bourbon whiskey

File:Bourbon-bottle from Gettysburg.jpeg

Distilling was most likely brought to present-day Kentucky in the late 18th century by Scots, Scots-Irish, and other settlers (including English, Irish, Welsh, German, and French) who began to farm the area in earnest. The origin of bourbon as a distinct form of whiskey is not well documented and there are many conflicting legends and claims.

For example, the invention of bourbon is often attributed to Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister and distiller credited with many Kentucky firsts (e.g., fulling mill, paper mill, ropewalk) who is said to have been the first to age the product in charred oak casks, a process that gives bourbon its brownish color and distinctive taste.John E. Kleber, ed., The Kentucky Encyclopedia (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1992), 103 In Bourbon County, across the county line from Craig's distillery in what was then Fayette County, an early distiller named Jacob Spears has been named as the first to label his product as Bourbon whiskey. Although still popular and often repeated, the Craig legend is apocryphal. Similarly, the Spears story is a local favorite but is rarely repeated outside the county. There likely was no single "inventor" of bourbon, which developed into its present form in the late 19th century. Essentially, any type of grain can be used to make whiskey, and the practice of aging whiskey and charring the barrels for better flavor had been known in Europe for centuries.Cowdery, Charles K., "Who Invented Bourbon?" Malt Advocate (Fall 2002), pp. 72–75 The late date of the Bourbon County etymology has led historian Michael Veach to dispute its authenticity. He proposes the whiskey was named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans, a major port where shipments of Kentucky whiskey sold well as a cheaper alternative to French cognac.

Another proposed origin of the name is the association with the geographic area known as Old Bourbon, consisting of the original Bourbon County in Virginia organized in 1785. This region included much of today's Eastern Kentucky, including 34 of the modern counties.{{cite book |title=The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture: Volume 7: Foodways |first=John T. |last=Edge |page=128 |publisher=University of North Carolina Press}} It included the current Bourbon County in Kentucky, which became a county when Kentucky separated from Virginia as a new state in 1792.Leon Howlett, The Kentucky Bourbon Experience: A Visual Tour of Kentucky's Bourbon Distilleries, "Bourbon- A Short History", 2012, pg. 7.{{Cite web|url=http://www.straightbourbon.com/articles/ccname.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513174319/http://www.straightbourbon.com/articles/ccname.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 13, 2008|title=How Bourbon Whiskey Really Got Its Famous Name|date=May 13, 2008|access-date=September 30, 2018}}Cowdery, Charles K., Bourbon, Straight: The Uncut and Unfiltered Story of American Whiskey, p. 25 Numerous newspaper articles reference whiskey from Bourbon County, Kentucky dating as far back as 1824.{{cite web |first=Robert F. |last=Moss |title=How Bourbon Really Got Its Name |url=https://robertfmoss.com/features/How-Bourbon-Really-Got-Its-Name |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105190004/https://robertfmoss.com/features/How-Bourbon-Really-Got-Its-Name |archive-date=January 5, 2023 |date=July 29, 2020}} According to the whiskey writer Charles K. Cowdery,

{{blockquote|When American pioneers pushed west of the Allegheny Mountains following the American Revolution, the first counties they founded covered vast regions. One of these original, huge counties was Bourbon, established in 1785 and named after the French royal family. While this vast county was being carved into many smaller ones, early in the 19th century, many people continued to call the region Old Bourbon. Located within Old Bourbon was the principal port on the Ohio River, Maysville, Kentucky, from which whiskey and other products were shipped. "Old Bourbon" was stencilled on the barrels to indicate their port of origin. Old Bourbon whiskey was different because it was the first corn whiskey most people had ever tasted. In time, bourbon became the name for any corn-based whiskey.}}

File:A whiskey cart with a selection of different bourbon whiskey.jpg

A refinement often dubiously{{cite book |last=Veach |first=Michael R. |date=2013 |title=Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage |location=Lexington, Kentucky |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |pages=7–9, 40–52 |isbn=978-0-8131-4165-7 }} credited to James C. Crow is the sour mash process, which conditions each new fermentation with some amount of spent mash. Spent mash is also known as spent beer, distillers' spent grain, stillage, and slop or feed mash, so named because it is used as animal feed. The acid introduced when using the sour mash controls the growth of bacteria that could taint the whiskey and creates a proper pH balance for the yeast to work.

Although many distilleries operated in Bourbon County historically, no distilleries operated there between 1919, when Prohibition began in Kentucky, and late 2014, when a small distillery opened – a period of 95 years.{{cite web|url=http://www.bourbonky.com/|title=Bourbon County Kentucky|access-date=April 19, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502125718/http://bourbonky.com/|archive-date=May 2, 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hartfieldandcompany.com|title=Hartfield & Co. homepage|access-date=December 4, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208141723/http://www.hartfieldandcompany.com/|archive-date=December 8, 2015}} Prohibition devastated the bourbon industry. With the ratification of the 18th amendment in 1919, all distilleries were forced to stop operating. Six companies were granted permits to bottle medicinal whiskey from existing stocks: A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery (later called the Stitzel–Weller Distillery), American Medicinal Spirits (producer of Old Crow and Old Grand-Dad, sold in 1929 to National Distillers,{{Cite web|url=https://campusarch.msu.edu/?p=5897|title=Take Two Shots of Whiskey Every 6 Hours: Medicinal Alcohol During Prohibition Era MSU|first=Jack|last=Biggs|date=February 20, 2018|access-date=May 1, 2024|archive-date=May 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501210436/https://campusarch.msu.edu/?p=5897|url-status=live}} now owned by Suntory Global Spirits), Brown-Forman (still a current major producer), Frankfort Distillery (including the George T. Stagg distillery now called the Buffalo Trace Distillery{{Cite web|url=https://vinepair.com/articles/medicinal-whiskey-history-and-revival/|title=The Strange History of Medicinal Whiskey and Its Modern Revival|first=Dylan|last=Ettinger|date=December 28, 2023|website=VinePair|access-date=May 1, 2024|archive-date=May 1, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240501210436/https://vinepair.com/articles/medicinal-whiskey-history-and-revival/|url-status=live}} and owned by Sazerac), James Thompson and Brothers (later called Glenmore Distillery, now owned by Sazerac), and Schenley Distillery (now owned by Guinness).{{cite web|url=http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/151454/The-History-of-Kentucky-Bourbon/#vars!date=1685-11-23_03:58:11!|title=Kentucky Bourbon Timeline|website=Kentucky Distillers Association|access-date=September 30, 2018|archive-date=September 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930231922/http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/151454/The-History-of-Kentucky-Bourbon/#vars!date=1685-11-23_03:58:11!|url-status=live}} Prescriptions were required to buy medicinal whiskey. In 1928 or 1929 when stocks ran out, there was a 100-day "distillers' holiday" to replenish the medicinal stock.

