Fragrant corn whiskey was first made in Kentucky, the “Bluegrass State”. The state got this name because of the abundant blooming of Kentucky bluegrass. Of course, the plant cannot boast any blue shades at all — it is all green with a slightly pale carmine at the tips. But it seems logic went wandering among that very bluegrass and got lost.
Anyway, the homeland of bourbon is the Bluegrass State. Specifically Bourbon County, named after the French royal dynasty. The drink itself received its cherished name only in 1840. Before that it was called “whiskey from Bourbon County” — Bourbon Country Whiskey.
Two versions of the birth
The first — the Reverend Elijah Craig, in the late 18th century, made a distillate from corn mash and aged the result in barrels that had held fish. To get rid of the fishy smell, the preacher charred the barrels on the inside. And only then did he notice the caramel taste and amber hue of the drink.
The second — the scientist and doctor James Crow, already in the early 19th century, soured corn, mixed the resulting mass with fresh material and so invented the sour mash method. And bourbon along with it, to kill two birds with one stone. In this case the bourbon’s taste turns out stable and does not change over time.
However, both versions may be true. What the preacher started, the scientist continued.
95% of the world’s bourbon comes from Kentucky
Ninety-five percent of the world’s bourbon is produced in Kentucky. If you think it is the water — you are right. Kentucky water passes through layers of limestone — the same mineral that, according to local legend, makes horses stronger. Together with the ideal climate and fertile soil for growing corn, this makes ideal conditions for bourbon.
Once there were about 2,000 distilleries in Kentucky. Now eight large ones remain, and the rest are spread around the country.
Distilleries and the 1964 law
The best-known distilleries — Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace — are in Kentucky. Maker’s Mark is considered one of the oldest operating distilleries. It uses barrels of white American oak. The drink is aged for at least 5 years, or even all 8.
On 4 May 1964 the US Congress passed a resolution declaring bourbon a “distinctive product of the United States”. It was not a law — the resolution did not require the President’s signature. Its purpose was different: to protect the name “bourbon” internationally. The direct cause was the activity of Mary Dowling, who after Prohibition moved equipment to Mexico and began producing “Mexican bourbon”. The 1964 resolution put an end to this practice.
Federal standards set strict rules:
- At least 51% corn in the grain mix
- Only new charred oak barrels
- Distillation to no more than 80% alcohol
- Filling into barrels at no more than 62.5% strength
- Bottled at no less than 40% strength
- Adding colourings and flavourings is prohibited
- Production territory — any US state
The additional designation “straight” requires at least two years of aging.
The magic of the barrel
The requirement for new charred oak barrels goes back to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal programme of 1938 — the result of lobbying by the coopers’ unions and the timber industry. This decision determined the characteristic colour and taste of bourbon.
Charring the inner surface of the barrel performs several functions: it breaks down the structure of the wood so the spirit can penetrate, caramelizes cellulose and lignin (creating sweet vanilla notes), filters the spirit through charcoal, and provides an amber colour without colourings.
When it is hot outside, the warehouses are warm too. The wood expands, and the spirit soaks into the wood, striving to be free. When it gets colder, the wood contracts, pushing the already changed spirit back into the barrel. This exchange gives the drink all those notes of coconut, caramel and other delights.
And in charred wood the natural sugar crystallizes, which gives bourbon its special softness with aroma.
How to drink it
Aged bourbon is drunk without chilling. But in a young one you can drop a couple of ice cubes or chilled stones to soften its natural harshness.
Cocktails
As for cocktails, there are a hell of a lot of them. Let us go through the most interesting ones.
Mint Julep
The cocktail was invented sometime in the late 19th century, when people realised that bourbon goes wonderfully with mint. Invented in Kentucky, of course. The Mint Julep is the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby.
Ingredients: bourbon, still water, mint, powdered sugar, ice. Muddle the mint with water and sugar, you can go as far as a mush. Let it stand. Pour in a little bourbon, add ice. Stir until the glass is covered with condensation. Top up with bourbon. That is all.
Kentucky Mule
The drink is said to knock you off your feet like the kick of a mule’s hoof. It is not clear who compared the effects, but we will have to take their word for it.
Ingredients: bourbon, lime juice, ginger beer, mint, ice. Mix the bourbon with the lime juice in a shaker. Put lightly muddled mint into a tumbler-type glass. Ice on top. Pour this whole mess over with the contents of the shaker. Then carefully add the beer. Do not stir. That is it.
Old Fashioned
Another ancient Kentucky recipe. The name of the bartender or even of the bar has not survived. But the recipe has, and a pretty good one.
Ingredients: bourbon, Angostura, a sugar cube, soda, orange zest. In a rocks or tumbler glass, soak the sugar cube with Angostura. Let it dissolve and muddle it. Add ice and bourbon. Stir, add soda to taste and garnish with orange zest. Done.
Lynchburg Lemonade
The cocktail was invented in the late 20th century, in Lynchburg itself. It was the one featured in a Jack Daniel’s advertisement, for which the cocktail’s author sued the company.
Ingredients: bourbon, Cointreau or Triple Sec, soda, simple sugar syrup, ice. Mix all the ingredients except the soda in a shaker. Pour into a highball. Add the soda. Garnish with lemon. Ready.
There is an incredible number of bourbon cocktails. If we listed all the recipes, giving each a short history, we would get about three more reviews like this one. So let us stop here.
Conclusion
Bourbon is not just whiskey. It is American history in a bottle: the Civil War, Prohibition, the lobbying of the coopers, Crow’s scientific discoveries and Craig’s marketing myths. 95% of world production is concentrated in one state, where the water passes through limestone and the climate makes the wood breathe together with the spirit.
If a bottle labelled “straight bourbon” comes into your hands, know this: you are holding at least two years of American history, preserved in a charred oak barrel.