Bourbon Heritage Month

September is Bourbon Heritage Month and you know what that means:

Photo: an altered meme originally about HP Lovecraft; in the foreground of the illustration is a man, onto which Jessi-James’ face has been photoshopped; two dark grey, eldritch horrors loom in the background. The text reads: “ka chow what’s poppin fellow weirdos it’s ya boi [JJ] back at it again with the [Bourbon].

I’ve previously written about my love of bourbon and, if anything, that love has only grown deeper. It is my drink of choice when my heart is full and when I want the comfort of my home state. As a matter of fact, I am currently preparing to make a trip to Kentucky this week, so I’m sipping on some bourbon (neat) from a half-pint mason jar right now. To me, there is something decidedly autumn about bourbon; no wonder Kentucky’s bourbon heritage is celebrated in September.Now, a lot of folks refer to this observance as National Bourbon Heritage Month; it’s not—or, rather, it was once. Literally once. One time. In 2007, the US Senate passed a resolution that proclaimed September 2007 as “National Bourbon Heritage Month.” The key phrase is September 2007, so it was a national observance that one year and the Senate has not renewed that resolution. The governor of Kentucky, though—regardless of their other politics—declares every September “Bourbon Heritage Month” in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Photo by Eva Bronzini: a snifter glass of bourbon is turned on its side; another snifter containing a small amount of bourbon stands upright in the background.

The history of bourbon distilling in Kentucky is somewhat nebulous, accented with apocryphal tales and debatable claims. Even the history of the name “bourbon,” in the context of whisky, is filled with speculation; while it is derived from the French Bourbon dynasty, the exact inspiration is up in the air. Some claim that Kentucky’s signature spirit is named for Bourbon Street in New Orleans, where the whisky sold exceedingly well because it was cheaper than French cognac. Some say the name comes from the old name for the region, Old Bourbon—once a part of Virginia but, was part of Kentucky when it became a separate state, Old Bourbon was separated into four different counties and then separated again. A principle port for Kentucky along the Ohio River, Maysville, is also a part of what was known as Old Bourbon and barrels of the tasty stuff shipped out from there had “Old Bourbon” stenciled on them, thus the name. Still others think that the name “bourbon” simply comes from Bourbon County—which was once a part of Virginia but, when Kentucky became a separate state, ended up in a region of northern Kentucky where a lot of the first bourbon distilleries were located.

Photo: (original map is public domain) a map of the state of Kentucky and its current counties; the counties are named and filled in with different colors. Bourbon county has been highlighted and enlarged.

No one knows where the ever-important First Bourbon Distillery Ever™was or who owned and operated it. No one knows who the “inventor” of bourbon was. Legends about Rev. Elijah Craig and James Spears aside, it’s likely that no one knows these things because it was a collaborative, evolving thing that was influenced by a lot of luck and circumstance—one farmer had a better harvest than another and was able to provide a different kind of mash to distill, someone stumbled on the right kind of barrel to age the spirit in—and, even more so, the enslavement African people and their descendants who worked in distilleries not just unloading mash shipments or cleaning stills but as master distillers. And, in Kentucky, that history is being unearthed and Black distillers and distillery owners are laying claim to their rightful place in the bourbon industry.

Photo by cottonbro: a Black man wearing a cream-colored shirt, holding up a rocks glass half full with brown liquid.

Now, before I share with you some of my favorite ways to enjoy bourbon, I’m going to repeat myself: while legally bourbon can, technically, be made anywhere within the United States, it is proper, in many folks’ opinion—including my own—that the name “bourbon” only be applied when it is made in Kentucky. I’ve run across whisky that, while fits the distillation requirements to be bourbon, hails from Mississippi, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, Tennessee, Indiana… and I would like very much to boop all of those distilleries with a rolled-up newspaper:via GIPHY

GIF: Michael Keaton from the film Multiplicity; the text reads: “Hey, I got an idea… how about no?”

Okay, now that that is out of the way… here are some of my favorite bourbon recipes—both drinks and baked treats—perfect for observing Kentucky Bourbon Heritage Month and for heralding in autumn!Beverages!Bourbon neat: it’s literally just bourbon in a glass. That’s it. Simple, straight forward, delicious.Manhattan: okay, so a lot of recipes call for rye whisky rather than bourbon but I definitely prefer bourbon both for the taste and because something about rye is a migraine trigger for me. Also, a real, “proper,” Manhattan is meant to be served in a martini glass; I am not that fancy—a rocks glass works just fine:

• Fill a rocks glass with ice. While the glass chills, fill a shaker with:
• 2 ½ oz. of bourbon
• 1 oz. of sweet vermouth
• 2 – 3 dashes of aromatic bitters
• 2 pieces of ice
• Stir the contents of the shaker (if you shake it, the ice is more likely to chip and water down your drink). Toss the ice out of your chilled rocks glass and strain your Manhattan into it. Garnish with a cherry.