After the end of Prohibition at the federal level in late 1933, it continued in various places at the state, county and local level, and liquor sales are still prohibited or restricted in many jurisdictions in Kentucky, the primary bourbon-producing state (and in Tennessee as well, where Tennessee whiskey is made).

Production was shut down completely again in 1941 to reserve production capacity for making industrial alcohol during World War II.{{Cite web|url=https://whiskymag.com/articles/50-monumental-bourbon-moments/|title=50 Monumental Bourbon Moments|website=whiskymag.com|access-date=May 5, 2024|archive-date=May 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505223942/https://whiskymag.com/articles/50-monumental-bourbon-moments/|url-status=live}}

According to E. Kyle Romero, after World War II whiskey transitioned from a primarily domestic product to a major export product. The war introduced many American soldiers to whiskey, and veterans boosted a growing domestic demand. The postwar economic boom and the rise of consumer culture fueled whiskey’s golden age in the 1950s and 1960s, solidifying its place in global markets. The Bourbon Institute, established in 1958, played a crucial role in reducing trade restrictions, particularly in Europe, further expanding whiskey's international reach. By 1960, the institute explicitly framed bourbon as a cultural ambassador of American identity, reinforcing the idea that its global presence reflected the broader influence of American ways and products.E. Kyle Romero, "The History Behind Canadian Boycotts of American Whiskey: A global marketplace has shaped the U.S. whiskey industry for a century, even as it brands itself distinctly American." Made By History (April 8, 2025) [https://www.bunkhistory.org/publications/452 online]

A concurrent resolution adopted by the United States Congress in 1964 declared bourbon to be a "distinctive product of the United States" and asked "the appropriate agencies of the United States Government ... [to] take appropriate action to prohibit importation into the United States of whiskey designated as 'Bourbon Whiskey'."{{Cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-78/pdf/STATUTE-78-Pg1208-2.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924134102/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-78/pdf/STATUTE-78-Pg1208-2.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 24, 2015|title=Statute 78|date=September 24, 2015|access-date=September 30, 2018}}Defining "Bourbon". The State (Columbia, SC), May 1, 2002, p. D1. A U.S. federal regulation now restricts the definition of bourbon for whiskey to only include spirits produced in the U.S.{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.143 Whisky. (b) Label designations.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |quote=The word 'bourbon' may not be used to describe any whisky or whisky-based distilled spirits not distilled and aged in the United States. |archive-date=September 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220918030027/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |url-status=live }}

In recent years, bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, which is sometimes regarded as a different type of spirit but generally meets the legal requirements to be called bourbon, have enjoyed significant growth in popularity. The industry trade group Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) tracks sales of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey together.{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/business/bourbon-tennessee-whiskey-sales-soar-in-us-exports-top-1b/ |title=Bourbon, Tennessee Whiskey Sales Up in US; Exports Top $1B |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230161433/http://www.seattletimes.com/business/bourbon-tennessee-whiskey-sales-soar-in-us-exports-top-1b/ |archive-date=December 30, 2015 |orig-date=February 3, 2015 |newspaper=The Seattle Times |date=February 12, 2015 |url-status=live}}

According to DISCUS, during 2009–2014, the volume of 9-liter cases of whiskey increased by 28.5% overall.{{Cite web|url=http://www.discus.org/assets/1/7/Bourbon_and_Tennessee_Whiskey_2014.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150525062657/http://www.discus.org/assets/1/7/Bourbon_and_Tennessee_Whiskey_2014.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 25, 2015|title=On America's Whiskey Trail|date=May 25, 2015|access-date=September 30, 2018}} Higher-end bourbon and whiskeys experienced the greatest growth. Gross supplier revenues (including federal excise tax) for U.S. bourbon and Tennessee whiskey increased by 46.7% over the 2009–2014 period, with the greatest growth coming from high-end products. In 2014, more than 19 million nine-liter cases of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey were sold in the U.S., generating almost $2.7 billion in wholesale distillery revenue. U.S. exports of bourbon whiskey surpassed $1 billion for the first time in 2013; distillers hailed the rise of a "golden age of Kentucky bourbon" and predicted further growth. In 2014, it was estimated that U.S. bourbon whiskey exports surpassed $1 billion, making up the majority of the U.S. total of $1.6 billion in spirits exports. Major export markets for U.S. spirits are, in descending order: Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and France. The largest percentage increases in U.S. exports were, in descending order: Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Israel, and United Arab Emirates. Key elements of growth in the markets showing the largest increases have been changes of law, trade agreements, and reductions of tariffs, as well as increased consumer demand for premium-category spirits.{{Cite web|url=http://www.discus.org/assets/1/7/Distilled_Spirits_Industry_Briefing_Feb_4_2014.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616072106/http://www.discus.org/assets/1/7/Distilled_Spirits_Industry_Briefing_Feb_4_2014.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 16, 2015|title=Distilled Spirits Council 2013 Industry Review, New York City, February 4, 2014|date=June 16, 2015|access-date=September 30, 2018}}

File:Beam Rack House.jpg barrels filled with new bourbon whiskey rest in a rickhouse, giving bourbon its well-known copper color]]

