Rye is about as old-school as it gets. The cornerstone of the classic Manhattan recipe, distilled by George Washington, and immortalized in the favorite song of sorority girls nationwide, "American Pie", it's been pushed aside for the last couple of decades as bourbon, vodka, tequila and single-malts became the spirits of choice.

But spurred on by a love of all things retro, and the exposure of being the drink of choice by the guys in Mad Men, rye is making a comeback. And one of the newest is the unusually named (rī)1.

Pronounced "rye one", it debuted last month, and is the first ultra-premium rye produced by Beam Global, makers of Jim Beam and Knob Creek. Where bourbon is smooth and can have a mellow sweetness to it, rye is bold and spicy, lending some edge to your cocktails. (rī)1 has deep, rich flavors of pepper set off by honey and a little fruit. Perfect for drinking neat, and bold enough to enhance any drink calling for whiskey, like that Manhattan.

Here are a couple of recipes that lend themselves to using (rī)1. One is the classic Manhattan and the other is the Rising Sun. Give them a shot this weekend. And for more info on (rī)1, click here.

Classic Manhattan
2 parts (rī)1 whiskey
1/2 part sweet vermouth
1/2 part dry vermouth
1 dash bitters

Pour ingredients intro a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, strain into a chilled Manhattan glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Rising Sun
1/2 part (rī)1 whiskey
1/2 part lemon juice
1/2 part orange juice

Combine all three ingredients in a cocktail shaker and pour over ice.