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The History of Bourbon 
Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Maker's Mark, Cougar are household names to most people in most parts of the world. 99% of all bourbons come from the State of Kentucky USA, because settlers producing whiskey in the 18th and 19th century where given land in Kentucky. The area already produced Rye, wheat, barley, corn & has Iron free pure water. It is law that to carry the Bourbon Label, Bourbons must contain a minimum of 51 percent corn & every ingredient used must end up in the vats, fermenting. Eventually, bourbon is poured into new oak barrels that give bourbon its unique colour and flavour. Bourbon must be aged for at least two years in new American oak barrels. The old bourbon barrels are now shipped to Scotland for the aging of scotch whiskey. Bourbon has a rich history created by Scottish Irish ethnicity of American settlers. Bourbon has evolved and been developed over the last 200 years. The Scottish Irish settlers of Western Pennsylvania are considered the first to bring the whiskey making traditions to America. Although whiskey was created throughout the then American colonies, the settlers of Pennsylvania are who gave the true ancestors of bourbon. 
The reason the move to Kentucky for whiskey took place was due to Congress putting a tax on whiskey production, to help finance the American civil war. The outraged settler of Western Pennsylvania refused to pay these taxes. George Washington sent the Continental Army to suppress the uprising which was to become the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791 to 1794. Order proved hard to restore with the Scottish & Irish settlers eventually Washington made a resolution with the settlers, with special incentives to settlers who moved to Kentucky at that time part of the state of Virginia. This is when Bourbon was born early whiskey was made primarily from rye, this would change to become a corn based whiskey which in time would become Bourbon George Washington the first president of the USA was also an early producer of American whiskey at his Mount Vernon estate. Assisted by a Scottish whiskey maker George Washington's estate 11,000 gallons of whiskey that was valued almost $7,500, a very profitable operation. 
This is when Bourbon was born early whiskey was made primarily from rye, this would change to become a corn based whiskey which in time would become Bourbon. Tomas Jefferson the Governor of Virginia, offered settlers sixty acres of land in Kentucky if they would raise native corn & turn it into whiskey. This corn based whiskey, which was a clear distillate, would become "bourbon" only after two coincidentally related events happened. The French helped in the War for Independence against the British. In recognition of the French assistance, French names were subsequently used for new counties. In 1780 the county of Kentucky in the Western region of Virginia was subdivided. One of these subdivisions was named Bourbon County, after the French Royal House. 16 years later Kentucky became a state with Bourbon one of its counties. The first Corn based Bourbon is said to be made by early settlers that began distilling bourbon at Ford Harrod, now known as Harrodburg in Mercer County, Kentucky. A Baptist Minister, Reverend Elijah Craig is considered the first man to make Bourbon in Georgetown, Bourbon County, Kentucky in the late 18th century. It is rumoured he transported in old charred barrels to New Orleans, the barrels all marked Bourbon, by the end of this long trip the Whiskey had taken on the charred oak colour & flavour. As the Whiskey was from Bourbon County, Reverend Elijah Craig started to call it Bourbon Whiskey. Bourbon had gained its name. 
In 1783 Evan Williams became the first commercial distiller of Bourbon in Louisville Kentucky. In 1964 the US congress protected the name Bourbon & since that time the product elements of Bourbon are defined that to use the name Bourbon the whiskey must be at least two years old, distilled under 160 proof, have a minimum 51% corn in its mash, be aged in charred new oak barrels. It is commonly felt that Bourbon must originate from the state of Kentucky but the law did not stipulate origin. However 99% of Bourbon Whiskey originates Kentucky, due to Kentucky unique limestone spring water creating a perfect combination of minerals to create the finest quality Bourbon. In September in Bardstown, Bluegrass county the Kentucky Bourbon Festival celebrates the History of Bourbon. Bardstown has produced bourbon since 1776. Bourbon was the only business in the county until 30 year ago. The History of Bourbon is still being written with changes in production & modernisation these hardy producers of bourbon even survived probation in the 1930’s. Author: Joel Scholtens Lindsay  |
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