Bourbon's legal definition varies somewhat from country to country, but many trade agreements require that the name "bourbon" be reserved for products made in the U.S. The U.S. regulations for labeling and advertising bourbon apply only to products made for consumption within the U.S.;{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-A |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.2 Territorial extent.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |quote=The provisions of this part apply to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.}} they do not apply to distilled spirits made for export.{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-A |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.8 Distilled spirits for export.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |quote=The regulations in this part shall not apply to distilled spirits exported in bond.}} Canadian law requires products labeled bourbon to be made in the U.S. and also to conform to the requirements that apply within the U.S. The European Union also requires bourbon to be made in the U.S. following the law of the country.{{cite web|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32009R0936|title=Commission Regulation (EC) No 936/2009|date=October 8, 2009|editor=Official Journal of the European Union|website=EUR-Lex|language=en|access-date=December 31, 2021|archive-date=December 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231115612/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32009R0936|url-status=live}} However, in other countries, products labeled bourbon may not adhere to the same standards. For example, U.S.-produced products with somewhat lower alcohol content than the level required in the United States can be sold in Australia as bourbon, with Cougar Bourbon being an example of an export-only brand produced in the U.S. for the Australia market.

The Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, codified under 27 CFR §5 Subpart I states that bourbon made for U.S. consumption must be:

• Produced in the U.S. (which includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico){{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-A |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.1 Definitions.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |quote=United States (U.S.): The 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.}}
• Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.143 Whisky. (c) Types of whisky. Table 1, row 2.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-date=September 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220918030027/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |url-status=live }}
• Aged in new, charred oak containers
• Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume)
• Entered into the container for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume)
• Bottled (like other whiskeys) at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume){{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.143 Whisky. (a) The class whisky.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-date=September 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220918030027/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |url-status=live }}

Bourbon has no minimum specified duration for its aging period.[http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2009/12/favorite-whiskey-myths-debunked.html Favorite whiskey myths debunked] {{webarchive|url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20170709153136/http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2009/12/favorite-whiskey-myths-debunked.html |date=July 9, 2017 }}, The Chuck Cowdery Blog, December 16, 2009. (Accessed January 2011.) Products aged for as little as three months are sold as bourbon.{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Carlsson |url=http://spiritsreview.com/reviews-bourbon-hudson-baby.html|title=Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey |website=Spirits Review|access-date=February 4, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209184619/http://spiritsreview.com/reviews-bourbon-hudson-baby.html|archive-date=February 9, 2011}} The exception is straight bourbon, which has a minimum aging requirement of two years. In addition, any bourbon aged less than four years must include an age statement on its label.{{cite web |url=http://www.kybourbon.com/index.php/glossary/ |title=Glossary of bourbon and whiskey terms |publisher=Kentucky Distillers Association |access-date=December 14, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228121812/http://www.kybourbon.com/index.php/glossary |archive-date=February 28, 2014 }}

Bourbon that meets the above requirements, has been aged for a minimum of two years, and does not have added coloring, flavoring, or other spirits may be – but is not required to be – called straight bourbon.{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.143 Whisky. (c) Types of whisky. & Table 1, row 5.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |quote=The use of the word 'straight' is a further designation of a type, and is optional. |archive-date=September 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220918030027/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |url-status=live }}

• Bourbon that has been aged less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging.{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-E |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.74 Statements of age, storage, and percentage. (b) Age statements and percentage of type statements for whisky.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |quote=For all domestic or foreign whiskies that are aged less than 4 years, ..., an age statement and percentage of types of whisky statement is required to appear on a label, unless the whisky is labeled as 'bottled in bond' in conformity with § 5.88.}}
• Bourbon that has an age stated on its label must be labeled with the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle (not counting the age of any added neutral grain spirits in a bourbon that is labeled as blended, as neutral-grain spirits are not considered whiskey under the regulations and are not required to be aged at all).

Bottled in bond bourbon is a sub-category of straight bourbon that must be produced by a single distiller at a single distillery in a single season, aged at least four years in a bonded warehouse under federal control, and bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV).{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-E |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.88 Bottled in bond.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 }}

Bourbon that is labeled blended (or as a blend) may contain added coloring, flavoring, and other spirits, such as un-aged neutral grain spirits, but at least 51% of the product must be straight bourbon.{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |title=((27 C.F.R. § 5.143 Whisky. (c) Types of whisky. Table 1, row 11.)) |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-date=September 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220918030027/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-27/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-5/subpart-I |url-status=live }}

"High rye bourbon" is not a legally defined term but usually means a bourbon with 20–35% rye in its mash bill.{{cite web |title=High Rye vs High Wheat Bourbon, Explained |url=https://thewhiskeywash.com/whiskey-styles/bourbon/high-rye-vs-high-wheat-bourbon-explained/ |website=The Whiskey Wash |date=February 11, 2016 |access-date=December 3, 2019 |archive-date=December 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203180557/https://thewhiskeywash.com/whiskey-styles/bourbon/high-rye-vs-high-wheat-bourbon-explained/ |url-status=live }} High-wheat or "wheated" bourbons are described as more mild and subdued compared to high-rye varieties.{{cite web |title=What's the Difference Between High-Wheat and High-Rye Bourbon? |url=https://vinepair.com/articles/whats-difference-high-wheat-bourbon-high-rye-bourbon/ |website=Vinepair |date=February 6, 2017 |access-date=December 3, 2019 |archive-date=December 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203180548/https://vinepair.com/articles/whats-difference-high-wheat-bourbon-high-rye-bourbon/ |url-status=live }}

Bourbon that has been aged for less than three years cannot legally be referred to as whiskey (or whisky) in the European Union.{{citation needed |date=April 2024}}

File:Bourbon - National Historic Landmarks.jpg (left), Maker's Mark (center), and Woodford Reserve (right), are National Historic Landmarks in Kentucky.]]

