Hey Bartender

IF YOU ARE a sports fan, then you are familiar with the phrase in someone or something's wheelhouse. In today's post, we are, without a doubt, in America's wheelhouse. Bourbon is as American as jazz, baseball, and skateboarding. Bourbon is America's Champagne in that the style can be reproduced anywhere, but unless it's made in North America, it cannot be called Bourbon. On May 4, 1962, the United States Congress recognized Bourbon Whiskey as a distinctively American product. The scope of that proclamation has since been expanded to include all of North America.

So, what is Bourbon? Bourbon's name was gleaned from Bourbon County, Kentucky and it's been produced since the eighteenth century. There are other American-made whiskeys such as Rye whiskey, which is made from a mash that is at least 51% rye while corn whiskey is made from a mash made from at least 80% corn. Straight whiskey is derived from a mash that is less than 51% of any one grain.

Believe it or not, there are federal standards of identity for distilled spirits in America. In order to be called Bourbon, several requirements must be met. We know that Bourbon must be made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn. It must also be distilled to no more than 160 proof. That's 80% alcohol by volume. It cannot contain E-150. That's caramel coloring for the E-150 impaired. That means that Bourbon's color must come from the barrels in which it is aged. Speaking of which, Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. Bourbon cannot be higher than 125 proof when placed in the barrel and it may not be bottled at less than 80 proof. If it meets these requirements and is aged for at least two years, it may be called Straight Bourbon. Bourbon aged for a period of less than four years must be labeled with the duration of its aging. Any age listed on the label must be the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle. This refers to the fact that whiskeys from different vintages are sometimes blended in order to retain the consistency of flavor from year to year. When this is done, the age listed on the label must be the age of the youngest vintage used in blending. So, even if there is 150 year old Bourbon in the mix, a much younger Bourbon will determine the age listed on the bottle.

Typically, Bourbon is made by combining a grain mixture made primarily of corn. Other grains include such things as wheat, rye, and malted barley. This mixture is referred to as a mash. The mash goes through a biological process in which the sugars present in the mash are converted into alcohol. Most of us refer to this process as fermentation. Sometimes, Bourbon is fermented by employing a process known as sour mash fermentation. This entails adding mash from a previous distillation to ensure a consistent pH across batches. After fermentation, the mash is distilled. The resulting product is between 65% and 80% alcohol. What may surprise you is that the resulting product is a clear spirit. It is then placed in a new, charred oak barrel for aging. During the aging process, the Bourbon acquires its color and flavor from the barrel. The longer the spirit is aged, the darker and more flavorful it becomes. After aging, the Bourbon is removed from the barrel and diluted with water to bring the alcohol level down to at least 80 proof before being bottled.

These days, it is estimated that about 95% of the world's Bourbon is distilled and aged in Kentucky. However, Tennessee whiskey also gets quite a bit of exposure. We are all familiar with Jack Daniel's. It is identical to Bourbon in almost every conceivable way -- including the sour mash fermentation process. There are at least two major differences. First, Jack Daniels is charcoal filtered before it is barrel aged. It is literally filtered through sugar maple charcoal, which gives it a unique aroma and flavor. Second, Tennessee distillers reuse their barrels. This practice is not allowed when making Bourbon. Tennessee whiskey has been officially recognized by the United States since 1941 as a separate style, but there is no official regulation defining it.

Bourbon was once considered a low end, low quality drink. This is due, in part, to the fact that when Prohibition was repealed, Scottish and Canadian distillers had quite a bit of aged, good-tasting whiskey on hand. Bourbon distillers had to, quite literally, start from scratch. Economics forced Bourbon distillers to rush their product to market. These low quality products led to Bourbon being thought of as low end with respect to their Scottish and Canadian counterparts. This has gradually changed. Today, there are plenty of Bourbons listed as Single Barrel Bourbon, Small Batch Bourbon, and Small Scale Bourbon. These are very high quality and, to some, very comparable to Scottish and Canadian whiskeys. Single barrel Bourbon is Bourbon bottled from a single barrel. Each barrel is slightly different, which means that the whiskey inside will have a slightly different flavor. In order to keep flavors consistent, barrels are blended so that each bottle always tastes the same. When a barrel shows exceptional character, it is monitored until it reaches its full potential. It is then bottled without blending. Hence the term single barrel. The first single barrel Bourbon was Blanton's which first appeared in 1984. Since each barrel is unique, bottles from that barrel will taste the same, while bottles from different barrels will not. With this in mind, single barrel Bourbons are numbered so that you can identify bottles from individual barrels. So, if you find a barrel that you like, you can buy more of it by keeping track of the identification numbers.

