Bourbon has immensely grown in popularity. According to a report from the Distilled Spirits Council, in 2019, America alone consumed a staggering $4 billion worth of the spirit.

Combined with the insatiable need for this whiskey, people also crave knowledge. Seeking to know what they are drinking, all the ingredients used, and the entire production process. Plus, some history about their favorite drink.

Looking for information is all good and essential, but it creates a perfect ground for false rumors and misconceptions. In this post, we debunk twelve misunderstood myths about bourbon.

1. Bourbon has to be produced in Kentucky.

Indeed, bourbon is intrinsically tied with the Blue Grass State. Kentucky produces approximately 95% of the global supply of this spirit. Last year, the state sold a record 2.5 million bourbon barrels.

Even though bourbon has deep roots in Kentucky, no laws require that the drink be produced on Kentucky soil.

The U.S.A. Alcohol and Tobacco and Trade Bureau (TTB) classifies bourbon as a drink produced within United States borders, distilled from a minimum of 51% corn, aged in oak containers, and barreled at an ABV not exceeding 62.5%.TTB doesn’t mention a production area in their report. 

As long as a distiller follows their guidelines, they can label their whiskey bourbon, even if it’s made in Illinois, Milwaukee, northern Dakota, or anywhere else in the country.

However, many enthusiasts believe that the best bourbon originates from Kentucky. Which isn’t wrong, given that most distillers in the state have been in business for generations. 

These companies also play a critical role in Kentucky’s economy. For instance, each year, the industries bring in about $9 billion in revenue and generate more than 22000 jobs.

2. Elijah Craig was the first to produce bourbon. 

Heaven Hill distillery, founded in 1789, has always claimed that Elijah Craig was the first man to age his spirit inside charred oak barrels- a current requirement for aging bourbon.

Despite this bold claim, experts have found that giving all the credit to one person is practically impossible.

For starters, Richard Collins and Lewis, authors of “History of Kentucky,” published in 1874, argue that other people in the area also made this whiskey.

They explain that such people never got mentioned in the history books because they needed to have the influence Craig had.

Apart from whiskey distillation, Craig was also a well-known and respected minister. He died in 1808.

Whiskey experts state that it was Elijah’s massive influence that made him earn a spot as a pioneer in the industry. 

Other founders include Jacob Spears, who largely contributed to building Bourbon County’s first distillery in 1790. Daniel Shawan, who set up the first still in the county.

Therefore it’s only fair that we credit the growth and fame of the spirit to all the known and unknown distillers that worked consistently to get it where it has reached today.

3. Bourbon continues aging inside a bottle. 

Most people believe that bourbons aging will continue even after bottling. The belief is based on the fact that wine never stops aging.

However, this isn’t true, as bourbon will stop aging immediately its placed inside a bottle.

The good news is the whiskey has an indeterminate shelf life. A bourbon can stay in proper condition after you have opened it for decades, and its flavor won’t change significantly.

Some drinkers have claimed they can detect subtle changes after bottling, but the American bourbon Association quickly dismissed such claims. They state that the spirit doesn’t mature further after bottling.

4. Old Forester was the first bottled bourbon brand.

Looking at all Old Forester bottles, you will notice a label stating “First Bottled Bourbon.” 

However, it’s a misconception that the brand was the first to be packed in glass. Instead, Forester is the first bourbon solely sold inside glass bottles.

In the early 1800s, it was costly to make glass bottles, so manufacturers distributed the spirit in barrels used for aging.

If you wanted to get some of the drink, you had to bring your container or glass, and they would fill it for you from the barrel.

While it seems like a beautiful idea, it wasn’t sustainable. The distributors would add water and other coloring liquids like creosote and prune juice to make extra cash, lowering the quality of the drink.

To ensure consumers got a quality product, Old Forester founder George Garvin Brown decreed that his whiskey would be packed in glass bottles and sealed. Thus, he became the first producer to use glass exclusively.

However, this wasn’t a new practice. Some small-scale distillers used glass bottles, though wealthy families were the only ones able to access them.

5. Bourbon barrels are reused to age more bourbon.

One might think that since the oak barrels give bourbon its highly coveted vanilla and caramel notes during aging, distillers will store these barrels and use them later.

However, for a manufacturer to label their spirit as bourbon, federal laws require that the distillers use new oak barrels.

The new barrels allow the whiskey to interact with high concentrations of lignin, hemicellulose, toasted wood, and tannins, which combine to give the distillate its flavor profile.

The spirit is no longer bourbon if you reuse barrels, and manufacturers risk getting diluted flavors or inconsistent batches.

To avoid wastage, distillers usually sell the barrels to other alcohol producers who use them to age beer, wine, tequila, scotch, and gins.

6. Older bourbon is better.

The most sought-after and costliest bourbons globally are among the oldest spirits in the market.

