Bourbon's Back
As if you needed an additional reason for having a drink or two this month, by official decree of the U.S. Senate, September is National Bourbon Heritage Month.
Bourbon was first declared “America’s Native Spirit” in 1964, and the spirit certainly inspires thoughts of handsome old Colonels rocking on the porch while sipping mint juleps and sniffing the fragrance of the magnolia trees on summer afternoons (we’ll ignore the whole doing-shots-of-Jim-Beam-in-a-frat-bar thing for now). And what could be more all-American than a whiskey that claims the rolling hills of Kentucky as its birthplace, and lists names such as Elijah Craig, Jim Beam and Pappy Van Winkle among the giants of its long history? (Okay, we'll ignore rye whiskey for now, too.)
Last month’s Senate recognition comes on the heels of the announcement by Beam Global -- the massive liquor conglomerate that produces Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Knob Creek, Booker’s and many other bourbons and assorted liquors -- that 2007 is “The Year of Bourbon.” After the industry was crippled by Prohibition and hobbled by dwindling consumer interest in the 1960s and '70s, bourbon sales eventually recovered and are now booming both domestically and globally, helped by the popularity of super-premium bourbons and single-barrel whiskies such as those mentioned by Camper English last week in the San Francisco Chronicle. With assistance from events such as the Kentucky Bourbon Festival (taking place this week) and attractions such as the American Whiskey Trail, bourbon distillers are appealing to dedicated connoisseurs and curious tourists alike.
Vodka may still be king of the back bar, but it comes as good news to spirits aficionados that Kentucky’s home-grown spirit is gradually catching up. Are you a part of bourbon’s renewal? Are you a single-barrel sipper during the cool of the evening or a die-hard Beam-and-Coke kind of drinker? Or do you equate bourbon with Snuffy Smith’s corn squeezin’s and steer clear of the sector altogether? Let’s hear it.
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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8 Comments:
I'm a whiskey drinker through and through. Love the stuff. I personally like 100-proof old grand-dad and maker's mark. Woodford Reserve and Knob Creek are nice, but I don't drink them as often. My standby whiskey is definitely that 100-proof old grand-dad. You may scoff at the affordability, but it's just as nice as the higher end whiskeys at like half the price.
acespeed at 6:22PM on 09/12/07
I'm with you on the 100-proof Old Granddad; it's a very nice whiskey and a great bargain.
Paul Clarke at 7:01PM on 09/12/07
Knob Creek is my go-to bourbon. I'm so happy that the cooler weather is settling in--I can't think of anything better than a glass of bourbon and a book on the backporch on a snappy fall evening.
EmmaC at 9:46AM on 09/13/07
i didn't know bourbon was ever gone. my go-to brand is maker's. anyone who gets the chance to go to the distillery should not pass up the chance. it is a charming place, and they will even let you dip your own bottle in the famous red wax.
carriebwc at 9:53AM on 09/13/07
Dyed-in-the-wool bourbon girl here.
Bourbon on the rocks for me. Maker's Mark, Knob Creek, Elijah Craig, Bookers are all good...I like the high end stuff, but can't afford it on a regular basis.
Lilla at 10:41AM on 09/13/07
Elijah Craig and Booker's Cask Strength are my favorites.
Cathy at 3:34PM on 09/13/07
Pappy. Worth every penny.
sawyerriley at 4:35PM on 09/13/07
Love Makers Mark, though some people say Jack Daniel's is a bourbon or a whiskey, single barrel Jack is the best.
Jackotheclown at 12:56PM on 09/14/07