 Old Fashioned: a classic enjoyed just as easily on the front porch as the sun sets as it is at any bar worth its salt. It skips over the sweet vermouth in favor of sugar (though, I use simple syrup rather than straight, granulated sugar) to make a laidback, approachable bourbon cocktail.

• In an old-fashioned glass or a rocks glass, combine:
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon of simple syrup
• 3-ish dashes of bitters
• Add a few ice cubes and stir a handful of times, then fill the glass the rest of the way up with ice.
• If you’re feeling fancy, you can take a little bit of orange peel (with some pith) and put it in the glass.
• Pour in 2 oz. of bourbon and garnish with a cherry.

 As stereotypical as it may be for someone whose roots are in Kentucky, I also really enjoy the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby: mint juleps. Their sweetness and minty coolness make them perfect for the warm and humid Kentucky summer nights. Or literally all the other times because it’s delicious. Traditionally calling for gum syrup as the sweetener, I prefer simple syrup, if for no other reason than it’s quicker and easier to make.

• In a metal julep cup—or, really, whatever pint-ish size glass you can put your hands on—muddle:
• Fresh mint leaves; I’ve found 8 to be the right number for my tastes
• ½ oz. simple syrup
• Then, fill the container that you’re using to bring the deliciousness to your mouth with ice—crushed is preferable, if you have it.
• Pour 2 ½ oz bourbon over ice and stir.
• If you’ve used crushed ice, there will now be room for more ice, so top that bad boy off
• Mash a sprig of mint between your hands a little bit to bring out more minty goodness and then use it to garnish.

 Baked Goods!Okay, I am happy to make drinks and cook dishes with no real recipe, just letting my taste buds and my spirit guide me. In those arenas, I am ungovernable. But baking requires more precision and I absolutely use recipes—though, there are just some ingredients I just have to measure with my heart, recipe be damned. All of that is to say, this is where I link you to recipes that I love that were developed by someone else. But trust me. They’re tasty and delicious.Bourbon Buttermilk Pie from Recipes from a Pantry by BintuI adore buttermilk pie. Rich, creamy, sweet, and a little buttery, buttermilk pie is a simple Southern classic but it puts on its Sunday best in this boubon-y revamp.Notes:

• I don’t typically have fresh lemons or lemon zest in the house but I always have lemon juice, so I just add a dash or two more of lemon juice to make up for the lack of zest.
• It is admittedly more expensive but, if you can lay hands on it, I prefer vanilla bean paste in this recipe, as opposed to the vanilla extract.

Bourbon Praline Pecan Sauce from Melissa’s Southern Style Kitchen by Melissa SperkaOkay, I admit this isn’t a baked good BUT! it’s the perfect topping for so many things, including a host of baked goods. Buttery and caramel-y, this praline sauce can be dressed up or down for any number of occasions: it’s delicious drizzled over ice cream, chocolate cake, pound cake, bread pudding, coffee cake, brownies, stuffed french toast… the list goes on and on. The first time I had this sauce, it was drizzled over a cranberry and apple bread pudding and that might be my favorite use of it ever. YMMV.Bourbon Chocolate Cake with Browned Buttercream Frosting from Southern Living Test KitchenNow, I’ve had several bourbon chocolate cakes that I really enjoyed. But this cake! The browned buttercream frosting—which also includes bourbon—takes a delicious classic and makes it pop! I mean, I don’t know what else to say except that it’s simply magical, y’all!I hope one of these recipes tickles your fancy and carries you through the end of this Bourbon Heritage Month, throughout the fall, and beyond! In the autumn, a lot of us folks in the United States do a lot of celebrating our history—albeit, an inaccurate version of it that skips over or tells tall tales about things we don’t like to admit. Bourbon, as the only spirit created in the United States, is a part of that history—including the recently recognized contributions of enslaved Africans. As we move through a season of observances of our history, let’s honor the good and look at the bad straight in the face: being honest about our history is can be difficult but it is a necessary project. And a tipple of bourbon, with an understanding of its own complicated history, would not go amiss.As always: please drink responsibly!Cheers!