On May 4, 1964, the U.S. Congress declared bourbon whiskey as a "distinctive product of the United States" by concurrent resolution.{{Cite web |last=Carroll |first=James R. |title=Congress resolution marks bourbon's unique status |url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/politics-blog/2014/05/09/bourbon-recognized-as-distinct-us-product-50-years-ago/8911567/ |access-date=2024-05-30 |website=The Courier-Journal |language=en-US}} Bourbon may be produced anywhere in the U.S. where it is legal to distill spirits, but most brands are produced in Kentucky, where bourbon production has a strong historical association.{{cite web|url=http://kybourbontrail.com/index.php/history/|title=Kentucky Bourbon History|date=December 6, 2010|work=Kentucky Bourbon Trail|publisher=Kentucky Distillers' Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221114919/http://kybourbontrail.com/index.php/history/|archive-date=December 21, 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=December 6, 2010}} The filtering of iron-free water through the high concentrations of limestone that are unique to the area is often touted by bourbon distillers in Kentucky as a signature step in the bourbon-making process.{{cite web |url=http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/KentuckyBourbon.html |title=About Kentucky Bourbon |access-date=November 23, 2011 |work=Waters of Life |publisher=Kentucky Barrels LLC |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127055520/http://www.kentuckybarrels.com/KentuckyBourbon.html |archive-date=January 27, 2013 |url-status=dead }}

On August 2, 2007, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution sponsored by Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY) officially declaring September 2007 to be National Bourbon Heritage Month, commemorating the history of bourbon whiskey.S. Res. No. 110-294 (2007). Notably, the resolution claimed that Congress had declared bourbon to be "America's Native Spirit" in its 1964 resolution. However, the 1964 resolution did not contain such a statement; it declared bourbon to be a distinctive product identifiable with the U.S. (in a similar way that Scotch is considered identifiable with Scotland).[http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2009/04/is-bourbon-officially-americas-native.html Is Bourbon Officially America's Native Spirit?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708031823/http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2009/04/is-bourbon-officially-americas-native.html |date=July 8, 2011 }}, The Chuck Cowdery Blog, April 27, 2009. The resolution was passed again in 2008.

{{As of|2018}}, 95% of all bourbon is produced in Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Distillers' Association.{{Cite web |title=Is 95% of the World's Bourbon Really Made in Kentucky? |url=https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/booze/kentucky-bourbon-95-percent |access-date=June 6, 2023 |website=InsideHook |language=en-US |archive-date=June 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605154900/https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/booze/kentucky-bourbon-95-percent |url-status=live }} {{As of|2018}}, there were 68 whiskey distilleries in Kentucky, this was up 250 percent in the past ten years.{{cite news |last=Marshall |first=Anne |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-whiskey-fungus |title=The Dark Side of the 'Angel's Share' |work=Atlas Obscura |date=October 30, 2019 |access-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 2, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102105523/https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-whiskey-fungus |url-status=live }} At that time, the state had more than 8.1 million barrels of bourbon that were aging – a number that greatly exceeds the state's population of about 4.3 million.{{cite web |url=https://kybourbon.com/bourbon_culture-2/key_bourbon_facts/ |title=Bourbon Facts |publisher=Kentucky Distillers' Association |access-date=April 9, 2019 |archive-date=April 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190417015320/https://kybourbon.com/bourbon_culture-2/key_bourbon_facts/ |url-status=live }}[https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/17/makers-mark-restore-proof/1926081/ "Maker's Mark to restore alcohol content of whiskey"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710161609/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/17/makers-mark-restore-proof/1926081/ |date=July 10, 2017 }}, USA Today, February 17, 2013.{{Cite news|url=http://www.brandonsun.com/business/breaking-news/kentucky-bourbon-trail-expands-to-include-stop-in-downtown-louisville-206820581.html?thx=y|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628200445/http://www.brandonsun.com/business/breaking-news/kentucky-bourbon-trail-expands-to-include-stop-in-downtown-louisville-206820581.html?thx=y|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 28, 2013|title=Kentucky Bourbon Trail expands to include stop in downtown Louisville…|date=June 28, 2013|work=archive.is|access-date=September 30, 2018}}

Bardstown, Kentucky, is home to the annual Bourbon Festival held each September. It has been called the "Bourbon Capital of the World" by the Bardstown Tourism Commission{{Cite web|url=http://www.visitbardstown.com/tourism/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427130459/http://www.visitbardstown.com/tourism/|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 27, 2007|title=Bardstown – Nelson County Tourist & Convention Commission|date=April 27, 2007|access-date=September 30, 2018}} and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival organizers{{cite web|url=http://www.kybourbonfestival.com/|title=Welcome! – Kentucky Bourbon Festival : Bourbon Capital of the World : Bardstown, Kentucky|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061228073210/http://www.kybourbonfestival.com/|archive-date=December 28, 2006}} who have registered the phrase as a trademark. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is the name of a tourism promotion program organized by the Kentucky Distillers' Association that is aimed at attracting visitors to the distilleries in Kentucky, particularly Four Roses (Lawrenceburg), Heaven Hill (Bardstown), Jim Beam (Clermont), Maker's Mark (Loretto), Town Branch (Lexington), Wild Turkey (Lawrenceburg), and Woodford Reserve (Versailles).{{Cite web|url=https://kybourbontrail.com/|title=Kentucky Bourbon Trail – Where the Spirit Leads You|website=kybourbontrail.com|language=en-US|access-date=September 30, 2018|archive-date=October 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017192358/https://kybourbontrail.com/|url-status=live}}

Tennessee is home to other major bourbon makers, although most prefer to call their product "Tennessee whiskey" instead, including giant Jack Daniel's. It is legally defined under Tennessee House Bill 1084, the North American Free Trade Agreement and at least one other international trade agreement as the recognized name for a straight bourbon whiskey produced in Tennessee.{{cite web |url=http://www.sice.oas.org/trade/nafta/chap-034.asp |title=North American Free Trade Agreement Annex 313: Distinctive products |publisher=Sice.oas.org |access-date=December 14, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20111215074319/http://www.sice.oas.org/trade/nafta/chap-034.asp |archive-date=December 15, 2011 }}[http://www.sice.oas.org/Trade/chiusa_e/Text_e.asp SICE – Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Chile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613231330/http://www.sice.oas.org/Trade/chiusa_e/Text_e.asp |date=June 13, 2016 }}, Section E, Article 3.15 "Distinctive products". It is also required to meet the legal definition of bourbon under Canadian law.{{cite web|url=http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.%2C_c._870/page-29.html|title=Canada Food and Drug regulations, C.R.C. C.870, provision B.02.022.1|publisher=Laws.justice.gc.ca|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106023525/http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/C.R.C.-c.870/page-1.html#anchorbo-ga:l_B-gb:l_2|archive-date=January 6, 2011|url-status=live|access-date=December 14, 2011}}

