Making Bourbon

While other industries chase after the new and improved, bourbon makers celebrate traditions that hearken back to an authentic frontier craft. Distillers enshrine local history in their branding and time-tested recipes, and rightfully so. Kentucky's unique geography shaped the whiskeys its settlers produced, and for more than two centuries, distilling bourbon fundamentally altered every aspect of Kentucky's landscape and culture. Making Bourbon: A Geographical History of Distilling in Nineteenth-Century Kentucky illuminates how the specific geography, culture, and ecology of the Bluegrass converged and gave birth to Kentucky's favorite barrel-aged whiskey. Expanding on his fall 2019 release Bourbon's Backroads, Karl Raitz delivers a more nuanced discussion of bourbon's evolution by contrasting the fates of two distilleries in Scott and Nelson Counties. In the nineteenth century, distilling changed from an artisanal craft practiced by farmers and millers to a large-scale mechanized industry. The resulting infrastructure—farms, mills, turnpikes, railroads, steamboats, lumberyards, and cooperage shops—left its permanent mark on the land and traditions of the commonwealth. Today, multinational brands emphasize and even construct this local heritage. This unique interdisciplinary study uncovers the complex history poured into every glass of bourbon.

A fun, informative, and approachable guide to bourbon—full of recipes, photos, historical anecdotes, and more—from the founder of Whisky Chicks. There is no right or wrong way to drink bourbon—it’s delicious in a cocktail, straight up, on the rocks, or with a splash of soda. You will never know which is your way until you try them all, and Linda Ruffenach is here to guide you on your own personal bourbon adventure. In How to Be a Bourbon Badass, Ruffenach captures the storied history of America’s native spirit, explains the process of making liquid gold, throws in a dash of personal anecdotes, and offers top-notch cocktail, dinner, and dessert recipes for the novice and connoisseur alike. From tales of legendary master distillers to stories of women whose lives were changed through badass bourbon confidence, and from classic recipes like the bourbon highball to fresh twists like strawberry bourbon lemonade with rosemary, Linda Ruffenach will redefine your perceptions of bourbon and those who savor it. Your journey to becoming a bourbon badass begins here.

*** Take a journey through American whiskey, with spirits specialist Eric Zandona. Eric Zandona - spirits expert at the American Distilling Institute - leads a region-by-region tour of the unique flavours and stories of American whiskey, from Kentucky's bourbon heartland to New York's Empire Rye revolution. With chapters telling the story of each key whiskey-producing region, plus profiles of notable distilleries and a flavour guide for their most interesting whiskeys, you'll learn all there is to know about the only true American spirit. Includes: Maps, facts, historical information Regional guides to American bourbon, rye, single malt and more Profiles of key distilleries & their must-try whiskeys Cocktail recipes for every region

“A book that will stand as one of the most essential cookbooks in the history of Southern cuisine.” —Edward Lee, chef and author of the James Beard Award–winner of Buttermilk Graffiti Bourbon, the first uniquely American distilled spirit, is nearly synonymous with Kentucky, its birthplace. However, it has come a long way since it was first distilled in the late 1700s, and its popularity and refinement have never been greater. At the same time, southern cuisine has evolved to keep up with bourbon’s evolution through once unheard-of collaborations between kitchen and bar, a renewed interest in seasonal local ingredients, and the influence of the delicious food traditions of the region’s growing migrant populations. This book distills the spirit and hospitality—both new and old—of great southern food and drink into ninety accessible recipes designed to help you achieve the ease and elegance of Bourbon Country entertaining in your own home. Arranged by the kind of traditional fare you’d find on a Kentucky table—pickles, vegetables, ancient grains, bounties from the barnyard, bourbon cocktails, and more—these recipes pay homage to the rituals and victuals of yesteryear while embracing the new southern palate and the flavors of modern Kentucky bourbon. “Farm fresh and artisanal aren’t trends in the bluegrass state, but a long-established way of life. Add the resonant ring of the finest American distillation—Kentucky bourbon—as these brilliant chefs do, and you’ve created magnificence and memories. In fact, the recipes, stories, and photographs here are so fine, you won’t want to wait for a horse race, but use this book year ’round.” —Ronni Lundy, author of the James Beard Award–winner Victuals

