Whiskey isn’t just something we sip on the porch.
The Templeton Whiskey Story
Out amongst the rolling hills, miles of fertile farmland, and swaying corn stalks of rural Iowa, there’s a little town you might not spot on most maps.
But mention the name Templeton to a whiskey lover, and their ears will perk right up. You see, whiskey making is part of our town’s DNA. Has been since Prohibition, and always will be.
It all started with a few families and a taste for rye.
Templeton, Iowa was founded in 1882 by German immigrants who brought with them something more valuable than just strong hands and farming know-how. They brought tradition. Back in the old country, rye whiskey was the drink of choice. So when the crops took root in Iowa’s soil, so did the custom of distilling rye.
Not for profit – at least not yet — but for community, celebration, and the simple fact that whiskey was what they knew and what they loved.
Main Street, Templeton, Iowa
We’ve still never had a stoplight.
Family History
The Kerkhoffs, one of our town’s most famous Prohibition era families. Their descendants are still involved with Templeton Whiskey to this day.
A view overlooking town, circa 1890.
They came from across the world, and made our town world famous.
A town built on a bounty of fertile farmland.
When Times Got Tough,
We Got Creative
Back in the Prohibition days, when times got tough, our town didn’t just sit around waiting for a miracle—we made our own. In pig sheds and silos, behind barns and under floorboards, we crafted whiskey the only way we knew how: together.
It was a town-wide effort.
The sheriff, the farmer next door, and even the local priest was in on the operation. A shared purpose to keep the whiskey flowing, and by extension, keep the spirit of our town going strong.
As Prohibition dragged on, we the farmers and homesteaders turned smugglers and bootleggers of Templeton made sure our rye traveled beyond the cornfields of Iowa. It didn’t take long til it was renowned in speakeasies all across America.
Even the priest was in on it
Father Huesmann, local clergyman, didn’t care much for Prohibition. So he lent a hand to the town’s whiskey making operations when he could.
A secret sign
If Babe the white horse was out front, it meant the whiskey was ready. Today, we've got a statue outside our distillery in his honor.
Meet Joseph Irlbeck III
A local legend and one of Templeton’s top dog distillers. Known for making 100 gallons of whiskey a day, and avoiding capture by the feds til 1927.
Secret stash spots
Cemetery monuments made the perfect place to stash whiskey bottles. In Templeton, folks knew to remove the metal inscription to claim the prize hiding inside.
Nothing to see here...
Recreation of one of our town’s secret stills, built under a pig shed. See it in person at the Templeton Distillery in Iowa.
We took it legit – still true to our roots.
At the turn of the millennium, Templeton Rye returned to the world — legally this time — with the launch of “The Good Stuff,” a modern rye whiskey inspired by the town’s Prohibition-era recipe.
But the story didn’t stop there.
We built a state-of-the-art distillery right here in Templeton, Iowa — not just to make great whiskey, but to do it the way our town always has: patiently, proudly, and with plenty of good stories to tell.
Out here, a new generation of hard-working Iowans are crafting whiskey just the way we like it. Expanding beyond just rye with Templeton Fortitude Bourbon. Every drop distilled, aged, and bottled in- house at our Iowa distillery. The first of many more small town whiskey innovations to come.
The Templeton Distillery in Templeton, Iowa.
Best thing about making whiskey for a living?
Occasionally, you get to taste it.
Our rack houses have the capacity to age over 100,000 barrels worth of whiskey.
Filling bottles with precision.
The next generation of hard working Iowan whiskey makers gets it done here.
Still small. Still strong. Still making the good stuff.
Templeton isn’t just where we make whiskey — it’s who we are. The same families that helped shape this town are still involved today. A lot’s changed since 1882. But around here, the most important things haven’t.
