Spirit Of The Week: Celebrate America 250 With These USA-Made Spirits

Our favorite patriotic vodka, brandy, gin, rum, amaro and of course bourbon and rye whiskeys.

As we gear up to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial, we thought it wise to share some of our favorite spirits brewed up in the Land Of the Free. A couple weeks ago we shared our favorite 250th Anniversary Whiskeys to enjoy over the holidays, but this time we spread our wings to include other categories America might not be as famous for, yet should be. So we hand-picked our favorite made-in-the-USA vodka, brandy, gin, rum and even amaros to go along with our famous bourbon and rye whiskeys. Best part is, with the exception of the California brandy they’re all real easy on the wallet. So try to get your hands on these seven classic American Spirits either for this weekend’s huge July 4th blowout, or to cool off with over the upcoming hot summer nights. 

BOURBON: Peg Leg Porker “Spirit of America” Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

Commemorative bourbons often lean on patriotic packaging without much substance behind the pageantry. Peg Leg Porker’s Spirit of America takes the opposite approach, anchoring its tribute to America’s 250th anniversary in one of bourbon’s most exacting legal classifications: Bottled-in-Bond. Established by federal law in 1897, the designation requires single-distiller, single-season production, a minimum four years of aging in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottling at exactly 100 proof—standards that leave little room for shortcuts.

What sets it apart further is the brand’s signature finishing process: the bourbon is filtered through hickory charcoal, lending it the smooth, smoky complexity that’s become Peg Leg Porker’s calling card. Fitting given founder Carey Bringle’s roots as a widely celebrated pitmaster—making him, by the brand’s own account, the only person to hold both an award-winning barbecue brand and an award-winning bourbon label.

The release carries personal weight for Bringle, who lost his leg to bone cancer at 17 and built his career in barbecue and spirits despite the challenges. A story of resilience the brand ties directly to the American character it’s celebrating. That theme of service extends further: the Bringle family’s culinary traditions trace back to 1727, including ancestors who cooked whole hogs for fellow servicemen while stationed in the Philippines. So a portion of proceeds benefits Hearty Hog’s Veteran BBQ Camp, which trains veterans in barbecue trades. Priced at $60 SRP, Spirit of America launches as the first entry in what Peg Leg Porker intends as an annual patriotic summer release.

VODKA: ALB Vodka

In a category dominated by legacy giants and stylized lifestyle brands, the Albany Distilling Company carves out its own niche with ALB Vodka: a hardworking, upstate New York spirit built on substance over glitter. Distilled six times from 100% American corn and quadruple charcoal filtered, ALB achieves a clarity and smoothness that’s earned it serious trade credibility—including a Vodka of the Year title and a 98-point score from USA Spirits Ratings. And Its signature mouthfeel comes from a distinctive source: water drawn from the Alcove Reservoir, a limestone-bed aquifer near Albany that lends ALB a uniquely soft, rounded texture for a vodka.

Rather than chasing polished urban branding, ALB built its reputation on-premise first, winning over bartenders at Le Bernardin, Nobu, and Via Carota before scaling to retail. Its unconventional rollout reflects a disruptive, culture-forward approach uncommon for an independent American vodka brand. Plus it’s a deal for a quality sextuple distilled vodka at $20 SRP.

BRANDY: Charbay California Brandy No. 83

We are huge fans of the Karakasevic family’s work, backflipping for the superb whiskey Marko distills from finished Bear Republic beer. But the family, which boasts a mind-blowing 13 generations of distilling knowledge, crafts all sorts of goodies from their Ukiah, California warehouse including a walnut liqueur, double-aged rum and vodka. But we’re here to sing praise to their California Brandy—which was actually distilled by Marko’s father Milorad, almost two decades after emigrating from then-Yugoslavia in 1962.

His California No. 83 is the result of a Brandy program launched in 1983 using an imported Alambic Charentais copper pot still—an incredibly rare, highly emotive still known for its small batches and flavor-distracting skills. Tapping a distilling lineage tracing back to 1751, when the House of Karakasevic was formally recognized by the Imperial Court of Empress Maria Theresa for its expertise in wine and brandy in the Old World, the endeavor seemed pre-ordained. The first batch made from 100% Folle Blanche grapes grown in Yountville, California—a rare Cognac varietal even in France today—Milorad knew they’d have to wait years, perhaps even decades, for his brandy to mature. So they used that same still to craft a slew of spirits. 

Fast forward almost three decades and the Karakasevic family is finally ready to unleash twin brandies, No. 83 and No. 89. The aforementioned No. 83 being our favorite, aging 27 years in new French Limousin and Nevers oak, a maturation period that places it among the oldest spirits ever produced domestically. Unlike Cognac, which restricts producers to specific grape varietals and a single region, California brandy carries no such regulations—letting Charbay lean into the state’s wine-growing diversity while still honoring traditional Cognac-style production. Bottled at 80 proof, No. 83 delivers toasty vanilla, caramel, and blood orange on the palate, finishing with dried fruit, candied orange peel, and warm spice. At $245 for 375ml and $475 for 750ml, it’s priced as the rare, slow-aged artifact it is—a living link between Old World craft and California’s brandy frontier. SRP $245 (375 ml) / $475 (750 ml)

RUM: Bully Boy Boston Rum

While rum is usually associated with the torrid tropics of the Caribbean, what many don’t realize is that Boston is the birthplace of American rum. Earning its reputation with a wildly bountiful industry dating all the way back to the 1600’s, Boston claimed over 50 distilleries, basically one for every 400 residents, with rum eventually constituting 80% of all of New England’s exports. The King of England’s 1733 Molasses Act even helped spur the American Revolution, as the tax became a flashpoint of colonial anger and galvanization. 

