Bourbon

It is no secret that I love that elixir of the gods, bourbon.  As an undergrad at the University of Virginia, bourbon was the spirit of choice and a bottomless bottle of Jim Beam a constant party staple.  You know how sometimes your senses can strongly be associated with memories?  Every fall, when college football begins, I celebrate with a bourbon and coke.  When the air begins to chill and light whiffs of smoke blow in the breeze, the aroma of bourbon fills my memory.  While I enjoy bourbon 365 days of the year, fall and winter are the seasons where I imbibe the most bourbon.

When the opportunity arose to write an article about bourbon, I couldn’t help but accept.  The idea to share my love of this spirit and hopefully educate a few people was too much to pass up.

Here are your bourbon facts.

First, bourbon can be produced anywhere in the United States.  A lot of folks assume bourbon must be produced in Kentucky and more specifically Bourbon County.  In fact, there are currently no distilleries in Bourbon County.

Second, bourbon must contain a minimum 51% corn in the mashbill, but it could be as much as 80%.  The mashbill is your basic recipe of grains which are used to create the spirit.  Distilleries use varying recipes for their mashbill and these are closely guarded secrets.  The remaining ratio of the mashbill could be barley, wheat or rye.

• A bourbon with a high wheat content in mashbill is generally referred to as a “wheated” bourbon and a prime example of this is Maker’s Mark bourbon.  The bourbons with a higher wheat ratio is generally sweeter and more mellow than other styles of bourbon.
• A bourbon with a high rye content in the mashbill is generally referred to as a “high rye” bourbon and a prime example is Bulleit bourbon.  As you may guess, a high rye bourbon is a little spicier and bolder than other styles of bourbon.

Grains for the mashbill.

Third, bourbon must be aged in brand new American white oak charred barrels.  The barrels are not reused after the aging process.  Most bourbon distilleries sell their used barrels to scotch, rum, and other spirit producers.  One of my favorite sayings is that the best thing about scotch is the small amount of bourbon coming from the used barrels.  Once the raw spirit is put in the new charred barrels, it must be aged for a minimum of two years.  The charring of the barrels provides much of the flavor and color to bourbon.

So how should you enjoy this wonderful spirit?  When trying a new bourbon, I always suggest having it straight or with ice.  Simple, elegant and allows you to appreciate flavors of the bourbon.  Of course, a cocktail is always welcome too!  But for the novice bourbon drinking I would suggest these three cocktails to best enjoy the nuances of bourbon.

Bourbon Old Fashioned
2oz bourbon of your choice
3 dashes aromatic bitters (Angostura is traditional, but feel free to experiment with others)
1 bar spoon simple syrup (feel free to adjust sweetness to your desired level)
lemon peel for garnish

-Place bourbon, bitters and syrup in an old fashioned glass and stir.  Add ice and stir again.  Garnish with lemon peel.  Alternatively you could stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish.

Bourbon Manhattan
2oz bourbon of your choice
1oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes aromatic bitters (again, feel free to play around)

-Stir bourbon, bitters and vermouth with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
-The Manhattan is a great cocktail to play around with different combinations.  Add cherry bitters.  Or a barspoon of maraschino liqueur or apricot eau-de-vie.  Maybe a little syrup from your jar of maraschino cherries.

And of course,
Bourbon & Coke
2oz bourbon of your choice
4-6oz Coca-Cola

-Build over ice in a double old fashioned or a collins glass.  I like to garnish with a lemon wedge.

Cheers!