Bourbon History

A Few Thoughts On Roads And The Distilling Industry

When Americans first started distilling, the major roadway was the river. Distilleries depended upon the waterways to get their whiskey to markets that were not local. Shipping barrels of whiskey was hard to achieve on the primitive roads of the… Con…

How Did Four Roses Get Its Name?

This is a question that was very much discussed with my good friend, Al Young, when he was still with us. He would often call me and ask this question and we had several interesting telephone calls as a result. … Continue Reading →

World War I And The Distilling Industry

The years leading up to the First World War were trying times for the distilling industry. The prohibitionists were active in making many states dry. The distilling industry had depended upon the argument put forth by the beer industry that… Continue…

Bourbon After World War II

For a brief time after the Second World War, Bourbon distilleries had a “golden age”. The war had ended and the restrictions on distilling had ended. The distilleries had all the grain they needed to distill (after a legal battle… Continue Reading &#…

Bourbon Street

There are many theories as to where Bourbon Whiskey got the name “Bourbon”. Bourbon comes about because Kentucky whiskey was not selling for a profit in New Orleans, the main market for Kentucky goods in the 18th and early 19th… Continue Reading &#85…

A Love Letter to Bourbon’s Beating Heart: Frankfort, Kentucky

A spirited review by Jim Shannon, The Bourbon Road Podcast There are few places in America that resonate so deeply with the soul of bourbon as Frankfort, Kentucky. In the documentary “Frankfort, Kentucky: The Heart of Bourbon,” viewers are treated to a captivating and reverent journey through time, terroir, and tradition. As someone who

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Bourbon And Fast Horses

It is Derby week here in Kentucky and Rosemary was asking if there was a connection between Bourbon and fast horses in Kentucky. I told her that there was and she wanted me to write a blog about it. It… Continue Reading →

Whiskey as A Medicine

I have been suffering from a spring head cold lately and I have had a hot toddy or two to help remedy the symptoms. I am following a long heritage of using whiskey as a medicine. From the earliest days… Continue Reading →

128 Years of Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey

On March 3, 2025, we are celebrating 128 years of Bottled-in-Bond whiskey. On March 3, 1897, The Bottled-in-Bond Act was signed by President Grover Cleveland. The Act was pushed for by the straight whiskey distillers in Kentucky and is considered… Co…

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