Although some Tennessee whiskey makers maintain that a pre-aging filtration through chunks of maple charcoal, known as the Lincoln County Process and legally mandated since 2013,{{efn-ua| Prior to 2013, the use of the Lincoln County Process was not actually required for making products identified as Tennessee whiskey. However, on May 13, 2013, the Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee signed House Bill 1084, requiring the Lincoln County process and the existing requirements for bourbon to be used for products identified as "Tennessee whiskey". As a grandfathering measure, the law exempted one small producer, Benjamin Prichard's.{{cite web|last=Zandona|first=Eric|title=Tennessee Whiskey Gets a Legal Definition|url=http://www.ezdrinking.com/ezdrinking/2013/9/14/tennessee-whiskey-gets-a-legal-definition|work=EZdrinking|access-date=January 11, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107200404/http://www.ezdrinking.com/ezdrinking/2013/9/14/tennessee-whiskey-gets-a-legal-definition|archive-date=January 7, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://static.squarespace.com/static/5101b837e4b0202016c6b5c9/t/52363a84e4b0855d9f5aca50/1379285636684/Tennesee%20Whiskey%20Law.pdf|title=State of Tennessee Public Chapter No. 341 House Bill No. 1084|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005023136/http://static.squarespace.com/static/5101b837e4b0202016c6b5c9/t/52363a84e4b0855d9f5aca50/1379285636684/Tennesee%20Whiskey%20Law.pdf|archive-date=October 5, 2013}} As U.S. federal law requires statements of origin on labels to be accurate, and various international trade agreements also codify this requirement, the Tennessee law effectively gives a firm definition to Tennessee whiskey.}} make its flavor distinct from bourbon, U.S. regulations defining bourbon neither require nor prohibit its use.Charles K. Cowdery, [http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2009/02/tennessee-whiskey-versus-bourbon.html Tennessee Whiskey Versus Bourbon Whiskey] {{webarchive|url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20170710214705/http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2009/02/tennessee-whiskey-versus-bourbon.html |date=July 10, 2017 }}, The Chuck Cowdery Blog, February 21, 2009. (Accessed January 2011.)[http://bourbonobserver.blogspot.com/2009/06/filtration-and-lincoln-county-process.html Filtration and the Lincoln County Process] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708025748/http://bourbonobserver.blogspot.com/2009/06/filtration-and-lincoln-county-process.html |date=July 8, 2011 }}, The Bourbon Observer, June 13, 2009.

Bourbon also was and is made in other U.S. states.{{cite web |title=Whisky Regions |url=http://www.whiskyportal.com/region_overview.asp |access-date=April 21, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513201936/http://www.whiskyportal.com/region_overview.asp |archive-date=May 13, 2008 }}{{cite web |title=Handmade Texas bourbon hits HillCo |url=http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/handmade-texas-bourbon-hits-hillco |access-date=July 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328224500/http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/handmade-texas-bourbon-hits-hillco |archive-date=March 28, 2010 }}{{cite web |title=Smooth Ambler Spirits debuts new Yearling Bourbon |date=July 24, 2011 |url=http://www.register-herald.com/local/x1424069464/Smooth-Ambler-Spirits-debuts-new-Yearling-Bourbon |access-date=April 11, 2012 |archive-date=February 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222155258/http://www.register-herald.com/local/x1424069464/Smooth-Ambler-Spirits-debuts-new-Yearling-Bourbon |url-status=live }} The largest bourbon distiller outside of Kentucky and Tennessee is MGP of Indiana, which primarily wholesales its spirits products to bottling companies that sell them under about 50 different brand names – in some cases, misleadingly marketed as "craft" whiskey, despite being produced at a large wholesaler's factory.{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/28/your-craft-whiskey-is-probably-from-a-factory-distillery-in-indiana.html|title=Your 'Craft' Rye Whiskey Is Probably From a Factory Distillery in Indiana|last=Felten|first=Eric|date=July 28, 2014|newspaper=The Daily Beast|access-date=July 23, 2016|archive-date=July 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160720084840/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/28/your-craft-whiskey-is-probably-from-a-factory-distillery-in-indiana.html|url-status=live}}{{cite news | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-templeton-rye-settlement-20150714-story.html | title=Templeton Rye reaches lawsuit settlement, will pay refunds | newspaper=Chicago Tribune | date=July 14, 2015 | access-date=July 15, 2015 | last=Noel | first=Josh | archive-date=July 15, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715234603/http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-templeton-rye-settlement-20150714-story.html | url-status=live }}

File:Barrels with a flavour to impart - geograph.org.uk - 286747.jpg

To be legally sold as bourbon, the whiskey's mash bill requires a minimum of 51% corn, with the remainder being any cereal grain. A proposed change to U.S. regulations will expand allowable "grains" to include seeds of the pseudocereals amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa.{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/01/14/681668665/quinoa-whiskey-modified-crop-list-spurs-distilleries-to-try-alternative-grains |title=Quinoa Whiskey? Modified Crop List Spurs Distilleries To Try Alternative Grains |first=Ashlie |last=Stevens |work=The Salt |publisher=National Public Radio |date=January 14, 2019 |access-date=April 9, 2019 |archive-date=April 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409141245/https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/01/14/681668665/quinoa-whiskey-modified-crop-list-spurs-distilleries-to-try-alternative-grains |url-status=live }} A mash bill that contains wheat instead of rye produces what is known as a wheated bourbon.{{cite web|url=http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/brands/wl-weller|title=W.L. Weller|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326235823/http://buffalotracedistillery.com/brands/wl-weller|archive-date=March 26, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/drinking/spirits/bourbon?page=all|title=Bourbon Guide|author=LeNell Smothers|publisher=epicurious.com|access-date=May 1, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501090254/http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/drinking/spirits/bourbon?page=all|archive-date=May 1, 2014}} The grain is ground and mixed with water. Usually mash from a previous distillation is added to ensure consistency across batches, creating a sour mash. Finally, yeast is added, and the mash is fermented. It is distilled to (typically) between 65% and 80% alcohol using either a traditional alembic (or pot still) or the much less expensive continuous still. Most modern bourbons are initially run off using a column still and then redistilled in a "doubler" (alternatively known as a "thumper" or "retort") that is basically a pot still.[http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2008/02/pot-stills-versus-column-stills.html Pot Stills Versus Column Stills] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225183840/http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2008/02/pot-stills-versus-column-stills.html |date=December 25, 2014 }}, The Chuck Cowdery Blog: American Whiskey & Other Stuff, February 26, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2015.

