Jenny Block
From Prohibition Legends To Modern-Day Craft Mastery, Smokeye Hill Pours The Spirit Of The American Southwest Into Every Glass
Photography courtesy of Smokeye Hill and Makin Media Studios
If you think bourbon is bourbon is bourbon, you haven’t met Smokeye Hill. This isn’t your buttoned-up, cigar-club pour; it’s bourbon with bite, backbone, and a little blue corn magic. Born from Arizona soil and a family legacy steeped in Southwestern grit, Smokeye Hill is rewriting the whiskey rulebook. It’s smooth, bright, and just unruly enough to make you wonder why all bourbon doesn’t taste this bold. Whether you sip it neat, pour it over ice, or mix it into their dangerously good Smokeye Peach Old Fashioned, one thing’s sure: this isn’t just a drink, it’s a story in every glass, according to Jenny Block, who weighs in on the spirit.
If you think bourbon is bourbon is bourbon, this launch and this bourbon is not for you. This isn’t a stuffy bourbon. This isn’t a basic bourbon. And this definitely is not a boring bourbon. There’s a new game in town. It’s called Smokeye Hill. And if you love bourbon, you’re going to love this bourbon.
Heck, if you don’t love bourbon, you might love it. It has a beautiful nose. It’s smooth. It’s bright. It’s just sweet enough, just rich enough, just bold and subtle enough to drink it straight up, on the rocks, or, if you’re anything like me, in a delicious cocktail, like their Smokeye Peach Old Fashioned. (Recipe below!)
This high-end bourbon is crafted from a proprietary mash of four grains: blue corn, yellow corn, rye, and malted barley. The blue corn is the secret sauce in this beauty. A symbol of strength and resiliency, blue corn has been revered for thousands of years by Indigenous People and Tribes of the Southwestern United States.
That’s just one of the reasons Smokeye Hill is so proud to have it front and center in their regional whiskey. And its inclusion is just one of the reasons the spirit boasts such a refined complexity that those enjoying it won’t soon forget.
They offer both a straight bourbon whiskey and a barrel proof straight bourbon whiskey (straight from the barrel), and they have a rye on the way.
In Arizona, there’s a renowned cattle ranch at which you’ll find the legendary Smokeye Hill. When alcohol was outlawed during prohibition, Smokeye Hill and the area around it were the perfect haven for bootleggers. Tucked away in this secret spot, illicit spirits were made and distributed, and even the Hollywood set managed to find their way to the place.
The story goes that a prohibition agent connected to the area would tip off the community about any impending raids. So, the moonshiners would hang bells around the necks of any mules who happened to be roaming in the area to signal that lawmen were on the way.
Luckily, those days are far behind us. But the legacy of Smokeye Hill remains.
Blake Johns is the founder of Smokeye Hill Whiskey. For generations, his family has owned and operated the land surrounding Smokeye Hill. After forming Hazelwood Spirits Company, which he named after a beloved family member, Johns established Smokeye Hill Whiskey “with a vision to craft a distinct and exceptional whiskey, free from traditional constraints.”
Inspired by his upbringing in the American Southwest, Johns set out to create this whiskey that truly embodies an appreciation for both the heritage of his family and the spirit of the region.
I had the opportunity to try it while at the Greater Houston Sports Club, where I also shot clay for the first time. I hit four out of five right out of the gate. The drinking started after the shooting, of course. Kind of the perfect late Texas afternoon if you ask me…
Smokeye Peach Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
2 oz Smokeye Hill Whiskey
1/4 Peach, muddled (or grilled — Peach is brushed with olive oil, salted and peppered before grilled)
1/2 oz Agave Water
Dash Bitters: Walnut + Chocolate
Method:
Add all ingredients to a rocks glass and smash the peach.
Top with ice, stir, and garnish with an orange slice and a classic cherry.
