New Riff, Rhinegeist Collab on DUET American Whiskey

Two of the Greater Cincinnati area’s better known beverage makers are working in concert to debut DUET American Whiskey, a collaboration between New Riff Distilling and Rhinegeist Brewing.

Focused on barley — a primary grain in both whiskey and beer production — this whiskey is meant to showcase rich distilling tradition and Cincinnati’s brewing heritage.

A brewer before joining New Riff, Master Distiller Brian Sprance welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with the Rhinegeist team on DUET American Whiskey.

“This collaboration wasn’t intended to recreate something that already exists,” Sprance says. “Brewers work with an incredible range of grains, malts, and yeast strains, and with our shared background in brewing, that creative overlap between us and Rhinegeist felt very natural. The result is a whiskey that’s a little unexpected for Kentucky, and a great reflection of what can happen when distillers and brewers who’ve known each other for years come together to create something new.”

Made with an unusual mashbill of 57% malted barley, 37% raw barley and 6% rye, DUET American Whiskey also features an uncommon aging process, according to the producers. The majority of DUET American Whiskey was aged in new American oak barrels, along with Spanish oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The final blend was married together in a big foeder used for beer maturation, then re-barreled into used American oak barrels.

Aged at least 6 years and bottled at 111.2 proof, DUET American Whiskey leads with fresh barley and bright grain on the nose, with notes of green melon, tangerine and orchard fruit alongside deeper dark fruit and leathery sherry, according to the producers. On the palate, traditional grain flavors lead with savory notes, while cracker malt and citrus balance the richness and sherry carries through. Sherry and tangerine are on the finish.

“We’re thrilled to add another layer of meaning to Spirit of the Rhine, Rhinegeist’s eponym, when limited quantities of DUET are released across Ohio and Kentucky in concert with our friends across the river at New Riff Distilling,” says Rhinegeist CEO Adam Bankovich. “The project was inspired by the mutual appreciation our teams have for each other, and it is no surprise the past year of collaboration has been so harmonious.”

What’s on the outside of the bottle is also collaborative, thanks to the work of Jared Wagner and Chloe Rethman. Graphic designers for New Riff and Rhinegeist, respectively, the two were married last May after meeting while working at FC Cincinnati.

This release is the latest in New Riff’s catalog of collaborations with local brands. Since its founding, New Riff has partnered with local breweries and food partners on pop-ups in The Aquifer Tasting Room, and in 2025, teamed up with Graeter’s to release Bourbon Ball ice cream made with New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon.

DUET American Whiskey will be available to purchase beginning Friday, April 10, at New Riff’s gift shop and at select retailers in Ohio and Kentucky for $79.99 per 750-ml. bottle.

DUET American Whiskey is also available by the pour in The Aquifer Tasting Room at New Riff and at Rhinegeist’s Tap Room.

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