• by Fern Siegel , April 3, 2024

Rittenhouse Rye, a whiskey from Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky, has long been a bartender favorite for cocktails.

Agency Method1 touts its popularity with the "Cocktail Creatively campaign, featured at the new site — rittenhouserye.com — it created and on-site premises nationwide. There is also a micro-influencer campaigns on social. 

Posters and menu cards on various premises celebrate the Philadelphia heritage of the brand, the cocktails invented with Rittenhouse, named for Rittenhouse Square.

Max Stefka, group product director at Heaven Hill, which owns Rittenhouse, said: “By leveraging the voice of noted mixologists and sharing their unique creations with other bartenders, our campaign will inspire a whole new range of rye-based cocktails.”

Which explains why bartenders are the primary campaign target. 

One of Rittenhouse's distinctions is the “Bottled in Bond” designation, which guarantees a minimum age (at least four years) and potency (100 proof). Its spicy flavor is augmented by the sweetness of the corn.

Rittenhouse Square Rye was introduced after Prohibition ended in 1934 by Continental Distilling Corporation and was originally made in Philadelphia. Heaven Hill acquired the brand in 1993.

David Muldoon, executive creative director for Method1, added: “The bottled-in-bond attribute of the brand makes it perfect in cocktails because its taste is never lost in the mix. ‘Cocktail Creatively’ cements this attribute in the minds of bartenders everywhere and recognizes the creativity of some of the most famous influencers in the field, including bartender/mixologists Meaghan Dorman (@gingerrickey), Joaquin Simo (@simojoaquin), and Dale DeGroff (@kingcocktl).”

Heaven Hill Distillery is home to an award-winning collection of American whiskeys, including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey and Old Fitzgerald. It holds the title of 2024 and 2023 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year and 2023 World’s Best Small Batch Bourbon from the Icons of Whisky.

Method1 operates as an independent company under XenoPsi Ventures. Clients include Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, Lunazul Tequila, Cape Tide Hard Tea, ShadyRays and Wellow socks.