Take, for instance, Old Rip Van Winkle, aged 25 years, and it will set you back a minimum of $45,000. Others, like the Willet Family Estate Bottled Single-Barrel, aged for 21 years, retail at $9,000.

However, experts have found that older bourbon isn’t always better than newer bourbon. 

The American Bourbon Association even stated that when bourbon is aged for a long time, it can absorb too much flavor from the oak barrels, making it taste bitter, dry, or woody.

Some have even argued that excess aging can make the wood flavors override the other notes the spirit has, making it less flavorsome.

Additionally, plenty of high-quality and flavorsome young bourbons are affordable. For example, a 750ml Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon costs only $34.

7. Bourbon got its name from bourbon county.

Since bourbon is deeply entrenched in Kentucky’s culture and history, most people believe that the whiskey was named after Bourbon County, a colossal area of land called Old Bourbon.

However, Louisville’s bourbon ambassador Michael Veach says this is practically impossible. 

The reason being distillers printed bourbon tags on their products since the early 1850s, and the idea of its name emerging from bourbon county only started in 1870.

Veach argues that the spirit’s name originates from Bourbon Street, which is found in New Orleans. This street was named after a French dynasty called the House of Bourbon.

He further explains that in 1800, two men called the Tarascon Brothers set up shop in Louisville and began shipping spirit into New Orleans.

After some time, the brothers observed that if they aged their whiskey inside charred oak barrels, it would taste like cognac and attract more customers over time. 

Many New Orleans residents then had French roots and loved quality distilled whiskey.

Later, people started looking for “spirit sold on Bourbon Street” and eventually shortened it to “Bourbon Whiskey.”

8. The whiskey has to be aged for at least two years to bear the name bourbon.

This is one of the most spread myths, constantly repeated by drinkers all over. 

However, according to federal laws, once new whiskey fresh from the still gets inside an oak barrel for aging, it’s “bourbon.”. It doesn’t matter if the spirit stays there for twenty minutes or a year.

The two-year limit is often cited because laws require “straight bourbon” to be aged for a minimum of two years. Additionally, distillers must label all bourbon bottled under four years old.

Fred Minnick, a renowned whiskey author, explains that if a distiller mixes spirits of varying ages in one bottle, the bottle should bear the age of the youngest whiskey.

For instance, when you mix one, three, and two-year-old bourbons, you will have to label the bottle as “one-year-old.” 

Some distilleries have also devised clever ways of labeling their bottles to attract more buyers. 

Top among them is using double digits like “36 months,” which makes the whiskey slightly older. After a couple of sips, a seasoned bourbon enthusiast will notice the difference.

9. A bartender created the Manhattan cocktail at New York’s Manhattan Club.

Alber Schmid, author of “The Manhattan: A whiskey classic,” disputes this claim. 

He says, “Many bourbon lovers believe that the famous cocktail was first created at Manhattan club to celebrate Samuel Tilden’s victory in New York’s gubernatorial elections. Winston Churchill’s mother supposedly hosted the event, but that’s not possible.”

Schmid explains that the dinner occurred at the club, though that was in November 1874. Yet lady Jenner gave birth to Winston in England in the same month. During those days, it took five or six weeks to travel by ocean liner to cross the Atlantic, so she wasn’t in New York.

He adds, “maybe the story about lady Randolph began since her father once owned the building which hosted the club’s headquarters.”

Another well-known story is that a doctor instructed Charles Henry Truax, a prominent Manhattan club member, to quit drinking martinis to lose weight.

Supposedly, MR Truax requested the bartender to make him an alternative drink. Thus, Manhattan was born. Sadly, the two cocktails contain the same number of calories, so it can’t be true.

Regardless of its origin, the Manhattan is a classic soothing drink that we can all enjoy, and that’s what matters.

10. Bourbon is a man’s drink.

For years, this was the prevailing idea, though it’s ridiculous. There is nothing stopping women from partaking in this beautiful spirit.

Science has proved that women are more sensitive to flavors and have a powerful palate. So, in actuality, they will appreciate the whiskey more than men.

11. You shouldn’t add ice to bourbon.

It may sound unrealistic, but you will be surprised how many people believe it’s true. The argument being ice will change the drink’s flavor profile.

Numerous experts have disregarded this as an outright lie, stating that you can take your whiskey in whichever way you like. 

So, if you prefer the bourbon chilled, feel free to add enough ice cubes; they will melt slowly and keep it relaxed for longer.

12. Single-malt scotch is better than bourbon.

Firstly, which spirit is better depends on personal preference. But if you look at the production process of each type of spirit, there isn’t a significant difference that proves one is superior to the other.

Therefore, it’s fair to state that both bourbon and single-malt scotch are quality spirits.

Conclusion

Now you have some groundbreaking revelations you can drop to make good conversation during happy hour with your friends. A key point to remember; not everything you hear or read is necessarily true.