Bourbon Whiskey — America's Native Spirit

Bourbon's origin is disputed — Elijah Craig (a Baptist minister in Georgetown, Kentucky) is sometimes credited with first charring barrels around 1789, though this is not documented. The name 'Bourbon' derives from Bourbon County, Kentucky (itself named for the French royal house). Federal standards for bourbon were established in 1897 (Bottled-in-Bond Act) and refined in 1964 when Congress declared bourbon 'America's Native Spirit.'

Bourbon is America's most celebrated and legally protected spirit — a whiskey that must meet strict federal standards: produced in the United States from a grain bill of at least 51% corn, distilled to no higher than 160 proof (80% ABV), entered into new charred oak barrels at no higher than 125 proof, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof (40% ABV). Kentucky produces approximately 95% of the world's bourbon supply, and while Bourbon County, Kentucky, gives the spirit its name, bourbon can legally be produced anywhere in the United States. The new charred American oak barrel is bourbon's most distinctive production element — the caramelised wood sugars (from the char), vanillin (vanilla), lactones (coconut), and eugenol (spice/clove) extracted from the virgin oak create bourbon's characteristic vanilla, caramel, oak, and spice profile. Small batch and single barrel expressions from Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, and Maker's Mark represent the premium category's finest expressions.

FOOD PAIRING: Bourbon's vanilla, caramel, and oak demand complementary foods from the Provenance 1000 recipes. High-corn bourbon: Smoked Brisket (the caramel mirrors the crust), Pecan Pie (vanilla-caramel resonance), Aged Cheddar, Crème Brûlée. High-rye bourbon: Spiced Nuts, Gingerbread, Dark Chocolate, Cured Meats. Wheated bourbon: Soft Cheeses (Brie, Camembert), Caramelised Banana Foster, Salted Caramel.