OUR STORY.

We are a small micro-distillery from Carrol County, Iowa.  Our roots run deep within the area of Templeton, and date back to Prohibition in the late 1920’s to the raid in the early 1930’s.  Our grandmother, Lorine Sextro was a pioneer within the Midwestern bootlegging community, producing one of the most sought-after Rye’s from St. Louis to Minneapolis, and Omaha to Al Capone’s network in Chicago. 

After the Templeton raid in 1932, Lorine buried her still, barrels and any paraphernalia associated with her operation.  She documented everything.  Before her passing, she passed down her original recipe and still design on a hand-written letter, along with a map of her farm showing where she buried the evidence of her illegal operation. 

In 2015 we re-created Sextro Rye to the exact specifications from Lorine’s letter.  We still use the same Rye from the same fields.  From the mash to the cooking methods to the aging (in small 15-gallon barrels), everything is identical to the Rye she made during Prohibition.  It’s a true taste of Americana.

In 2017 we went looking for her loot.  On a cold fall morning using ground radar and specially trained dogs, we found her original still, barrel and bottle fragments, and various pieces of distilling equipment.  It was a treasure trove of historical significance. 

Unfortunately we haven’t found any filled barrels…yet.

Check us out at www.sextrorye.com to see the story in pictures.

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT.

Truly small batch rye. Only a small percentage of spirit makers in the world do small batch rye.  Not many in the world knew how to make it like grandma.  The feel is completely different, and the taste has a unique spiciness and warmth when taking your rye neat.

OUR MISSION.

To provide the opportunity to experience rye the way it was made back in the Prohibition era. We want to invite drinkers and newcomers alike to taste and experience the feel of clean, pure 100% organic rye grain spirits.

WHAT WE DO.

Create true small batch rye spirits on site. Other distilleries blend many spirits together or use spirits sourced from large corporate producers for a specific color and taste. Which is fine. But those aren’t what true real distilled spirits taste and feel like. Welcome to the taste of Grandma Sextro’s infamous rye.