Bourbon drinks can be enjoyed straight, on the rocks, diluted with water, or mixed into cocktails. This American spirit is most closely associated with Kentucky and the American South in general. The information here is meant to inform and entertain the bourbon enthusiast and the inquisitive reader to the best of our knowledge.

Know your facts
As stipulated by US law, bourbon is a type of whiskey produced in the United States of America, containing at least 51% corn and aged at least 2 years. It can be aged in any kind of new oak barrel, charred on the inside. Most distillers prefer American White Oak because its porous texture helps the aging process, but does not allow leakage. It is distilled at no more than 160 proof. At the time of bottling, no enhancers may be added to alter the color, sweetness, or flavor.
Though bourbon can be produced anywhere in the United States, most brands are produced in Kentucky. Bourbon producers in Kentucky claim that the water which has been filtered through the high concentration of limestone unique to the region is one of the signature steps to producing fine bourbon drinks.
Though some 97% of bourbon is produced in the area around Bardstown, Kentucky, the “Bourbon Capital of the World,” technically speaking, bourbon can be produced in any part of the US. Both Jack Daniels and George Dickel produce whiskey in Tennessee by the same process, but call their product Tennessee Whiskey and not bourbon. Today, there are very few examples of bourbon produced outside Kentucky, though some do exist, like Virginia Gentleman.
The history of bourbon drinks dates back to the 18th century. The Irish and Scottish immigrants who settled in the Appalachia region brought with them the skill of distilling whiskey from their home cultures. Because the grains that are traditionally used to make whiskey were not readily available, the settlers began to substitute corn, which was plentiful, and thus bourbon was born.
There are many myths and legends surrounding the creation of bourbon. Some credit its creation to the Baptist minister Elijah Craig, who allegedly was the first to age the whiskey in charred oak barrels, though this technique of aging whiskey was already well known in Europe. Others believe Jacob Spears to be the first to distill bourbon. The warehouse and springhouse of Jacob Spears still survive today. No substantial evidence supports either of these claims.
It is, in fact, more likely that there is no single inventor of bourbon, but rather it evolved into its present form. The American pioneers began to push westward after the American Revolution, establishing vast counties as they moved. The area called Bourbon County was established in 1785 and named after the French royal family. At this time, many people referred to this vast area as Old Bourbon. By the time Bourbon County was named in 1785, there were already many small distilleries in the region. In this time period, many people distilled their own whiskey for both economic reasons and personal consumption. Because both roads and local markets were scarce at the time, corn farmers distilled bourbon as a practical way to sell their crops.
When the state of Kentucky was formed in 1792, many smaller counties were carved out of the area that was previously Bourbon County, but the general area with its common heritage continued to be known as Old Bourbon. Barrels of whiskey originating in the area were stamped with the name Old Bourbon to indicate the origin, and they were shipped along the Ohio River. The spirits produced in the area became known as Old Bourbon Whiskey, and eventually, simply bourbon.