Zanja-Madre Bourbon is a high-rye California-aged bourbon, distilled in our 1,000-gallon copper Vendome pot still in Hollywood and aged in new charred American oak. Named after the original water channel that fed early Los Angeles in the 1700s. Here's how it tastes and how to drink it.
The mash bill
High-rye bourbon: corn, rye, and a touch of malted barley, with the rye percentage well above the typical 8–12% you see in mass-market bourbon. The high-rye structure is what gives the finished bourbon its spice character and the dryness that makes it work in stirred cocktails.
Tasting notes
Color. Deep amber with copper highlights.
Nose. Vanilla and brown sugar at the front. Baking spice, some dark fruit, a hint of black pepper at the back from the rye. Faint oak.
Palate. Soft entry, then the rye spice arrives — black pepper, baking spice, a touch of cinnamon. Mid-palate is rich without being sweet. The California aging shows up as a slightly fuller body than equivalent-age Kentucky bourbons.
Finish. Long, dry, with the rye spice lingering. A faint sweetness from the corn but the rye is the last impression.
How to drink it
- Neat over a single rock. The classic. Lets all the layers show.
- Old Fashioned. The high-rye spice cuts through the sugar and bitters in a way pure-corn bourbon can't. This is the cocktail Zanja-Madre Bourbon is built for.
- Boulevardier. Equal parts bourbon, Campari, sweet vermouth. The spice balances the bitter perfectly.
- Manhattan. Bourbon Manhattans are softer than rye Manhattans, but the high-rye structure here keeps the drink interesting.
- Whiskey sour. Add lemon and the rye spice frames the citrus.
Food pairings
- Roasted meats. Pork especially. The vanilla and brown sugar play with the meat's natural sweetness.
- Strong cheeses. Aged cheddar, gruyère, blue cheese. The bourbon's body holds up.
- Dark chocolate. Classic. 70%+ cacao.
- Dried figs or apricots. The bourbon's dark-fruit notes echo.
- Pecan or pumpkin pie. Holiday pairing.
The name
Zanja Madre means "mother ditch" — the original irrigation channel built in 1781 to bring water from the Los Angeles River to the new Spanish settlement of El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles. Without the Zanja Madre, Los Angeles would not have grown into a city. We named our whiskey after it because Hollywood Distillery exists, in a real sense, because Los Angeles exists.
Where to next
Shop Zanja-Madre Bourbon, try our Old Fashioned recipe, or learn how bourbon is made.