“Bourbon bunnies” are once again on the hunt. Hopping from store to store, whiskey enthusiasts are searching for the latest batches of limited-edition American spirits. And as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary—the semiquincentennial—producers are giving them exactly what they’re looking for.

Since the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, American whiskey has hit a few hurdles. Most notably, the 18th Amendment resulted in nationwide Prohibition in 1920, forcing a 13-year cease in legal distillation and alcohol sales. But, like most laws that restrict people’s access to life’s pleasures, the amendment didn’t erase the thirst for a tasty tipple. While most distillers were forced to shut down, whiskey continued to be produced by six distilleries and enjoyed under “prescriptions” (or illegally), surviving with a vengeance.

Even after Prohibition was repealed in 1933, many localized dry laws remained. Fortunately, the past 25 years have seen states roll back these restrictions, resulting in a tsunami of new craft and bulk distilleries. Between 2002 and 2022, more than 1,000 distilleries were established in the US, with roughly half specializing in whiskey. Today, whiskey is an essential pillar of American identity.

As the US enters its 16th decade, distillers across the country—from Kentucky to the birth states of American whiskey like Virginia and Pennsylvania—have chosen to celebrate this 250-year milestone with special releases.

Here are the 10 standout whiskeys honoring the 250th anniversary of the US: (Note: We added Evan Williams, the official America250 partner, to round out your top ten list!)

1. Evan Williams America250 Commemorative Editions

As the officially licensed America250 partner, Evan Williams Bourbon is offering three limited editions: Black Label, 1783 Small Batch, and Single Barrel. The Black Label is poured into a 1.75-litre bottle ($24.99) for maximum sharing, while the Single Barrel is offered at a highly symbolic 117.76 proof (58.88% ABV). Specially drawn from 250 select barrels, the Single Barrel retails for $39.99 (750ml).

2. 1776 Whiskey

James E. Pepper Distillery’s whiskey brand, 1776, was named to commemorate the founding of the US. To celebrate the semiquincentennial, the Lexington, Kentucky distillery has updated the labels for its 1776 Bourbon and Rye, prominently featuring Benjamin Franklin’s historic ‘Join, or Die’ snake illustration. Both expressions are offered unfiltered at 50% ABV with a suggested retail price of $30.

3. George Washington’s Spirit Of ’76

It isn’t hard to guess which president Virginia-based George Washington’s Distillery pays tribute to. Located at Mount Vernon, the modern operation was founded on the site of the first US president’s original distillery—which produced nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey in 1799 alone.

Their Spirit of ’76 is a seven-year-old Bourbon made using 18th-century techniques. As you drink the whiskey, the bottle reveals Emanuel Leutze’s famous Washington Crossing the Delaware painting. Bottled at cask strength (55.8% ABV), it is limited to just 300 bottles and priced at $1,000.

4. Brush Creek Heroes Edition

Brush Creek Distillery, set on an 1884 cattle ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming, takes a heroic approach to its celebratory bottling. Instead of releasing a single barrel of its annual Heroes Edition, the distillery tripled this year’s release. Made with a “patriotic blend” of 7% Red Winter Wheat, 7% Blue Corn, and 7% White Corn, this limited-edition straight Bourbon sits at 50% ABV.

5. Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon

Molson Coors celebrates the milestone with special USA 250th Commemorative Packaging for its Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon. The bottle features patriotic framing: the brand’s signature Viceroy butterfly in navy blue with white stars, elevated by text etched in 22-carat gold ink. At 55.5% ABV, it retails for $89.99 across multiple states.

6. Four Branches Bourbon Liberty Reserve

Four Branches prides itself on being the first spirits company founded by veterans representing the US Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Highlighting the country’s independence, their Liberty Reserve is limited to exactly 1,776 individually numbered bottles. Building on a 10-year-old Kentucky straight Bourbon finished in toasted American white oak, it sits at 50% ABV and retails for $119.99.

7. Jefferson’s Founder’s Reserve 20-Year-Old

Only 250 lucky people will be able to raise a glass to Thomas Jefferson with this 20-year-old Bourbon from Louisville, Kentucky. Billed as one of Jefferson’s rarest releases to date, the Founder’s Reserve is finished in a French Bordeaux wine cask and bottled at a cask strength of 47% ABV. Limited to 250 individually numbered bottles, it commands a premium price tag of $499.99.

8. Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey

Stoll & Wolfe Distillery teamed up with farmer-distiller Alan Bishop for a highly historical release. The duo pulled a recipe directly from a pamphlet written by Frederick Heinrich Gelwicks in the late 1700s. Working from a colonial mash bill (26% rye, 26% rye malt, 26% wheat, 22% oats), the resulting Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey aged two years in new charred American oak. Limited to 1,000 bottles at 50% ABV, it retails for $80.

9. Breckenridge Patriotic Reserve

Colorado-based Breckenridge Distillery took a literal, patriotic approach. Their Patriotic Reserve is a four-grain, high-rye blend of straight Bourbons cut to 43% ABV using Rocky Mountain water. Crafted to celebrate “freedom, community, and the American way of life,” this highly accessible bottle retails for $34.99 to $39.99.

10. Chicken Cock Old Glory Kentucky Straight Rye Blend

In a unique crossover, Chicken Cock combined 70% of its Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey with 30% Laird’s Apple Brandy. Old Glory is a first-of-its-kind blend, with both components aging at least four years before marrying. Bottled at 50% ABV and described as undeniably “100% American,” the release honors the combined 416-year history of both spirits companies. It is available nationwide for $64.99.