Rock and Rye is a term (both generically and brand names) for a bottled liqueur or mixed cocktail composed of

rye whiskey Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey: * American rye whiskey, which is similar to bourbon whiskey, but must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye grain * Canadian whisky, which is often referred to as (and of ...

and

rock candy Rock candy or sugar candy, also called rock sugar or crystal sugar, is a type of confection composed of relatively large sugar crystals. In some parts of the world, local variations are called Misri, nabat or navat. This candy is formed b ...

(crystallized sugar) or fruit. As early as 1914, United States government publications discuss disputes regarding beverages labeled "rock and rye", including a case of a beverage so marketed which was found by the Bureau of Chemistry to consist of "water, sugar, glucose, and artificial coloring matters, sold in imitation of a rock and rye cordial". Among non-alcoholic beverages, Rock and Rye continues to be a popular flavor of the

Faygo Faygo Beverages, Inc., is a soft drink company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. The beverages produced by the company, branded as Faygo or Faygo Pop, are distributed in the Midwestern, Mid-Atlantic, and Central Southern regions of the United ...

brand of soda pop. Related products mentioned in the early 20th century include Rock and Rum and Rock and Gin. Slow & Low produced by Hochstadter's since 1884 produces a Rock & Rye drink that according to the label is "served straight and as a proper old-fashioned since the 1800's Rock and Rye Union Made with Straight rye Whiskey Raw Honey, Navel Orange, Rock Candy and Bitters." It is 84 Proof Produced by Hochstadter's from Scobyville, NJ.

In media

In the film ''

National Lampoon's Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulce, and ...

'', Boon (

Peter Riegert Peter Riegert ( ;) (born April 11, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Donald "Boon" Schoenstein in ''Animal House'' (1978), oil company executive "Mac" MacIntyre in '' Local Hero'' (1983), pickle store owner Sam Posner ...

) orders a "double Rock and Rye and seven “ Carlings" at a bar. ''Mississippi Half Step Uptown Toodeloo'' by

The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, folk, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, and world music with psyc ...

, lyrics by Robert Hunter references Rock and Rye in the lyrics. “Half a cup of rock and rye /Farewell to you old southern sky / I'm on my way” Rock and Rye has long been supposed to be a cure for various types of cold and flu.

Damon Runyon Alfred Damon Runyon (October 4, 1880 – December 10, 1946) was an American journalist and short-story writer. He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway theatre, Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Proh ...

mentions the belief in one of his tales of Prohibition New York, “The Three Wise Guys”: In the 1974 film (set in 1928)

The Front Page ''The Front Page'' is a Broadway theatre, Broadway comedy about newspaper reporters on the police beat. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, it was first produced in 1928 and has been adapted for the cinema severa ...

, the day he resigned/the evening before he is set to get married and move to Philadelphia, Chicago newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson (played by

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, he was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in comedy-drama films. He received num ...

) shows up in The Press Room of the Criminal Courts Building in Chicago with multiple bottles of liquor to share with his fellow journalists. His replacement, Rudy Keppler (played by

Jon Korkes Jon Korkes (born December 4, 1945) is an American film, stage, and television actor. Korkes was born in Manhattan, New York Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five bor ...

) is asked to join them and responds by requesting, "Rock and Rye please."

References

{{reflist Liqueurs Sugar-based alcoholic drinks Cocktails with whisky