The resulting clear spirit, called "white dog", is placed in charred new oak containers for aging. In practice, these containers are generally barrels made from American white oak. The spirit gains its color and much of its flavor from the caramelized sugars and vanillins in the charred wood. Straight bourbon must be aged at least two years, and blended bourbon must contain at least 51% straight bourbon on a proof gallon basis (i.e., most of the alcohol in the blend must be from straight bourbon).{{Cite web|url=https://www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam/chapter4.pdf|title=Chapter 4: Class and Type Designation|website=TTB Online|access-date=September 30, 2018|archive-date=August 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801172152/https://www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam/chapter4.pdf|url-status=dead}} The remainder of the spirits in a blended bourbon may be neutral grain spirits that are not aged at all. If a product is labeled merely as bourbon whiskey rather than straight or blended, no specific minimum aging period is prescribed – only that the product has been "stored at not more than 62.5% alcohol by volume (125 proof) in charred new oak containers". Bourbons gain more color and flavor the longer they age in wood. Changes to the spirit also occur due to evaporation and chemical processes such as oxidation. Lower-priced bourbons tend to be aged relatively briefly. Even for higher-priced bourbons, "maturity" rather than a particular age duration is often the goal, as over-aging bourbons can negatively affect the flavor of the bourbon (making it taste woody, bitter, or unbalanced).{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

After maturing, bourbon is withdrawn from the barrel and is typically filtered and diluted with water. It is then bottled at no less than 80 US proof (40% abv). Although most bourbon whiskey is sold at 80 proof, bourbon can be bottled much higher.

All "bottled in bond" bourbon is 100 proof.{{cite web | last=Dingwall | first=Kate | title=What are "Bottled-in-Bond" Spirits and Why Should I Care? | website=Wine Enthusiast | date=October 15, 2019 | url=https://www.wineenthusiast.com/basics/what-is-bottled-in-bond/ | access-date=January 19, 2024 | archive-date=January 19, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119164742/https://www.wineenthusiast.com/basics/what-is-bottled-in-bond/ | url-status=live }} Some higher-proof bottlings are marketed as "barrel proof" or "cask strength", meaning they have not been diluted or have been only slightly diluted (less than 1% ABV dilution) after removal from the barrels. Bourbon whiskey may be sold at less than 80 proof but must be labeled as "diluted bourbon".{{cite web | title=Bourbon: The Spirit of the South | website=New Orleans Magazine | date=December 4, 2013 | url=https://www.myneworleans.com/bourbon-the-spirit-of-the-south/ | access-date=January 19, 2024 | archive-date=January 19, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119164446/https://www.myneworleans.com/bourbon-the-spirit-of-the-south/ | url-status=live }} A very small number of bourbon bottlings have been released with exceptionally high proof, sometimes exceeding 140 proof (70% ABV). In the mid-2010s, some sources began referring to these as "hazmat" bourbons, alluding to the ban in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations on air travel passengers and crew members carrying such high-proof beverages due to their highly flammable nature.{{cite web |url=https://robbreport.com/food-drink/spirits/review-a-smith-bowman-hazmat-bourbon-1234803193/ |title=Food & Drink Spirits – Taste Test: This 144.5-Proof Whiskey Is a Roundhouse Slap to the Mouth. But in a Good Way. |quote=A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon is nearly 75 percent alcohol, but the flavor still comes through. |date=February 5, 2023 |first1=Jonah |last1=Flicker |work=Robb Report |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429104947/https://robbreport.com/food-drink/spirits/review-a-smith-bowman-hazmat-bourbon-1234803193/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.breakingbourbon.com/article/the-allure-of-hazmat-whiskey |first1=Eric |last1=Hasman |title=The Allure of Hazmat Whiskey |date=November 5, 2021 |publisher=breakingbourbon.com |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429104944/https://www.breakingbourbon.com/article/the-allure-of-hazmat-whiskey |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.bourbons.com/reviews/uproxx/super-hot-hazmat-bourbons-that-actually-taste-great |title=Super Hot Hazmat Bourbons That Actually Taste Great |quote=Hazmat bourbon is a niche category known for its exceptionally high proof, often over 140 proof. Here are 10 super hot hazmat bourbons to consider. |website=UPROXX |accessdate=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429104944/https://www.bourbons.com/reviews/uproxx/super-hot-hazmat-bourbons-that-actually-taste-great |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Johnston |first=Zach |url=https://uproxx.com/life/best-hazmat-bourbons-ranked-2024/ |title=Super Hot Hazmat Bourbons That Actually Taste Great, Ranked |website=Uproxx |date=February 23, 2024 |access-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-date=April 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240429083950/https://uproxx.com/life/best-hazmat-bourbons-ranked-2024/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-175/subpart-A/section-175.10 |title=49 CFR § 175.10 Exceptions for passengers, crewmembers, and air operators |website=Code of Federal Regulations |access-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515185644/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-I/subchapter-C/part-175/subpart-A/section-175.10 |url-status=live }} Such high proof levels are very uncommon even among "barrel proof" bourbons, as bourbon must enter the barrel at no higher than 125 proof and thus can only reach higher concentrations by disproportionate evaporation of water in the Angel's share during aging. Although only the focus of special attention for bourbon since the mid-2010s, very-high-proof products are not especially novel in general, as evidenced by the well-known Bacardi 151 brand of rum, which was available on the U.S. and Canadian markets from about 1963 until 2016 and was bottled at 75.5% ABV.

