LEADING
THE RYE REVIVAL
FROM THE CITY WHERE ALL BEGAN
New Yorkers are dreamers. Whether you were born here or made this city your home, we share a drive to create — to defy convention, to prove doubters wrong, to double-down on ambition.
When New Yorkers dream, we dream big.
It’s here that Allen Katz and Tom and Bill Potter converged from paths of creativity and curiosity to pursue the dream of an urban distillery that would be the focal point for revitalizing one of the most important American spirits: rye whiskey.
More than a decade in the making, Jaywalk is the result of a singular focus on a long-forgotten grain varietal. It’s a New York comeback story.
New York Roots
Their shared obsession led Katz and the Potters to the discovery of Horton Rye, a variety that had disappeared from fields centuries ago. Thanks to a seed bank and a devoted New York farmer, the team was entrusted with the modest sum of 10 seeds.
They hoped to access levels of flavor absent in the commodity grains used in most rye whiskey. But getting there would not be easy.
Could Horton Rye survive in modern conditions? Was the crop viable at scale? Would the rye’s flavor live up to their dream?
After more than 13 years of testing and refinement — and a perverse level of patience — Horton Rye was finally ready.
Jaywalk now oversees an annual harvest of 200 acres of Horton Rye in the Finger Lakes Region of New York.
Our Spiritual Home
Made in Bushwick, in the heart of Brooklyn, where there’s hardly room to park, let alone produce whiskey.
Jaywalk’s connection to New York is unmistakable. A whiskey deeply rooted in the city’s history and modern mixology’s rediscovery of rye.
Our passion comes across in every sip. Jaywalk is a rare, dynamic and remarkable whiskey – iconoclastic, just like New Yorkers.
To our farmers, distillers and customers who continue to support this audacious experiment, thank you.
OUR MISSION
TO HONOR AND RECLAIM RYE’S NEW YORK ROOTS
TO CELEBRATE ITS DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS
TO EXTRACT AND ENJOY RYE’S FLAVOR THROUGH ATTENTION TO EVERY DETAIL