Maryland Farm's Rye Whiskey Harvest Breaks Records

Chris Weaver's farm in Maryland has been growing rye for Sagamore Spirits, a Baltimore-based distillery that produces whiskey. The farm's 100 acres of rye were harvested last month and stored in grain bins owned by Sagamore Spirits.

Weaver had one of the best rye yields he'd ever seen, averaging 92 bushels an acre. This year's harvest was special because it marked the first batch of aged rye whiskey made from his seven-year-old crop, which sold out in just one weekend.

Weaver started growing rye about seven years ago after visiting cornfields in Indiana and Kentucky, where he met farmers who grew grain for Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. He decided to grow something different and was connected with Sagamore Spirits through a local Extension educator.

Max Hames, director of distilling at Sagamore Spirits, said the company contracts with four local farmers who each grow between 100 and 150 acres of rye per year. The rye is ground in-house using a roller mill and then mashed to break down the starches into simple sugars.

Weaver has had to switch fungicides several times and tweak planting populations, but he's now dialed into growing rye. For him, seeing his crop turned into whiskey and shared with people is what makes all the time worth it.