Feeling judged by the bourbon expert in your life?
Still think bourbon and whisky are the same thing? It's time for Bourbon 101.
Although it may seem like bourbon has only been soaring in popularity recently, this spirit has
actually been around a really long time. And it certainly has a bit of a storied past.
“Bourbon on the rocks.”
“That’ll do her!”
As settlers came to America from Scotland and Ireland in the late 1700s,
they brought their knowledge of making whiskey with them. Noticing the abundance of corn,
it made perfect sense to use this sweet, starchy crop to make grain alcohol,
as it was previously being made with wheat and rye. And thanks to the large
amounts of corn available, bourbon was relatively cheap to produce and sell.
The first commercial distillery in Kentucky was opened in 1783 by Evan Williams, a name we still
recognize on shelves today, and the Beam family followed, selling their first barrel in 1795.
One of the main considerations for a spirit to be called bourbon is the way corn is utilized.
During the distillation process, bourbon has to be distilled to 160 proof or less,
and when it's put into the barrel,
it has to be documented at 125 proof or less. But it can't be put in any old barrel.
The qualifications for bourbon state that the barrel being used for aging has to be a brand new,
charred oak barrel. To char a barrel, a fire is started inside,
and that is what offers up the vanilla and caramel notes, as the spirit liquid takes on
the flavors and aromas of the barrel while it ages. And last but not least, for whiskey to be
called bourbon it has to be made on American soil, whether in Kentucky or another state.
The process of making bourbon starts with corn as the base grain.
For a bourbon to truly be considered bourbon, rather than a whiskey,
it's required to have a mash bill of at least 51% corn, meaning some bourbons may
incorporate small percentages of wheat or rye, but it's the corn majority that makes it king.
Corn and water are combined to create moisture in the starch,
which kicks off a process called germination. Basically,
starches from the corn are converted to sugars and extracted to be used in the fermentation process.
Specific yeast strains are added, which eat the sugars and convert them into alcohol.
Then, the distillation process is employed to remove any unwanted flavors or aromas,
basically separating the liquid into two parts. The alcohol is boiled at a high temperature,
and vapors rise off the liquid which then becomes the spirit.
When it comes to buying liquor, there are always those who purchase
options from the bottom shelf, typically to use with mixers,
and there are those who splurge for a top-shelf option. And as with any spirit,
there definitely are differences between those top and bottom-shelf options for bourbon.
Of course, bourbon should taste good first and foremost. And if you
have a bottle of bourbon that you think tastes good, no matter the price point,
then you might as well stick with it. Much of the flavor of bourbon comes from utilizing good
water and corn, but the barrel imparts flavor to the finished product as well.
Finding something that has a nice, balanced flavor is important.
The second key to choosing a good bourbon is all about how
it feels as you're drinking it. A sip of bourbon should be smooth and heavy.
The oak barrel adds a buttery characteristic to bourbon, and that should lend itself to
a thickness in the spirit that makes for easy drinking. The last thing you want is for it to
burn your throat. A balanced, smooth sip will tell you it's good bourbon, made with care.
"Do you need anything for the pain?”
“No, I've got that covered."
Kentucky has been long known as the capital of bourbon in the United
States. But that certainly wasn't just by happenstance. Because the
base of making bourbon starts with water, it ought to be good water.
As it turns out, the water in Kentucky is incredibly special, as Kentucky is sitting on
deposits of blue limestone. The limestone acts as a filter for unwanted minerals such as hard iron,
ultimately resulting in sweeter tasting water. The unique water,
paired with the incredibly fertile ground for growing corn, makes it the ideal spot.
According to the Kentucky Distillers' Association, Kentucky had 95 distilleries as of 2021,
and those distilleries are working to craft 95 percent of the world's supply of bourbon.
At this point, it's pretty clear that there's a lot that goes into making legit bourbon,
including many qualifications that make a craft beverage true bourbon.
And those qualifications stem into the labeling process of bourbon bottles as well.
The phrase "straight bourbon" is often thrown around, and it has its own set of qualifications.
Straight bourbon needs to follow the mash bill, proofing, and barrel requirements
that regular bourbon does, but it also needs to hit a few other marks.
For a producer to put straight bourbon on a label, the spirit has to be aged for at
least two years in the barrel, and things like caramel coloring, vanilla extract,
or other additives can't be introduced whatsoever. In addition to labeling whether the bourbon
is straight bourbon or not, the bottle is also required to tell you just how old that bourbon is.
America dubbed the bald eagle as the national bird in 1787, so why not make an official American
spirit, too? The U.S. eventually did, but the process certainly didn't come without debate.
Bourbon wasn't considered terribly fancy back in the day. After all,
distilling was kind of a corrupt industry, as bootlegging occurred during prohibition.
