lends itself to lighter cocktails, and appeals to drinkers who might find WhistlePig's rye lineup a bit intense. The lower proof and the wheat-driven profile make it the kind of bottle that gets opened and emptied at gatherings, passed around without requiring a lesson in whiskey appreciation first.
The packaging ties the bottle to the patriotic campaign. Declaration Wheat Whiskey comes topped with a cracked Liberty Bell topper, a symbol chosen to connect the release directly to the 250th anniversary of American independence. It is a design detail that communicates the occasion without being heavy-handed about it.
A Broader Statement
Taken together, the petition and the two new releases amount to something more than a seasonal product launch. WhistlePig is making a statement about where American whiskey came from, and where it deserves more credit.
The bourbon industry has dominated the American whiskey conversation for decades, and rightfully so in many ways — it has a devoted following, a rich history, and a set of legal production standards that give it a distinct identity. But bourbon's rise has also pushed rye to the margins of the popular imagination, even though rye was the style that defined American whiskey before bourbon took over.
WhistlePig's argument is that the country's 250th birthday is the right moment to revisit that history and give rye its proper due. It's the kind of argument that plays well to anyone with an interest in American history, a preference for spirits with genuine character, or a distrust of the idea that newer automatically means better.
Whether Congress will do anything with a petition signed by whiskey drinkers is another question entirely. The point may be less about legislative outcomes and more about sparking a conversation — about history, about craft, and about what it means to choose a spirit that has roots running all the way back to the founding of the country.
The releases are available beginning May 20th. The petition runs through July 4th. The argument, one suspects, will outlast both.