"The world has been waiting for this book." —Jeffrey Morganthaler, author of The Bar Book and Drinking Distilled In Bourbon Curious: A Tasting Guide for the Savvy Drinker, award-winning whiskey writer and Wall Street Journal best-selling author Fred Minnick creates an easy-to-read interactive tasting journey that helps you select barrel-aged bourbons based on your flavor preferences. Using the same tasting principles he offers in his Kentucky Derby Museum classes and as a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Minnick cuts to the chase, dismissing brand marketing and judging only the flavor of this all-American whiskey. Bourbon Curious groups bourbon into four main flavor profiles—grain, nutmeg, caramel, and cinnamon. While many bourbons boast all four flavor notes, one delicious sensation typically overpowers the rest. This book reveals more than 50 bourbon brands' predominate tastes and suggests cocktail recipes to complement them. In addition, Minnick spends some time busting bourbon's myths; unraveling its mysteries; and exploring distiller secrets, disclosing the recipes you won't find on a bottle's label. This updated edition contains all the best new bourbons and revised tasting notes on any bourbons that have undergone a substantial change since the original edition. And like good-tasting bourbon, Bourbon Curious is approachable to all!

Like wine lovers who dream of traveling to Bordeaux or beer enthusiasts with visions of the breweries of Belgium, bourbon lovers plan their pilgrimages to Kentucky's bourbon country. And what a country it is! Some of the most famous distilleries are tucked away in the scenic countryside of the Bluegrass region, stretching between Louisville, Bardstown, and Lexington. Locals and tourists alike seek out the finest flavors of Kentucky as interest in America's only native spirit continues to grow. In Kentucky Bourbon Country, Susan Reigler offers essential information and practical advice to anyone considering a trip to the state's distilleries or to the restaurants and bars on the Urban Bourbon Trail. Featuring more than 150 full-color photographs and a bourbon glossary, the book is organized by region and provides valuable details about the Bluegrass -- including attractions near each distillery and notes on restaurants, lodging, shopping, and seasonal events in Kentucky's beautiful historic towns. In addition to providing knowledge about each point of interest, Kentucky Bourbon Country weaves in little-known facts about the region's best-kept secrets, such as the historic distillery used as a set in the movie Stripes and the surprising ingredient in the mint juleps served at the Kentucky Derby. Whether you're interested in visiting the place where your favorite bourbon is made or hoping to discover exciting new varieties, this handy and practical guide discovering the best of bourbon.

Kentucky's landscape is punctuated by landmark structures that signpost bourbon's venerable story: distilleries long-standing, relict, razed, and brand new, the grand nineteenth-century homes of renowned distillers, villages and neighborhoods where distillery laborers lived, Whiskey Row storage warehouses, river landings and railroad yards, and factories where copper distilling vessels and charred white oak barrels are made. During the nineteenth century, distilling changed from an artisanal craft practiced by farmers and millers to a large-scale mechanized industry that practiced increasingly refined production techniques. Distillers often operated at comparatively remote sites—along the "backroads"—to take advantage of water sources or river or turnpike transport access. As time passed, steam power and mechanization freed the industry from its reliance on waterpower and permitted distillers to relocate to urban and rural rail-side sites. This shift also allowed distillers to perfect their production techniques, increase their capacity, and refine their marketing strategies. The historic progression produced the "fine" Kentucky bourbons that are available to present day consumers. Yet, distillers have not abandoned their cultural roots and traditions; their iconic products embrace the modern while also engaging their history and geography. Blending several topics—inventions and innovations in distilling and transport technologies, tax policy, geography, landscapes, and architecture—this primer and geographical guide presents an accessible and detailed history of the development of Kentucky's distilling industry and explains how the industry continues to thrive.

The highly anticipated cookbook from the immensely popular food blog Minimalist Baker, featuring 101 all-new simple, vegan recipes that all require 10 ingredients or less, 1 bowl or 1 pot, or 30 minutes or less to prepare Dana Shultz founded the Minimalist Baker blog in 2012 to share her passion for simple cooking and quickly gained a devoted worldwide following. Now, in this long-awaited debut cookbook, Dana shares 101 vibrant, simple recipes that are entirely plant-based, mostly gluten-free, and 100% delicious. Packed with gorgeous photography, this practical but inspiring cookbook includes: • Recipes that each require 10 ingredients or less, can be made in one bowl, or require 30 minutes or less to prepare. • Delicious options for hearty entrées, easy sides, nourishing breakfasts, and decadent desserts—all on the table in a snap • Essential plant-based pantry and equipment tips • Easy-to-follow, step-by-step recipes with standard and metric ingredient measurements Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking is a totally no-fuss approach to cooking for anyone who loves delicious food that happens to be healthy too.