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The
Spirit of America
The lore and legend of bourbon
 The
history of bourbon gives proof to its claim of being the native
spirit of the United States. It all started in 1791, when Congress
imposed a tax on whiskey production to help pay down the debt
incurred during the War of Independence. The law proved especially
unpopular with the Scotch and Irish settlers of Western Pennsylvania
and the ensuing uprising, known as the Whisky Rebellion, took
an army of 13,000 led by George Washington to quell. Afterward,
to keep the peace, Washington offered incentives of freeland
for pioneers to move into the territory of Kentucky. One of
the provisions of the deal required the growing of "native corn."
The crop quickly became a substitute for grain in the distillation
of local whiskey—and so the unique flavor of bourbon was
born. According to legend, the name also derived from a serendipitous
quirk of chance. Reverend Elijah Craig, who hailed from Bourbon
County, used old barrels marked with the name of his home area
to transport his whiskey to market in New Orleans. The name
stuck, and soon people were referring to the spirits from Kentucky
as "bourbon."
In 1964, Congress once again became part of bourbon lore, passing
a resolution that refined its legal definition. It must be made
from a mash that contains at least 51% corn, aged in charred
new oak barrels for a minimum of two years and distilled under
160 proof. And while law does not stipulate that bourbon must
come from Kentucky, most of it is produced in the Bluegrass
State, where the limestone spring water is considered to have
the perfect mix of minerals for creating its signature taste.
One of the founding fathers of bourbon was Jacob Beam, who settled
in Kentucky in 1778, and the family recipe passed from generation
to generation until 1919. Prohibition marked the first time
since 1795 that a member of the Beamfamily was not involved
in the making of bourbon. But when the law was repealed in 1933,
Jim Beam rebuilt the family distillery by hand in just 120 days—and
the rest is history. Today, Jim Beam Distillers produces a wide
range of sipping and mixing bourbons that reflects the rich
heritage of the spirits.
The Manhattan
One of the classic bourbon cocktails also has its origins in
American history. When Samuel J. Tilden was elected Governor
of New York in 1874, socialite Jenny Jerome—later Lady
Randolph Churchill, mother of Sir Winston Churchill—held
a celebration in his honor at the Manhattan Club in New York
City. She asked the bartender to create a special drink for
the occasion, and named it the after the club. Unlike most politicians,
the drink has never lost its popularity.
2-1/2 oz. bourbon whiskey
1/2 oz. sweet and dry Vermouth
Dash of bitters
Shake gently with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass
and garnish with a cherry.
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