Le Claire, Iowa, October 29, 2012 - Mississippi River Distilling Company is excited to announce the arrival of their new Cody Road Rye Whiskey along with the first large scale release of Cody Road Bourbon Whiskey.

Cody Road Rye is handmade from 100% local rye purchased from Dave and Jim Wherry in Fulton, Illinois. This whiskey is a unique spirit that showcases the wonderful spiciness of rye, a one-of-a-kind grain, along with the delicate fruitiness that is often lost in rye whiskies.

"It all started a little over a year ago when we first released our Windmill Rye Whiskey as a seasonal product," says Ryan Burchett, owner and distiller.  "People went crazy for it and really appreciated tasting a full rye whiskey.  We decided this needed to be a staple and went into production right away.  The big difference is this whiskey has twice the age on it."

Cody Road Rye is distilled at a higher proof than is typical so it is a nice, clean smooth whiskey with the ful spiciness that rye is known for.  "The spice warms up your mouth, but the clean spirit goes down your throat smooth, which makes it perfect for Manhattans!"  Burchett says.

Along with the arrival of the new rye whiskey, fans should also be excited to know that the highly sought after Cody Road Bourbon should be easier to find now.  "In the past year, we've released about 5,000 bottles of whiskey total.  We'll release over 17,000 bottles in the next 8 weeks alone.  We'll be carrying that increased production into 2013.  So fans should be able to get their hands on our whiskies a little easier now."

The name comes from William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, who was born in LeClaire and was regarded as a regular purveyor of whiskey.  Legend has it that rye whiskey was his spirit of choice.

Ryan and his brother Garrett Burchett have been cranking out production on this whiskey so it will be easier to find around the state of Iowa and surrounding states.  They plan to release over 1,000 bottles each week, with still more full barrels in storage for aging purposes.  This will make a great holiday gift for any whiskey lover on your list!

The distillery opens at 10 AM on Friday, Nov. 2 with the first bottles of the whiskey available then.  Retailers around Iowa, Illinois and surrounding states will also have the whiskies for sale.

To get a free taste of this new spirit, join us Friday, November 2 from 5:30-8:00 p.m. to celebrate at MRDC's First Friday Feature.  There will be specialty cocktails prepared for the evening as well as some light appetizers.

Mississippi River Distilling Company is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free tours are offered to the public daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process.  Tours end in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples of products for those patrons over 21 years of age.

####