Willamette Valley Vineyards has stepped into spirits, debuting an American rye whiskey in its home state. Willamette Whiskey is described by the company as a “small-batch craft whiskey” that was aged for six years in American oak barrels. The 50% abv expression is a limited release, with a second batch set to follow later this year. The Oregon winery partnered with Portland-based Rose City Distillery to create the expression, which retails at US$50 per 75cl bottle. “The first release was snatched up in less than a few hours,” said Willamette CEO Jim Bernau. “We encourage Oregon rye whiskey lovers to contact the winery as soon as possible to get on the waiting list for future batches of this special craft spirit.” Earlier this week, Oregon-based spirits Eastside Distilling announced the resignation of its CEO, Paul Block. Just Drinks’ Mergers & Acquisitions round-up – Click here for the January 2022 edition