David Hermelin began Righteous Road® Craft Spirits in 2016, with his signature liqueur Righteous Seven® hitting the market three years later in New York. Hermelin had previously spent over 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry working in corporate strategy and brand development, with a particular emphasis on developing products that had unique attributes and a competitive advantage. Given his creative background, Hermelin became interested in the craft spirits market and what the potential might be to develop unique brands that also had kosher certification. Righteous Road Craft Spirits was founded shortly thereafter.
The company’s first product, the Original Righteous Seven Liqueur, incorporates each ingredient of the Seven Species (Shiv’at HaMinim) that are listed in the Torah to praise the Land of Israel: wheat, barley, grapes, pomegranates, figs, olives and dates. Hermelin worked with a distiller in Kansas City, Missouri to develop the formula with the specific percentages of the grains and fruits to perfect the final blend. In a review by The Beverage Testing Institute at Tastings.com, they write that Righteous Seven has “fruity aromas of cherry preserves, chocolate bar, toasted coconut, mocha, and whipped crème, with a sweet medium body and an appealing, medium-length of dried figs and dates, prunes, black forest cake, and a rooibos tea finish.”
Righteous Seven was the most highly awarded American fruit liqueur in 2019, winning double gold medals at both the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the SIP Awards International Spirits Competition, along with a gold medal at The International Review of Spirits.
In 2020, Righteous Road launched a barrel-aged edition of Righteous Seven, aging the liqueur in new oak barrels. This added to the flavor profile of the original product, with barrel notes of vanilla, toffee and toasted almond that come from the charred oak. This limited edition liqueur is called Righteous Seven Barrel Reserve and it comes in a 375ml size. It was the winner of multiple double gold medals and also named “Best Fruit Liqueur” at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The current barrel on the market is Barrel 05, now aged for over four years.
As a kosher for Passover option, Righteous Road offers The Fifth Cup™ Liqueur and The Fifth Cup Barrel Reserve Liqueur. The Fifth Cup was developed using a sugar cane alcohol base and has a unique blend of apricots, dates, figs, pistachios and almonds. Hermelin explained that although both the Fifth Cup and Righteous Seven are fruit liqueurs, the two spirits have a very different taste profile. “The Fifth Cup is a little lighter with the apricots and pistachios, and has a taste reminiscent of springtime,” Hermelin said. A Tastings.com review of the product describes “… aromas of sunflower seeds and pecan with a supple, crisp, moderately sweet light body and a smooth, medium-length tea with honey, apple compote, and peach jam finish.” The Fifth Cup Liqueur was awarded a gold medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Righteous Road also ages The Fifth Cup Liqueur in new oak barrels for one to two years. This limited edition liqueur is called The Fifth Cup Barrel Reserve. Both products are certified as kosher for Passover by the Orthodox Union.
In addition to the liqueurs being offered, Righteous Road has also transitioned into the whiskey market with a product called GIBOR™. GIBOR is a one-of-a-kind whiskey liqueur that is an original blend of straight rye and bourbon whiskeys with added Righteous Seven liqueur, all at a whiskey proof of 80.
In the past six months, the company has introduced its new single-barrel bourbon whiskey under the Righteous Road name. These single-barrel bourbon whiskeys are finished in either Righteous Seven or Fifth Cup liqueur barrels and are bottled at barrel proof. In some barrels, the finishing time is over two years. Since the fruit flavors from the liqueurs are ingrained in the wood of the barrels, the bourbon picks up a unique added flavor and complexity. Each barrel produces between 150 and 200 bottles, and the statistics of each release is written on the front label, including the barrel number, age, alcohol percentage and proof.
Currently, Righteous Road is working on a new bourbon brand called GREYRIDER®, which will be a bourbon whiskey finished with Righteous Seven soaked oak staves, at 91 proof. By soaking the oak staves in Righteous Seven liqueur and then inserting them into the barrel to finish the bourbon, a fruity aroma and unique flavor is added to the whiskey without transferring it to a finishing barrel. It is expected that GREYRIDER bourbon whiskey will launch in May of this year.
Righteous Road Craft Spirits prides itself on delivering products unique to the market on both a physical and spiritual level. Hermelin believes that select foods from the earth can positively influence the spirit, and certainly Righteous Seven falls into this category.
The word “righteous” describes an individual whose conduct is morally right and justified. One who has the strength of character and backbone to do the right thing in the face of challenge or adversity. Many of the back stories developed with each brand relate back to this ideal. “It is meaningful to me to have the opportunity to communicate Jewish ideals and values with each product, and at the same time, I can be creative and build kosher brands to compete in a very competitive spirits market,” Hermelin said.
The company’s products are sold in select stores in New York, New Jersey, Florida, California, Maryland, Illinois and Missouri. To find out if your local liquor store sells these spirits, head over to Righteous Road’s website and click on the locator tab where you can search by zip code. Additionally, Righteous Road has an online store and will ship to most places in the United States, along with free shipping on orders over $99. All bottles are certified by the Orthodox Union and Mishkoltz Kashrut in Brooklyn except for the Fifth Cup and the Fifth Cup Barrel Reserve, which are certified by the Orthodox Union as OU-P.
The Righteous Road Craft Spirits motto is: “Life is a series of choices that lead us down our own unique road. Take the road that brings light and goodness into the world. Make it a Righteous Road.” Visit them at www.righteous-road.com.
