Dry January?  The Devil’s Slide?  Breakfast Mocktails?

Yesterday (January 3rd, 2022) the Shoreham, VT distillery launched their “Rye January” campaign.

The campaign was kicked-off by launching a website dedicated to dry January, and announcing that 100% of the proceeds from the release of their new Piggyback Devil’s Slide will be donated to the USBG Foundation to aid bartenders and restaurant workers.

The new website highlights that taking a break from alcohol may be good for your health, but the lack of patrons at on-premise establishments is bad for bartenders.

To bridge the gap, the Vermont distillery has released a 100% rye “non-whiskey” product to help you through a dry January so you can “toe the line with the Devil’s Slide”.

Any non-alc worth its weight should offer something to celebrate. So 100% of the proceeds of this 100% Rye Non-Whiskey will benefit bartenders who have worked their tails off through the holiday season only to be rewarded by the January drought. To support the cause, grab a bottle of limited edition PiggyBack Devil’s Slide below and/or visit the USBG Foundation.

dry.whistlepigwhiskey.com

Breakfast Mocktails, You Say?

Leave the Champagne on ice, skip the mimosas, and grab the maple syrup!  Whistlepig has some bartender-approved mocktail recipes to kick off your day:

The Best Part of Wakin’ Up:

• 2 oz. PiggyBack Devil’s Slide Non-Whiskey
• 1/2 oz. WhistlePig Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup (or any organic maple syrup)
• 5 oz. freshly brewed coffee
• Whipped cream and/or a donut on the side (if you’re balancing vices)

Add all ingredients to your favorite coffee mug. (Optional: Top with whipped cream.) Stir, sip and say ahhhhh….

But Wait, There’s More!

I would be remiss if I didn’t advocate for moderation here, so let’s take a quick moment to remember that sipping great whiskey is fun and can be an exercise in both analysis and relaxation, but should be done responsibly.

There…with that said, let’s also understand that a dry January may not be everyone’s idea of fun.  Don’t worry, though, Whistlepig is pushing boundaries even further with the Devil’s Slide range of offerings to include hemp extract.  Yes, you read that right, hemp extract.

The Devil’s Slide “Half Send” is a non-whiskey weighing in a < 0.5% ABV and infused with local hemp.  According to Whistlepig it is:

For anyone resolved to harness the power of plants. If you aren’t imbibing, you should have a little something else to enjoy, right? Made with 100% Rye, aged 6 years, undistilled and infused with locally sourced, fair trade, Vermont hemp extract. Enjoy neat, on the rocks, while practicing yoga or mindfulness.

The Devil’s Slide “Full Send” is a product that, evidently (as of this post), does not yet exist.  Infused with THC, this non-whiskey contains the same < 0.5% ABV and 120mg of THC per bottle.  The product page encourages enthusiasts to “Contact your local lawmaker to support the cause”.  More on this product as that story develops.

Well there is certainly a lot to unpack here!  I’m excited to see Whistlepig launching new products as well as supporting folks in the service industry.  While it still feels a bit like grabbing drinks at the local watering hole without worry is on horizon that gets a bit closer each month, it’s nice knowing the folks in that industry have some form of help coming their way.

On the whiskey front I think it’s fun and a bit wild to consider breakfast or brunch mocktails, but I’m into the idea.  Finding new ways to bring some personal growth and great new flavors to the table at the same time sound great to me.  Infused drinks with hemp and THC remain to be a proven category, and while I’m interested seeing brands push the envelope, I just don’t yet know what this category will yield.

While we can count on Whistlepig bringing us ultra-premium releases like Boss Hog, who knows what the future will bring?  Maybe 2022 or 2023 will bring us the Devil’s Full Send…