Bourbon the Spirit of America

The history of Bourbon goes hand in hand with the history of America. It was a childhood trait of Abraham Lincoln and even George Washington who was a distiller and sold whiskey to help support his family. In 1774, Kentucky was still a part of Virginia, but after the War of Independence in 1785 Virginia created a Kentucky territory and sub divided it into counties, one of them being named Bourbon after the French royal family who helped win the war. Whiskey was being made in Pennsylvania by Scottish and Irish settlers using rye and was able to be traded for profits. In 1791, the new government created a whiskey tax which started a revoke in 1794. Since the tax did not work, the government created land grants in Kentucky where farmers would have to grow 60 acres of corn. This soon created a surplus of corn the farmers begin to create whiskey using mostly corn and less rye. Whiskey that is made from Rye is lighter and has a spicy taste. Corn whiskey has a fuller body and more of a round flavor making it a favorite for settlers in the area and would trade for more than the northern rye whiskey.

The art of aging whiskey in charred barrels also came in the late 1790's where barrels that were used to transport vinegar and other liquids where charred to get rid of the previous flavor in the barrel. Little did they know this actually would caramelize the sugars in the barrel and would make their whiskey sweeter and give it a golden amber glow. This became a hit with consumers and they began to ask for it by where it was made, so begun Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey.

In 1846 Bourbon took a huge step forward in quality by the invention of the Sour Mash method which was created by Dr. James Crow, a Scottish chemist and physician for Old Crow Bourbon. This is done by using a setback portion of the mash to start the formation of the next batch. This insures every batch is the exact same in taste.

The production of Bourbon can be broke down into 6 steps.

Step 1: Gathering the grains

            What grains are used and the portions are going to affect the taste of the Bourbon. Having a steady supply of quality grains is crucial for the distillery.

Step 2: Cooking

            Pure limestone water is added to the grains creating the mash. The water in Bourbon County is unique because it does not contain any iron. The mash is then heated so that the carbohydrates covert to sugar. The Sour Mash is then added to the batch created from the previous batch. Lastly malt barely is added to breaks down the sugars.

Step 3: Fermentation

            Yeast is then added to the mash which creates bubbles of carbon dioxide when the yeast comes in contact with the sugars it forms alcohol. After several days, it produces what is called a distiller's beer which is very similar to beer produced in a brewery.

Step 4: Distillation

            This is commonly done with a column still. The beer is added from the top and steam at the bottom. When the steam rises and comes in contact with the beer, little droplets of concentrated alcohol are formed and collected on a spiral screen running down the still. This is called low wine, higher proof then the beer, but needs to be done a second time to reach the minimum of 125 proof. The low wine is reheated in a pot still to create high wine which is a clear liquid commonly known to distillers as white dog.

Step 6: Barreling

The high wine is added to the barrels. The barrels must be properly filled to avoid evaporation and leaks do to the strong change in temperature during aging. Since every barrel in the barrel house does not age the same, the barrels must be rotated or blended by the master distiller to create a quality product.

Since Bourbon was named the Native Spirit in 1964 by congress, there are now federal standards for a bottle to be labeled Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. First and most obvious is that it has to be made in Bourbon County, Kentucky and contain at least 51% corn. Also it has to be aged a minimal of 2 years in new charred oak barrels. When it is in the aging process it cannot exceed 125 proof and must be bottled at least 80 proof. These laws insure that you are getting true Bourbon Whiskey if it is labeled on the bottle.

There are many ways to enjoy a fine Bourbon whether it is on the rocks, with water, or in your favorite cocktail. When I think of Whiskey cocktail, there are several that come to mind; the Manhattan, Whiskey Old Fashioned and the Mint Julep. The Mint Julep is the most popular drink in Louisville, Kentucky during the Kentucky Derby. This is the traditional drink of the derby and even has a special silver cup it is served in. If you don't have a fancy silver cup an old fashion glass will work fine. It just won't stay as cold as long. It's a fairly simple drink to make all you need is Bourbon, Simple syrup, Mint leaves and crushed ice. First you're going to muddle roughly 12 mint leaves with .5 oz simple syrup. When muddling, it is important to just bruise the leaves this releases the flavor, muddle too hard and the mint will turn bitter. Now that you have your mint infused simple syrup, add 2.5 oz of Bourbon. I recommend using the sponsored Bourbon of the derby which is Makers Mark. Add some crushed ice then stir everything together. Top again with crushed ice and place a mint sprig for a garnish on top of the ice. It's important to have the straw on the same side of the cup so when you take a drink you get the aroma of the mint leaves as well. This drink is intended to be sipped over a longer time on those sunny days of May.

Makers Mark is one of my favorites with their signature wax dipped top. This Bourbon was created in 1953 by Bill Samuels, Senior. His family has been making whiskey since the 1780's. However Bill Senior changed the family recipe by using fresh winter wheat that is locally growing near the town of Loretto, Kentucky where he lives, instead of using the common distiller's rye. Every bottle of Makers Mark is handcraft and only 19 barrels are made out of each batch. This is excellent full bodied Bourbon for making Old Fashions and Manhattans.

A few others I recommend are any of the four Small Batch Bourbons created by Jim Beam. These Labels are Bookers, Bakers, Basil Hayden and lastly Knob Creek. The line was started in 1994 with Booker Noe's true Barrel Bourbon; this Bourbon is bottled straight from the barrel at 125 proof unfiltered and uncut. Each bottle captures how Bourbon was pre-prohibition when Bourbon was aged longer and bottled at a higher proof. My favorite out of the line is Basil Hayden; it has a higher rye content which gives it a lighter body with a spicy sweet taste. Basil Hayden is only 80 proof and that's another reason that I enjoy it more because it's easier to drink compared to other high octane Bourbons.

If anyone has comments, question or requests feel free to send them to me at   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it they would be greatly appreciated.
Until next month keep them shakers a shaken.

Mixologist

Brent Moulton