Small Batch Bourbon takes the single barrel concept to the next level. Instead of bottling the individual barrels, the barrels deemed to be the cream of the crop are combined to make a small batch. Each small batch is then bottled. Jim Beam produces four distinct small batch Bourbons: Basil Hayden, Knob Creek, Baker's and Booker's. Each batch is unique, so you will need to keep track of the batch by using its batch number if you find a batch that you really enjoy.

Small Scale Bourbon refers to Bourbon produced by making sure that all of the Bourbon from any given barrel is of the highest quality. This is difficult to do on a grand scale, but it is the philosophy practiced at Maker's Mark, which produces about 54 barrels of Bourbon per day, making it the smallest legal Bourbon distillery in operation. Maker's Mark is also unique in that they use wheat rather than rye to make their Bourbon. This is said to produce a much softer Bourbon.

So, there you have it -- Bourbon unmashed. We've all heard the names: Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Woodford Reserve, Blanton's, Hancock's Reserve, Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, Old Crow, Very Old Barton.... Uniquely American and distinctly delicious. Whether drinking them neat, on the rocks, or as an ingredient in your favorite cocktail, please drink responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!

Legend Brewery's Bourbon Barrel Porter has received an "A" rating from the aficionados at Beer Advocate. Take a look at what one expert had to say then click over and read more.

My friend SinistrSam and I had the pleasure of tasting this at the brewery and were both extremely impressed with it.

On the tour, the Brewmaster told us that they were bourbon-aged only 3 months, and that each ABV percentage is usually a rule for how long it should age. Alas, the ABV is 6% he told us for the regular Porter, so it's cut in half, and who knows what 6 months would've done, or what it could do to the brew in the future.

Appearance: Fairly opaque with a rich mocha-colored head and good retention throughout.

Smell: The triumvirate of bourbon, vanilla, and the woodiness from the barrels is at the forefront, with burnt and roasted malt, caramel, brown sugar, cream, and dark berries. Pretty astounding.

Taste: Huge notes of vanilla and bourbon initially intermingling, subsiding to woodiness, dark coffee and chocolate flavors, cream, and finally some hops to round off and curb some of the sweetness. Balanced, huge, and complex.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied yet fairly smooth and creamy.

Drinkability: I'm a nut for good wood and bourbon aging, and this brew certainly is great for me. Does the bourbon aging add any alcohol or not? Either way, a lot of flavor and body with a lot of complexity. They should certainly bottle this; the limited supply is nowhere near enough. If you get to the brewery before it's gone, you should certainly try some.

Serving type: on-tap

WHEN MOST OF us think of gin, we recall names like Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick's and Tanqueray. These are all excellent choices for those who enjoy martinis, but since we are still working on our imaginary home bar that only features American-made liquors, these choices don't fit our criteria. Beefeater and Bombay Sapphire hail from England while Hendrick's and Tanqueray call Scotland home. Does America produce gin? Let's have a look.

First, what is gin? Gin is a distilled spirit whose predominant flavor is derived from juniper berries. These days, gin is broadly differentiated into two legal categories: distilled and compound. Distilled gin is fashioned in the traditional manner by re-distilling a neutral spirit of agricultural origin with juniper berries and other botanicals. Compound gin is made by flavoring a neutral spirit of agricultural origin with natural flavorings without re-distillation. Compound gins are not highly regarded. In the U. S., the minimum ABV for gin is 40%. The name gin is derived from either the Dutch genever or the French genievre, which both happen to mean juniper. Juniper berries have been recognized since ancient times for their medicinal properties. By the 11th century, Italian monks were flavoring crudely distilled spirits with juniper. During the mid-1600s, there were at least 400 distilleries in Amsterdam alone re-distilling malt spirits with anise, caraway, coriander, and, of course, juniper.

