Now you really can raise a glass to freedom with the Hamilton-inspired beer Rise Up Rye, made by cast members in the Broadway musical.
“We got together at 5 Napkin Burger, and it was with The Happy Hour Guys and the Gun Hill Brewing Company [in the Bronx] and some cast members from Hamilton, [including Javier Muñoz and Kamille Upshaw],” explains Hamilton cast member David Guzman, one of the brew’s creators. “We just kind of brainstormed what this beer could be and what this process is actually going to be. We brainstormed different name ideas, we brainstormed different things to put into the beer. The brewing company had really great ideas.
“They wanted to have a rye beer. Wheat is used a lot in beer, but they decided to do rye because that’s what America had at the beginning of its start, and a lot of people would get rye from America, so we figured [with rye being used at] the start of our nation, and the show has to do with the start of our nation, it kind of all fit together. We wanted a beer that could be liked by many people, whereas a stout or a porter have very distinct tastes, and they’re very specific to who likes them—or an IPA. We wanted something that could be likeable by all, because I feel that our show is very likeable by all people. There’s not a lot of negative comments about our show, so we wanted the same thing with our beer. We threw around names and stuff and ended up with Rise Up Rye.”
Guzman adds that a portion of the proceeds from the beer will go to Graham Windham, the non-profit organization in Brooklyn that strives to make a difference in families affected by abuse neglect and delinquency, and the Eliza Project.
As previously reported, the 4.8 percent alcohol ale is brewed with rye, barley, New Zealand Wai-iti hops and saison yeast.
The beverage is sold at The Beer Authority at 300 West 40th Street in Manhattan, and in about 40 other bars in New York City, retailing for $12-$15.
Rise Up Rye can be found at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, where Hamilton plays nightly, as well as on tap at 5 Napking Burger-Hell's Kitchen, Alphabet City Beer Co, Arts and Crafts Beer Parlor (UWS), As Is, Astoria Beer and Cheese (Broadway and Ditmars Locations), Banter Bar, Beer Culture, Beer Noggin, Beer Street, Bronx Ale House, Cardiff Giant, Cooper's Craft (Chelsea AND 2nd Ave), Covenhoven, Crescent and Vine, District Tap House, Double Windsor, Fool's Gold, George Keeley's, Gingerman, Glorietta Baldy, Greenwood Park, Joe's Pub at the Public Theater, Judy and Punch, Pony Bar Hell's Kitchen, One Stop Beer Shop, Randolph Beer, Spuyten Duyvil, Taproom 307, The Jeffery, Valhalla and Vine (Eventi Hotel).