But when legislation to make bourbon a "distinctive product of the United
States" was introduced in 1964, legislators put the values of the distilling industry
aside and considered the main point at hand—bourbon certainly was wholly American.
With its qualifications to be considered bourbon,
no other country can produce bourbon, or call its spirit bourbon, and America was proud
of that, especially those in Kentucky working hard to produce it by the gallon.
To celebrate that distinction, another bill was introduced in
2007 to establish September as National Bourbon Heritage Month,
and throughout that process, the writing of the bill ended up calling bourbon
"America's Native Spirit," celebrating a beverage that truly can only be made in the U.S. of A.
With bourbon being the ideal sipping spirit, not to mention the official spirit of America,
it's not shocking that Americans are consuming a ton of this stuff.
But just how big the bourbon industry is still might surprise you.
According to the Kentucky Distillers' Association,
bourbon is an $8.94 billion industry in Kentucky, amounting to more than 20,000
jobs annually in that state alone. And thanks to those many people working in the industry,
1.7 million barrels of bourbon were filled in 2019. So with those numbers, you can imagine
Kentucky, along with other states, are pumping out plenty of bourbon for Americans to drink.
"You carry Bulleit Bourbon?"
"No."
"Yeah, well I do."
As it turns out, just grabbing a coffee mug and pouring in some
bourbon isn't exactly the right way to drink it. Certainly, it could work in a pinch. But,
there are certain glasses that have been deemed better for sipping your bourbon than others.
First of all, bourbon is indeed meant for sipping,
whether you're enjoying it neat or pairing it with other ingredients in a cocktail.
What it's not meant for is taking shots while out at the bar with friends. Really,
that would just be a waste of good alcohol, and you might as well be shooting vodka.
Kansas City bar owner Beau Williams told Liquor that enjoying bourbon is all about
creating an experience with the aroma of the spirit. It's important to select
glassware that will allow you to utilize all of your senses, creating the full experience.
A glass with a larger base, leading to a tapered top is typically best as it allows
for the movement of air. The notes of the bourbon sit at the wide bottom of the glass,
but as you swirl the bourbon in the glass, the aromas rise to the top.
Taking in the notes of vanilla and caramel through smell will make the first sip that much better.
The key to enjoying bourbon is to capture complex, bold flavors. But if you're adding little pieces
of crushed ice to your spirits glass, chances are, it's going to become watery pretty quickly.
“Bourbon no ice, please.”
The science here is simple. The smaller the ice,
the faster it will melt because it doesn't have the mass to hold it
together. And that's exactly why bigger ice is recommended for enjoying bourbon on the rocks.
Molds are available for large spherical ice cubes, offering a perfectly sized ice cube for
your glass. Because there's so much surface area to the round cube, it keeps your bourbon cold,
while slowly melting, avoiding adding extra water in the glass and diluting your experience.
While bourbon has certainly stood on its own served up neat for decades,
there's a lot more you can do with this American spirit. Bourbon provides
the ideal complex spirit for a delicious cocktail, and bartenders have been coming
up with unique recipes to complement and enhance its qualities for years.
The Bourbon Old Fashioned may be the most popular cocktail on the bar utilizing bourbon,
paired with Angostura bitters, sugar, and water with a garnish of an orange peel.
It's been around since the early 1800s to showcase how delicious bourbon could truly be.
The Mint Julep is another popular bourbon cocktail, using the spirit made in Kentucky. It
was made the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938, but it's really not hard to see why.
With bourbon, simple syrup, fresh mint, and a fully packed cup of crushed ice,
a Mint Julep is a simple, yet incredibly refreshing cocktail
highlighting Kentucky-made ingredients–the perfect celebration drink for the derby.
If there's one thing that desserts pair well with, it's alcohol. But we're not talking just any type
of grain alcohol. Some alcohols complement desserts better than others, especially a
delicious dark bourbon. Because bourbon takes on the characteristics of the barrel it ages in,
it ends up with beautiful buttery caramel and vanilla notes, sometimes with a splash of spice.
Those qualities make it ideal for pairing with desserts featuring vanilla, caramel,
baking spice, and nuts. Fall desserts typically feature those flavors, including pumpkin, apple,
and brown sugar desserts, making them the ideal candidate for a splash of bourbon.
Utilizing bourbon in a batter for a praline cake adds complexity to the dish, while adding it to a
caramel sauce balances out the sweetness and makes it all the more interesting.
And by adding it to your dessert, you're setting the stage for the perfect experience,
allowing you to serve a sipper of bourbon with dessert as the perfect end to a meal. If there's
a single dessert that truly owes its existence to bourbon, it has to be Kentucky bourbon balls.