How to make Rock & Rye at home

My husband grew up in and an Italian-American family in the Philadelphia area. His mom, aunts, and cousins would get together on a regular basis to play cards. Shanghai rummy to be exact. It was at one of these card nights that I was introduced to Rock & Rye. I wasn’t feeling very well and told them I wouldn’t be staying long. In harmony they all said, “drink some Rock & Rye you’ll feel better.” Of course my first thought was, “how could alcohol make me feel better?” But wanting to enjoy the night and grateful that they even wanted me there, I said ok.

The bottle of Jacquin’s Rock & Rye was placed in front of me with a glass. Bits of immersed discolored fruit floated in the bottom. I really thought this could not be good and poured a taste of the “elixir”. To my surprise, it tasted great, sweet but with a little kick. It warmed me up from the inside out and I started to feel better. Was it just the atmosphere or the Rock & Rye? You’ll have to try it yourself to decide.

Flash forward 20 years. We live in Florida now and Rock & Rye isn’t sold in most stores. It was a thing that fond memories are made out of. Until my husband and I went to The Underground at the Mob Museum on a trip to Las Vegas. Before you even enter The Underground you feel like you stepped back in time. It’s a speakeasy complete with a peak-hole in the door and a password to get in. Their prohibition era drinks aren’t just perfectly crafted, they also come with a story and amazing presentations. Their Rock & Rye is served in a medicine bottle because during prohibition it was sold as an elixir to make it legal. And so we come full circle. That is why my husband’s family thought it would make me feel better. The tradition that was passed on from previous generations was that Rock & Rye is medicinal. Maybe not medicinal, but it’s tasty.

If I could go to The Underground every time I had a craving for some Rock & Rye I would. But we all can’t just pick up and travel that much. So I made my own Rock & Rye at home. Lately my friends and family have been asking for some. So I decided to bottle it in medicine bottles. Thank you Mob Underground for the brilliant idea and inspiration!

How to Make the Rock & Rye

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Before you make the Rock & Rye ensure you have a large resealable container or jar. I got mine at Home Goods. You can use pretty much any Rye Whiskey for this, since you’ll be adding so much to change the flavor anyway. The rock candy isn’t easy to find, so you’ll probably have to order it online. I bought it on Amazon. Once you have everything you need, simply put the Rye, sliced orange, sliced lemon, rock candy, cherries, and honey in the jar and let it sit for at least 3 days. I usually wait about a week. You can add more rock candy if you want it to be a little sweeter. I serve mine with a rock candy swizzle stick which sweetens it up as you drink, so I only use a 1/4 cup of rock candy. I also add a cinnamon stick or two sometimes to spice it up. Once it’s ready to drink you can drink it right out of the jar or strain it and rebottle it.

Bottling for Gifts

Although it’s perfect to sip the Rock & Rye on a cold winters night and save it all for yourself, sometimes its nice to share a little. For Christmas this year I decided to spread the cheer! I bottled the Rock & Rye into 16 oz. bottles and added a cute apothecary looking label that I made in Word. Send me a comment if you would like a pdf version of the label. Add a rock candy stick and gift tag for the perfect Christmas (or anytime) gift.