Rye
Interesting that in those days people actually said "rye" or "rye whiskey." Today most people think "rye" only refers to the bread. Even in liquor stores, some of the workers don't know what you mean when you ask for rye.
shareI read somewhere that it had to do with prohibition, the sudden drop in demand for rye caused a lot of farmers to switch from rye to wheat or other grains, and the rye whisky market just never recovered. I ask for it often, liquor stores always know what I'm talking about, they just rarely have it in stock.
shareThe availability of rye whiskey has changed radically in the last few years. Rye is available from many makers, including Jim Beam and Jack Daniels today.
The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.
Yeah, pretty much since the bourbon renaissance of the last decade Rye Whiskey is readily available. At the time that this film was made, Rye was often one of the cheapest liquor options (especially for the alcohol content) and would have been considered an especially seedy drink choice (think the cheapest well brands of today). The fact that the character prefers rye is just another signal that he is a drunk and doesn't really care what he's drinking, just that he's getting a lot of alcohol for the cheapest price. Rye also has a bit more of a spiciness and bite to it than a regular bourbon or blended whiskey, so it would have been a drink most people would have avoided drinking straight.
Nowadays, ryes are kind of trendy choices. They are sort of the hipster's option. Every liquor store where I live has several dozen different rye options (mostly bourbon).