THREE OAKS, Mich. — Bottles of Last Feather Rye from Journeyman Distillery have begun arriving on shelves at stores, bars and restaurants. Due to a trademark dispute with a California winery, the distillery was forced to change the name of its flagship rye from Ravenswood Rye to Last Feather Rye.

The names of all of Journeyman’s products are crafted to tell a story, from Featherbone Bourbon, a nod to the distillery’s location in the old Featherbone Factory, to Bilberry Black Hearts Gin, a reference to a fruit that owner Bill Welter discovered during his time in Scotland.

The first batch of Journeyman rye was distilled in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago. When Journeyman leaders decided to name the whiskey, they say they wanted to pay tribute to its humble beginnings and say thanks to Chicago.

“We’d rather spend our money and time making the best whiskey and spirits we can instead of using it to fight this trademark dispute,” Welter said.

Journeyman’s flagship rye will now be known as Last Feather Rye.

“The raven flew off, back to its original home in Chicago, but it left behind one Last Feather,” Welter said.

Last Feather Rye is made in small batches with the exact same organic and kosher-certified mash bill of rye, wheat and barley as its predecessor.

“Last Feather Rye and Ravenswood Rye are the same rye whiskey, just with different names. The only thing that has changed is the name on the bottle,” the owner said.

The remaining bottles of Ravenswood Rye in the market have hang tags attached that explain the name change. The first few shipments of Last Feather Rye will also include these hang tags.

 

About Journeyman Distillery

Founded in 2011, Journeyman Distillery crafts organic and kosher certified spirits in the historic Featherbone Factory in Three Oaks, Michigan. The distillery prides itself on using the highest quality grains sourced from Midwestern organic farmers to craft its award-winning spirits. Journeyman spirits are distributed in twelve states and Washington, D.C.