After processing, barrels remain saturated with up to {{convert|10|USgal|L|abbr=off|sp=us}} of bourbon, although {{convert|2|-|3|USgal|L|abbr=off|sp=us|0}} is the norm.{{cite episode|title=Distilleries|series=Modern Marvels|series-link=Modern Marvels|airdate=July 14, 2004|season=11|number=27}} They may not be reused for bourbon, and most are sold to distilleries in Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Mexico, and the Caribbean for aging other spirits. Some are employed in the manufacture of various barrel-aged products, including amateur and professionally brewed bourbon barrel-aged beer, barbecue sauce, wine, hot sauce, and others. Since 2011, Jim Beam has employed barrel rinsing on a large scale to extract bourbon from its used barrels, mixing the extract with a 6-year-old Beam bourbon to create a 90-proof product that it sells as "Devil's Cut".{{cite web |url=http://whiskeyreviewer.com/2013/06/jim-beam-devils-cut-bourbon-review/ |title=Jim Beam Devil's Cut Bourbon Review |first=Richard |last=Thomas |date=June 17, 2013 |access-date=March 3, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304002433/http://whiskeyreviewer.com/2013/06/jim-beam-devils-cut-bourbon-review/ |archive-date=March 4, 2018 }}

The bottling operation for bourbon is the process of filtering, mixing together straight whiskey from different barrels (sometimes from different distilleries), diluting with water, blending with other ingredients (if producing blended bourbon), and filling containers to produce the final product that is marketed to consumers. By itself, the phrase "bottled by" means only that. Only if the bottler operates the distillery that produced the whiskey may "distilled by" be added to the label.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2008-title27-vol1/pdf/CFR-2008-title27-vol1-sec5-1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101162803/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2008-title27-vol1/pdf/CFR-2008-title27-vol1-sec5-1.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 1, 2015|title=27 CFR § 5.36|date=January 1, 2015|access-date=September 30, 2018 |website=United States Government Printing Office}}

Labeling requirements for bourbon and other alcoholic beverages (including the requirements for what is allowed to be called bourbon under U.S. law) are defined in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. No whiskey made outside the U.S. may be labeled bourbon or sold as bourbon inside the U.S. Various other countries have trade agreements with the U.S. to recognize bourbon as a distinctive product of the U.S., including Canada and Mexico, the United Kingdom, Chile, and Brazil.{{cite web |title=North American Free Trade Agreement |url=http://www.sice.oas.org/trade/nafta/chap-034.asp |website=Foreign Trade Information System |access-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-date=January 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108082243/http://www.sice.oas.org/trade/nafta/chap-034.asp |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=USTR Signs Wine and Distilled Spirits Continuity Agreements with the UK |url=https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2019/february/ustr-signs-wine-and-distilled |website=Office of the United States Trade Representative |access-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828233031/https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2019/february/ustr-signs-wine-and-distilled |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=2013: A Look Back at USTR's Work to Support Jobs and Economic Growth at Home |url=https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/blog/2014/january/2013-year-review-look-back-ustr%E2%80%99s-work-support-jobs-and-econ |website=Office of the United States Trade Representative |access-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828233033/https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/blog/2014/january/2013-year-review-look-back-ustr%E2%80%99s-work-support-jobs-and-econ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Chile |url=http://www.sice.oas.org/Trade/chiusa_e/Text_e.asp |access-date=August 28, 2022 |archive-date=June 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160613231330/http://www.sice.oas.org/Trade/chiusa_e/Text_e.asp |url-status=live }}

A 2016 experiment by Louisville craft distiller Jefferson's Bourbon suggests that in the era before whiskey was routinely bottled at the distillery, Kentucky bourbon developed a superior taste because it was shipped in barrels, using water transport wherever practical. To test this theory, Jefferson's cofounder Trey Zoeller sent two barrels of the company's signature product to New York City via barge, first down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and then along the Intracoastal Waterway. As a control, he brought a batch of the same whiskey that had remained in Louisville during the same period. According to Popular Mechanics writer Jacqueline Detwiler-George, who documented the test, the sample that made the waterborne journey "was mature beyond its age, richer, with new flavors of tobacco, vanilla, caramel, and honey. It was some of the best bourbon any of us had ever drunk." It was theorized that the action of gentle sloshing of the whiskey in barrels for a period of 2 to 4 weeks during the barge trip led to a dramatic improvement in smoothness and taste. Chemical analysis of the two samples revealed significant differences in molecular profiles, with the sample transported by water having a greater diversity of aromatic compounds.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/food-drink/a21272152/jeffersons-whiskey-experiment/ |title=Bourbon Vs. Bourbon: Did Whiskey Really Taste Better in the 1800s? |first=Jacqueline |last=Detwiler-George |magazine=Popular Mechanics |date=June 21, 2018 |access-date=March 22, 2019 |archive-date=March 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322202157/https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/food-drink/a21272152/jeffersons-whiskey-experiment/ |url-status=live }}

{{Cookbook|Bourbon}}File:Mint Julep im Silberbecher.jpg]]

Bourbon is served in a variety of manners, including neat; diluted with water; over ice ("on the rocks"); with cola or other beverages in simple mixed drinks; and in cocktails – including the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, the whiskey sour, and the mint julep. Bourbon is also used in cooking, and it was historically used for medicinal purposes.

