Kentucky Bourbon—the what, when, and how

America’s love for drinking culture isn’t breaking news to anyone, but one of the most popular choices among Americans falls farther from the brewery than you probably thought. A crowd favorite forms around whiskey—with America’s own baby, bourbon, at the front of the line—but how did bourbon, of all drinks, become so popular? And how did bourbon get tied in with the Kentucky name?

As a member of those Americans who prefer the barrel-aged beverage over a tall pint of beer or a glass of wine, it would be hard for me to bring up bourbon without also including its Kentuckian roots. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let’s brush up on what bourbon is exactly and why Americans should be proud to call it our own.

What makes a whiskey a bourbon?

Bourbon is a uniquely American whiskey. Not all whiskey may be bourbon, but every bourbon MUST be a whiskey, and all bourbon must also be produced on American soil to be considered bourbon to begin with (see also ‘Does Bourbon Go Bad?‘). This criteria was even officiated by an act of Congress—which established that bourbon is uniquely an American product. The other main check mark on the list is that bourbon must be produced with a majority of the grain mash being corn—a product we here in the US are more than familiar with.

Okay, so why is bourbon so closely tied to the state of Kentucky? That’s another interesting tidbit and requires a brief history lesson to understand. The short answer to the Kentucky question is resettlement; various groups of people simply moved into Kentucky at the right time and brought their distilling practices with them.

What’s the history of Kentucky Bourbon?

Distilling of spirits had taken place as far back at the 1700s in the United States, and was expanded outward into the new frontier by a combination of Scots-Irish settlers and rebels of the Whiskey Rebellion. Both the Scottish and Irish settlers were no strangers to distilling—having distilled whiskey long before the trip over the Atlantic. And it comes as no shock that rebels of a rebellion whose namesake has “whiskey” in it would be interested in continuing their practice away from the prying fingers of Uncle Sam the tax man.

The second part of the story includes a little geography. Kentucky sits on a region rich with limestone and very little iron deposits, which is important when filtering water of impurities like iron that would compromise the taste of the whiskey. Limestone filtering is key to the process of distilling whiskey, and Kentucky has plenty of limestone laying around. The general climate of the area, being temperate instead of humid or freezing nearly all year around, is the ideal place to age barrels of whiskey. In nearly every way possible, Kentucky ended up being the perfect spot to distill and age whiskey—bourbon especially.

Does Bourbon have to be made in Kentucky?

Okay, school’s out on the questions of what and when Kentucky became synonymous with bourbon. Now we know all bourbon must be stamped with the “Made in America” mark on it but does bourbon HAVE to be distilled and produced in Kentucky? This is a much easier question and requires a lot less social studies to understand. The simple answer is NO, it does not. While Kentucky seems to be the natural home for most of America’s bourbon production, there’s no requirement that says bourbons must be produced exclusively in Kentucky to be considered bourbons—only that they be distilled in the United States. A lot easier answer than the last question—shaved a few seconds off.

It’s not unreasonable to associate bourbon with Kentucky, after all the history and geography back it up. But the Kentucky factor goes even deeper than just the location itself. Naturally, seeing as bourbon has been produced en mass in Kentucky for centuries, a rich drinking and tourism culture has formed around Kentucky bourbon as a result of the longstanding history of its inception.

Kentucky runs on Bourbon

Off the top of my head, I can think of at least two major events where Kentucky Bourbon is the guest of honor. Taking a little trip down to Bardstown, KY, you’ll come to the home of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival—an annual event that celebrates the history and art of distilling bourbon in Kentucky. For an entire week, distillers and patrons gather to celebrate all things bourbon, and the event brings in over 50,000 visitors a year. The festival’s success over the years has landed Bardstown, KY, the honor of owning the title “Bourbon Capital of the World.”

Of course, there’s now the big guy in the room in terms of Kentucky’s bourbon bouncing and that’s the Kentucky Derby, of course. There’s no bigger attraction to drinking culture in Kentucky than the Kentucky Derby. It’s pretty hard to be in any proximity to such a large event and not find your way to a bottle of bourbon eventually. Woodford Reserve Bourbon, in fact, has been the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby since 1999, and averages over 10,000 bottles of bourbon sold annually at the Kentucky Derby alone. So while many are placing bets on the Derby proper, others are placing their patronage on a bottle or two of bourbon.

You can even cook with Bourbon!

There’s another bit of good news for those who are in the know—cooking with bourbon could be that secret ingredient you’ve been looking for to spice up that BBQ recipe you’ve been working on. Bourbon’s flavor, in comparison to other types of whiskey, is a lot smoother and richer than a rye whiskey, for example. Cooking with alcohol isn’t revolutionary nowadays, but adding a bit of bourbon to your experimental dish can go a long way to getting that smokey flavor you’ve been looking for.

Bourbon has a rich oak flavor from the new charred white oak barrels used in the aging process. Those flavors of the bourbon come out when used in cooking or grilling. Right away, you’ll be able to taste the smooth bourbon flavor in any dish you cook with, and the charred oak taste will bring out other flavors that maybe present in the dish—especially when cooked with strongly-flavored dishes. Naturally, bourbon goes great in sauces and marinades.

There are so many other interesting details about Kentucky Bourbon that one single blog couldn’t fit all of it, but if you’re looking for a quick overview of what you should know, you found it. Kentucky-made bourbon is a great choice for drinking and cooking, has a rich history and an even richer flavor, and brings tons of people to Kentucky annually to celebrate its production and usage. If you’re in Kentucky at the right time, you could find yourself along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail before you know it. Happy Drinking!

 

Share this article:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.