Cedar Ridge's whiskeys are proof Iowa knows rye as well as it knows punting

Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.

Iowa is an underappreciated state. No one’s looking up Des Moines when they’re searching for vacation destinations.

But the Hawkeye State does lots of things well. It’s a friendly spot in the middle of the country where the cost of living is low and the beef is awesome. Just as importantly, it’s got some of the best beer in the nation. Toppling Goliath in Decorah makes incredible IPAs. Big Grove covers a wide net and does pretty much all of it well. I haven’t been to Pulpit Rock, but it looks cool as hell.

This extends to spirits as well. Cedar Ridge began life as a winery while its ryes and bourbons matured. Now it’s got nearly two decades of distilling under its belt and a healthy lineup of big, boozy flavors. Living in Wisconsin has meant seeing Cedar Ridge on liquor store shelves for a while, but I hadn’t tried any of its offerings until now.

Can Cedar Ridge live up to that Toppling Goliath standard of great Iowa booze? Let’s find out.