Bourbon can be used in a variety of confections such as a banana bourbon syrup for waffles, a flavoring for chocolate cake, and fruit-based desserts like grilled peach sundaes served with salted bourbon-caramel or brown sugar shortcake with warmed bourbon peaches. It is an optional ingredient in several pie recipes traditional to American cuisine, including pumpkin pie, where it can be combined with brown sugar and pecans to make a sweet and crunchy topping for the creamy pumpkin pie filling.{{cite book |last1=Schmid |first1=Albert W. |title=The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook |publisher=The University Press of Kentucky |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ACt3EvVsYA4C |access-date=January 26, 2019 |isbn=978-0813139562 |date=November 30, 2010 |archive-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126065812/https://books.google.com/books?id=ACt3EvVsYA4C |url-status=live }} It can also be used as a flavoring in sauces for savory dishes like grit cakes with country ham served with bourbon mayonnaise, Kentucky bourbon chili, and grilled flank steak.{{cite news |title=9 Ways to Cook With Bourbon |url=https://cooking.nytimes.com/68861692-nyt-cooking/2821825-9-ways-to-cook-with-bourbon |access-date=January 26, 2019 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805230611/https://cooking.nytimes.com/68861692-nyt-cooking/2821825-9-ways-to-cook-with-bourbon |url-status=dead }}

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{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

• American Whiskey Trail
• Bourbon Trail
• Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
• Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• List of cocktails with bourbon
• List of maize dishes
• Moonshine
• Rye whiskey
• Single barrel whiskey
• Small batch

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist|group=upper-alpha}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{refbegin}}

• Carlton, Carla Harris. Barrel Strength Bourbon: The Explosive Growth of America's Whiskey (Clerisy Press, 2017) [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=RflBDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT13&dq=Bourbon+whiskey.&ots=QCksiYrfGv&sig=9bCxy2DbONSQbduNEybmwyUJG1Q online].

• Carson, Gerald. The Social History of Bourbon: An Unhurried Account of Our Star-Spangled Drink (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky), 1963. {{ISBN|0-8131-1509-4}}. [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gov_rIuXT5QC&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=bourbon+whiskey+history&ots=PLUCpPB3Pn&sig=eMfGSsjtq2oxUs32L6VkWNhVlH8 online]

• Cecil, Sam K. Bourbon: The Evolution of Kentucky Whiskey (Turner Publishing Company, 2011) [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=JonuEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT6&dq=Bourbon+whiskey.&ots=8DJox2hPsl&sig=QSVpwIuAXz_Essvcom0nWMzuKf8 online].
• Copler, Colin, Christopher Holtkamp, and Colleen C. Myles. "A Place for Bourbon? A Geographical Analysis of Bourbon Production in the United States." Southeastern Geographer 62.4 (2022): 339-359. [https://digital.library.txstate.edu/bitstream/10877/14299/1/COPLER-THESIS-2020.pdf online]

• Cowdery, Charles K. Bourbon, Straight: The Uncut and Unfiltered Story of American Whiskey (Chicago: Made and Bottled in Kentucky), 2004. {{ISBN|0-9758703-0-0}}.
• Crowgey, Henry G. Kentucky Bourbon: The Early Years of Whiskeymaking (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky), 1971. {{ISBN|0-8131-1225-7}}. [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DYvvDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Bourbon+whiskey.&ots=Fw93w-fz56&sig=mGNNsKu6v0xW-PlxUg1KNAJt6yA online]

• Kosar, Kevin R. Whiskey: A global history (Reaktion Books, 2010). [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=AjDRtBdxGjsC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Bourbon+whiskey.&ots=OL5Xi4lJxb&sig=Nzgr_OlZTKhNbSMLsyNU4ULIwjc online]

• {{cite news|last1=McFarland|first1=Ben|last2=Sandham|first2=Tom|title=Thinking Drinkers: a beginner's guide to bourbon|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/10801922/Thinking-Drinkers-a-beginners-guide-to-bourbon.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/10801922/Thinking-Drinkers-a-beginners-guide-to-bourbon.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=November 11, 2014|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=May 3, 2014}}{{cbignore}}.

• McKeithan, Seán S. "Every Ounce a Man's Whiskey?: Bourbon in the White Masculine South." Southern Cultures 18.1 (2012): 5-20. [https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/12/article/465845/summary excerpt]

• Minnick, Fred. Bourbon: the rise, fall, and rebirth of an American whiskey (Voyageur Press, 2016) [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qBLADAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=bourbon+whiskey+history&ots=ERk1N576L6&sig=x8cViG2SwZ9MruM7IDxYSKVWQg4 online].

• Mitenbuler, Reid. Bourbon empire: The past and future of America's Whiskey (Penguin, 2016) [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8VYBDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=Bourbon+whiskey.&ots=q4Q1hMb9eX&sig=rpHGM__V__LnNblmerHzOZqjOuM online].

• Podvia, Mark W. "Bourbon and the Law: A Brief Overview." Rev. Legal Hist. & Rare Books 8 (2015): 5+. [https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm?abstractid=2620772 online]

• Reed, Eric. "Bourbon, Black and White: Bourbon and Race in America, 1935-1975." Global Food History (2024): 1-26. [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20549547.2024.2321848 online]

• Regan, Gary and Mardee Haidin Regan. The Bourbon Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide (Philadelphia, PA: Running Press), 1998. {{ISBN|0-7624-0013-7}}.

• Romero, E. Kyle. "The History Behind Canadian Boycotts of American Whiskey: A global marketplace has shaped the U.S. whiskey industry for a century, even as it brands itself distinctly American." Made By History (April 8, 2025) [https://www.bunkhistory.org/publications/452 online]

• Veach, Michael R. Kentucky bourbon whiskey: an American heritage (University Press of Kentucky, 2013) [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=LQMtV-h1lr0C&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=bourbon+whiskey+history&ots=tLZwhHkIj8&sig=2JvZ93HB9Bc3AKk1vD9ICkCQgHU online].

• Zoeller, Chester. Kentucky Bourbon Barons: Legendary Distillers from the Golden Age of Whiskey Making (2014)

• Zoeller, Chester. Bourbon in Kentucky: A History of Distilleries in Kentucky (2022).

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• [https://kybourbon.com/ Kentucky Bourbon] – a website of the Kentucky Distillers' Association

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Category:Economy of Kentucky

Category:Economy of Louisville, Kentucky

Category:Kentucky cuisine

Category:Whisky

Category:Food and drink introduced in the 18th century