Chapter 1: So… what exactly *is* bourbon? 🤔

By now you’ve surely enjoyed sipping some bourbon, or perhaps had it in a cocktail, but how much do you actually know about what’s in your glass? While bourbon is often called “America’s native spirit,” that’s really a ceremonial designation rather than an official one. Back in 1964, Congress did designate it a “distinctive product of the United States.” That’s a good place to start, because despite the fact that about 95 percent of all bourbon is made in Kentucky, it can be produced anywhere in the US (but nowhere else in the world). There are excellent examples of bourbon being made from California to New York and everywhere in between. But other than some fancy congressional designations, what makes this drink unique?

Bourbon is, of course, a type of whiskey, meaning it’s a spirit distilled from fermented grains. The mash bill, or grain recipe, used to make bourbon must contain at least 51 percent corn. The rest is usually rye and malted barley, with the former adding some spice to the palate and the latter helping to convert starch to sugar. Wild Turkey, Four Roses and Knob Creek are good examples of classic bourbons that use rye in their mash bills. But other grains can also be used. For example, wheat is a key component in brands like Maker’s Mark and Pappy Van Winkle. The grains are combined with water, heated up and cooked into what is known as mash. After cooling, yeast is added to start the fermentation process, resulting in what is called “distiller’s beer.” This beer is then distilled in column stills, yielding a high-proof new spirit sometimes referred to as “white dog.”

By law, bourbon must be aged in new charred oak containers, which are virtually always barrels. There is no minimum length of time for aging — bourbon can spend one day in a barrel or ten years. There are exceptions: straight bourbon must be aged for at least two years, and bottled-in-bond is aged for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof.

Proof is just another way of talking about the ABV (alcohol by volume) of bourbon, and the formula is simple: double the ABV, and that equals proof. Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 proof (80% ABV), put into barrels at no higher than 125 proof (62.5% ABV), and bottled at no less than 80 proof (40% ABV). And finally, unlike other whiskeys from Canada, Scotland, and Ireland, no coloring or flavoring can be added to bourbon, meaning it is arguably the purest category of whiskey in the world.

If you have some bottles at home, try comparing bourbon with Scotch or Irish whiskey to see how they differ in flavor, and read the labels to see what the different proofs are. If your liquor cabinet is empty, visit a bar and order a flight of a few different types of whiskey for your own taste test. 

And remember, bourbon is delicious! Drink it neat, on the rocks, in a cocktail–however you like it. There is no wrong way to enjoy bourbon, which is something that we’ll cover next time.