Artist Ed Mell painted a New-West-meets-Old-West label for a collectible bottle of a High West Distillery & Saloon favorite.
Utah’s first legal distillery, in business since 1870, High West Distillery & Saloon debuted an exclusive release of fan-favorite Rendezvous Rye with a limited-edition bottle featuring custom label artwork crafted by renowned American artist Ed Mell.
Best known for his contemporary paintings of Western landscapes, Mell is collected by celebrities like Diane Keaton and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s also been featured in the pages of C&I.
Mell’s label is a fitting visual complement to High West’s signature spirit. In keeping with the historic yet modern distillery, the label was crafted to reflect a New West-meets-Old West aesthetic, with warm tones lending an earthiness to an angular cowboy-inspired scene.
“The debut of the new collectible artist-designed bottle marks High West’s transition of the distillery’s flagship whiskey to a seasonal release, providing brand enthusiasts and whiskey lovers alike with a chance to enjoy the new label artwork and unique flavor nuances of each annual bottle,” says High West general manager Daniel Schear.
A blend of straight rye whiskeys, this season’s Rendezvous Rye reveals “notes of poached pear, bitter orange, ground ginger, lavender, wet sandalwood, and tanned leather on a well-used wooden work bench.”
There has been a second addition of the artist label series by Ed Mell, with High West's Campfire. Campfire is a limited seasonal, Utah-only release, featuring the second installment of the Ed Mell Artist Label Series. Released at the High West General store on August 7, it was available at Utah liquor stores throughout the month of August. In honor of the limited release, High West committed to donating $10,000 to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a community organization dedicated to helping families of firefighters injured or killed in the line of duty across the West.
Raise a glass and toast the brave departed who put their lives on the line fighting for the safety of others with this whiskey drink from High West Distillery.
Dead Man’s Boots
Ingredients:
1½ ounces High West Rendezvous Rye
1 ounce Casa Noble Reposado Tequila
½ ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Ginger beer
Lime wedge garnish
Preparation:
Add all ingredients except for ginger beer to cocktail shaker.
Add chip ice and shake.
Strain over ice and top off with ginger beer.
Garnish with a lime wedge.
High West Rendezvous Rye® launched on May 3. The spirit can be purchased locally at High West General Store in Old Town Park City, High West Distillery on Blue Sky Ranch in Wanship, Utah, or state liquor stores for $69.99 per bottle. Visit High West Saloon in Park City, Utah.
Photography: (All images) courtesy Whisper Gallery