Templeton Distillery sits right in the heart of Templeton, Iowa, at 209 Rye Ave—a fitting address for a distillery built around rye whiskey. Founded in 2006 by Scott Bush, Meryl Kerkhoff, and Keith Kerkhoff, this operation brought legitimate distilling back to a town that was famous during Prohibition for bootleg rye whiskey called “Templeton Rye” or “The Good Stuff.” The original recipe supposedly made its way to Al Capone’s tables in Chicago, and locals claim even the governor kept a supply. The modern distillery opened its doors in 2018 in a custom-built 34,500-square-foot facility that produces up to 1.5 million proof gallons annually. The story here isn’t just about reviving a brand—it’s about legitimizing a legend. For decades after Prohibition ended, people in Templeton kept making rye whiskey in their basements and barns using a recipe passed down through generations. The founders spent years tracking down that original recipe and the families who preserved it. Scott Bush, who previously worked in agricultural commodities, partnered with the Kerkhoffs to create something that honored the town’s whiskey-making heritage while meeting modern standards. They brought in experienced distiller Trent Fraser, who previously worked at Crown Royal, to oversee production. Visitors step into a sleek, modern operation that produces primarily rye whiskey using a four-column continuous still system alongside traditional pot stills. The facility includes a visitor center, tasting room, and production floor where you can watch the entire process from grain to bottle. What makes this place worth visiting isn’t just the whiskey—it’s the connection to a wild piece of American history that most people never heard about. The tours dive deep into both the Prohibition-era stories and modern production methods, and the tasting room lets you compare their current offerings with the historical recipes they’ve recreated.