Fitting then that we celebrate American spirits with Bully Boy then, a Rum born at the birthplace of America. We threw British tea in the Harbor after all, and now pour Boston rum into barrels. Much like the early settlers who sourced their molasses from the Caribbean, Bully Boy utilizes blackstrap molasses for their juice, and adds more of the “head” of the distillation process into the mix—creating a juicier distillate with stronger notes of banana and pineapple. They then rest their rum in used American bourbon barrels to layer in vanilla and oak. Celebrate with your Boston Patriot history for only $39.

RYE WHISKEY: Old Overholt 250th Edition 4-Year Rye Whiskey 

There were a couple options we were mulling over for the Rye selection in this America 250th celebration, but we ended up going with Old Overholt’s limited-edition rebranding of their stalwart 4-year 86 proof Rye. Much like the Liberty Bell is a cornerstone of American agency, Overholt’s flagship Rye is a cornerstone of American boozing — a straight-down-the-runway, full-bodied whiskey rich in notes of cinnamon apple pie, caramel, and baking spices, complimented with an invigorating peppery bite. Utilizing Abraham Overholt’s throwback Pennsylvania-style recipe of 80% rye and 20% malted barley, it’s what some refer to as a classic Monongahela-style rye (after the Western Pennsylvania river) as the mash bill eschews the corn Kentucky made famous. Even if today it is made at Jim Beam’s Kentucky distillery. Overholt Rye has the backbone and ABV to standup proudly in any cocktail, but especially an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. Why get fancy? Sometimes the prime directive is to keep it simple stupid, especially on the 4th, and with its wallet loving $24 SRP makes for the perfect summer celebration. If you can find the limited edition bottle festooned in red, white and blue shields, flags and bald eagles, all the better. 

GIN: Waterloo No. 9 Gin

As the first gin distilled in Texas, Waterloo No. 9 draws on nine native botanicals, including lavender, grapefruit, and pecan, alongside classic juniper, all cut with limestone-filtered spring water sourced from its Texas Hill Country soil. The result is a citrus-forward, savory profile that distinguishes itself from the heavier, juniper-dominant London Dry conventions that still define much of the category, even with American offerings.

A genuinely regional expression built around its Texas Hill Country landscape, Waterloo maximizes Lone Star State terroir with all its botanicals rather than borrowing from European tradition. That distinction hasn’t gone unnoticed: in 2026, Wine Enthusiast awarded No. 9 Gin a 94-point “Superb” rating and a “Best Buy” designation, with reviewers noting layers of dried oregano, lime peel, olive leaf, and toasted almond—a flavor profile built for savory cocktails like martinis as much as a classic gin and tonic. Waterloo also offers a Barrel Aged Gin and an intriguing Prickly Pear & Rose Gin that shines in fruity, bubbly cocktails like a Pink Sunset Spritz or French 75. But its the flagship No. 9 Gin we’ll be pouring this 4th. $35 SRP. 

AMARO: Atheras Spirits Akhenaten Amaro & Palatine Amaro

You rarely see Brooklyn looking to ancient Egypt or the Greek Aegean for spirit inspiration, but Atheras Spirits does exactly that—and the results are a bit different from anything else on the amaro shelf. Founded in 2024 by renowned veteran bartender Ektoras Binikos and photographer/designer Simon Jutras, the brand operates out of a micro-distillery inside the Bitter Monk cocktail bar, where every spirit of theirs is imagined, produced, and poured under one roof. Their portfolio includes six liqueurs (think bergamot, fig leaf, cardoon, etc.) and twin amaros, collectively drawing from over 300 wild-foraged botanicals. Sourced with ethnobotanist Elizabeth Kontou and meadow specialist Tama Matsuoka Wong, they team practices a level of sourcing rigor more common to Noma-level fine dining than spirits production. 

Both amari are bottled at 38% ABV with low sugar content, letting botanical complexity lead the way rather than cloying sweetness. Akhenaten Premium Amaro channels the grandeur of its namesake pharaoh—and Philip Glass’s landmark opera—through 40-plus botanicals including myrrh, cedar, cumin, and eucalyptus. It’s ceremonial in character, built for contemplative sipping. Meanwhile their Palatine Amaro is the collection’s utility player: bright rhubarb, chamomile, rosehip, and lemon verbena make it equally at home neat or as a 1-to-1 substitute in classics like a Paper Plane or Black Manhattan.Treat either like a digestif, neat, over a rock, or to spin out a favorite cocktail. SRP Akhenaten Amaro $80 / Palatine Amaro $60

Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher’s travel, spirits and automotive adventures on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.