There are several distinct styles of gin, however, the most common style these days is London dry gin. This is a type of distilled gin with the requisite predomination by the juniper berry, along with accenting citrus botanicals such as orange peel and lemon, as well as a delicate fusion of other spices like anise, orris root, cinnamon, lime peel, grapefruit peel, saffron, baobab, coriander, cassia bark, frankincense, licorice, angelica root, dragon eye, and nutmeg. Additives such as sugar and colorants are not permitted in London dry gin.

America produces quite a few really nice gins. Among them is Bluecoat, an American Dry Gin distilled not once, but five times in the birthplace of America -- Philadelphia. The distillers at Bluecoat use a unique, hand-hammered, copper pot still. Its cutting-edge design allows them to meld modern technology with traditional distilling techniques to produce an uncommonly smooth, yet amazingly flavorful gin. Bluecoat gin is made using only certified organic botanicals. This ensures that there are no outside influences on the flavor of the finished product. The complex flavor comes from a blend of organic American citrus peels that are not found in most gins. This is what differentiates the American Dry Gin style from the London Dry Gin style. Organic orange peel and organic lemon peel are part of the proprietary citrus blend used to make Bluecoat. The third citrus peel is a closely guarded secret. Once you've had a Tom Collins made with Bluecoat, you really won't care about the identity of the third ingredient. It's that good.

The windy city also produces gin. North Shore Distillery, located in the Chicago area, is part of a small group of artisan distillers who claim to be redefining the spirit world with new and amazing products. North Shore's contributions to that list of amazing products are Distiller's Gin No. 6 and Distiller's Gin No. 11. No. 6 is known as a modern dry gin that is extremely smooth, with a complex balance of citrus, spice and floral notes. No. 11 is referred to as a classic dry gin in the same tradition as London dry gin. Both are award winning and highly regarded by those who enjoy a classic martini. The distiller at North Shore uses a German-made copper still to produce all of their fine distillates. You may have noticed that I said, the distiller. North Shore is a very small operation -- just two employees. This husband and wife team does everything from distilling spirits to labeling bottles. It is a pretty amazing operation and they really do produce some pretty amazing gins. Not to be outdone, the west coast has also contributed to the American-made gin party. Anchor Distilling Company, located in San Francisco, has been in operation since 1993. Their award winning Junipero Gin is a handcrafted dry gin made using more than a dozen botanicals in their natural state. The list of botanicals used to make Junipero is kept secret. Their hope is that the secret blend is distinctive and intriguingly complex enough for you not to be concerned about such things. Junipero is light, crisp, and clean, combining a deep and mysterious spiciness that is very delicate. Like many distillers in America, Anchor Distilling Company produces small batches using a copper pot still. This allows them to have better control over the production of their incomparably delicious gin. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Anchor name, they are the same group responsible for all those fine Anchor Steam beers you've probably seen at your favorite bar.

Like me, Anchor is interested in where things come from. This has led them to the creation of Genevieve, an homage to the earliest of gins. It's created by distilling a grain mash of rye, wheat, and barley malts in a copper pot still with botanicals. This ancient and mysterious gin style has a much stronger flavor than the gins we know because it is distilled with a grain mash. It is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks. It is not recommended for martinis or gin and tonic. For those of you who like to try new things, add Genevieve to your list.

So, there you have it -- gin demystified. This magic distillate, once thought to be a cure for bubonic plague, has come full circle to become the key ingredient in the king of all cocktails -- the martini. American-made gins are definitely in the class of the more familiar names in the world of gin. If you have access to them, give them a try. You will be surprised at how well they blend to make your favorite gin cocktails taste great. As usual, when enjoying an Aviation cocktail, Tom Collins or a Mickey Slim, please drink responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!