Dry Land Distillers’ New Organic Rye Whiskey Is A Love Letter to Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Read enough headlines about heat waves, drought, wildfires, algae blooms, dust storms, and other crises and you might, understandably, think it’s too late to save the planet. But Nels Wroe remains optimistic—and he hopes Dry Land Distillers’ newest spirit might just change your mind, too.

This summer, the Longmont-based distillery released a new 100-percent malted straight rye whiskey made from Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) grain grown in southern Colorado. Managed by the nonprofit Regenerative Organic Alliance, the certification requires growers to meet and exceed the organic standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with a special emphasis on practices that promote soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness.

Wroe, the distillery’s co-founder and chief executive, believes Dry Land’s ROC rye may be the first of its kind. “Our world is changing, and it’s due to our choices,” he says. “Yet, I’m hopeful we can change our course. The rye project is evidence that we can change systems for the better. It shows the world that it is possible to create delicious products that have positive impacts throughout the agricultural and supply chains.”

The whiskey is a partnership between Dry Land and Jones Farms Organics, a fourth-generation farm in the San Luis Valley and the only ROC grower in the state. For the spirit, owners Sarah and Michael Jones cultivated ryman rye, a hardy winter grain that’s often sowed before or after other crops to help prevent topsoil erosion, retain water, and improve soil health. In addition to its environmental benefits, it also makes tasty whiskey, imparting layered, smooth yet spicy notes to the spirit. Each bottle represents roughly 15 to 20 pounds of the grain. “Rye is an ideal grain for Colorado,” Wroe says. “It is resilient, can thrive in low-water conditions, grows as a cover crop to keep topsoil in place, reduces soil moisture loss, and sequesters atmospheric carbon in the soil. Plus, rye offers diverse and complex flavors in whiskey, perhaps more so than any other grain.”

The new whiskey fits right into Dry Land’s ethos. Since it opened in 2018, the distillery has prioritized ingredients from Colorado and the American West—plants and grains that not only survive here, but thrive despite the region’s fragile ecosystem and scarce resources. Its mezcal-inspired spirit is made from native prickly pear cactus, while its gin incorporates Colorado botanicals like elderberry, bee balm, and rose hips. Dry Land’s antero wheat whiskey is made from grains grown less than 30 miles from the distillery. “I started Dry Land after realizing that a majority of the whiskey being marketed and sold as ‘Colorado whiskey’ was far from it,” Wroe says. “Most of it was produced from commoditized grains in the Midwest, repackaged, and sold with a picture of a mountain on the label. That’s not who we are, nor are these spirits a reflection of the land. At first, I got a bit angry—then I decided to do something about it.”

Many consumers already think about the environmental implications of their groceries—and Wroe is hopeful more of that scrutiny will spill over into the spirits industry. Instead of buying cheaper “environmental nightmares,” he says, he encourages shoppers to be more selective. “A large percentage of all grain grown in Colorado goes into the spirits that we drink,” he says. “Carefully choosing spirits that are made with grains grown using sustainable agricultural practices—regenerative, organic, or just smart land stewardship—can have an outsized impact on improving and protecting our world. Plus, I guarantee that the flavor, quality, and uniqueness of the spirits in that bottle will be amazing.”

When Dry Land released the first batch of its organic rye whiskey in late July, it sold out right away. Fortunately, the team will be releasing more bottles ($109 each) later this summer and fall (pre-orders are available now through its bottle club). Dry Land also recently began serving food at its midcentury-modern-inspired tasting room on Longmont’s historic Main Street—small plates developed by chef Chris Bybee like mushroom pâté, house-marinated olives, piñon nut hummus, and chayote squash pickles. So, when you pick up your bottle, you can stop in for a cocktail and a bite, too.

519 Main St., Longmont, CO