I’m sure you have all heard all bourbon can be whiskey but not all whiskey can be bourbon. That is because to be bourbon there are special rules that must be followed. Here are some,
- Bourbon has to be a minimum of 51% corn
- Can’t have any additives
- Straight Bourbon has to be a minimum of 2 years old
- Can’t come off the still any hotter than 160 proof
- Has to be aged in a brand new American oak barrel
- Bourbon can be made in any state, but it is a 100% American product
- Has to be bottled at least 80 proof
Some other fun facts about bourbon
1. During prohibition if you had a prescription from a doctor you could get bourbon, for medicinal purposes of course.
2. Bourbon is the reason we have drinking straws today, people would try to drink it through a rye stalk and it would get soggy and weird. Plus it would make the bourbon taste strange.
3. A lot of the bourbon brands you see in the liquor store are from the USA but they are owned by Japanese companies. Most of the really big ones are.
4.During World War 2, many of the distilleries also made penicillin. This was very instrumental in keeping our soldiers safe and healthy.