Introduction
Who Is Bourbon?
But What About Whiskey?
How Bourbon Is Made
A Brief History of Bourbon
How to Cook with Bourbon
Fire and Toast
The Cooper: Paul McLaughlin
A History of Kentucky Cooperages
Bourbon During Prohibition
Lapsang Souchong Manhattan
What Glass Should I Use to Drink Bourbon?
Ice Cubes and Whiskey
Fire Is Essential, But So Is Water
What’s in a Label?
Bourbon Distillery Tour: The I-65 South Corridor
Bacon Corn Pone with Bourbon Onion Jam
Fried Halloumi Cheese with Spiced Bourbon Honey
How to Reduce Bourbon
Roasted Fennel and Bourbon–Burnt Orange Salad
Beef Tartare Served on Burnt Oak Planks
Bone-in Pork Chops in Bourbon Marinade with Bourbon Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce
Charred Rib Eye Steak with Bourbon-Soy Butter
Corn and Leather
Why Corn Is Used in Bourbon
Beyond Corn: Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Malt
Boulevardier
The Names Behind the Labels
The Chef: Lawrence Weeks
The Proper Way to Taste Bourbon
What Is Moonshine, and Is It Related to Bourbon?
Distillery Cats
Bourbon Distillery Tour: Louisville City Limits
Warm Goat Cheese Dip with Bourbon-Soaked Cherries
Corn, Avocado, and Peach Salad with Bourbon-Sesame Vinaigrette
Chilled Corn and Bourbon Soup
Watermelon, Mint, Feta, and Fried Peanut Salad
Bourbon-Cured Salmon Salad
Corn Dog with Bourbon Mustard
Roasted Sweet Potato with Bourbon-Miso Butter
Bourbon Coffee Glazed Ham Steak with Fried Apples
Oak and Spice
The Flavors in White Oak
Straight Bourbon vs. Blended Bourbon
Barrels After Bourbon
Classic Old-Fashioned
Is Bourbon a Masculine Drink?
The Distiller: Elizabeth McCall
What Came First: Bourbon Whiskey or Bourbon Street?
Bourbon and the Mississippi River
Truth in Advertising
Bourbon Distillery Tour: Lexington and Environs
Bourbon and Gochujang BBQ Shrimp
Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Wings
Quail with Roasted Banana BBQ Sauce
Blackened Salmon with Bourbon-Soy Marinade, Bok Choy, and Green Apple
Pork Meatballs in Bourbon-Gochujang Coconut Broth
Grilled Chicken Thighs in a Honey, Miso, and Mustard Marinade
Yeast and Umami
Bourbon and Umami
Gold Rush
How to Taste Bourbon Like a Pro
The Critic: Fred Minnick
How to Pair Bourbon for a Dinner Party
The Importance of a Rickhouse
The Bourbon Flavor Wheel
Bourbon Distillery Tour: Central Kentucky
Mushroom Grilled Cheese with Bourbon Gravy
Whiskey Vidalia Onion Soup
Slow-Grilled Chinese Eggplant in Bourbon Miso
Poached Oysters in Bourbon Brown Butter
Bourbon-Poached Bass with Peas and Scallions
Brown Rice, Spelt, and Bourbon Risotto
Braised Beef Shanks in Bourbon Sauce
Copper and Caramel
Pot Still vs. Column Still
Paper Plane
Starting a Bourbon Collection
The CEO: Victor Yarbrough
Bourbon in Pop Culture
Bourbon Distillery Tour: Northern Kentucky and the Ohio River
Bread Crumb Pancakes with Bourbon Maple Syrup
Bourbon Cherry Ice Cream Sandwich
Bourbon Balls with Toffee-Popped Sorghum, Milk Chocolate, and Bourbon Pecans
Fig, Walnut, and Saffron Kulfi with Bourbon Honey
Lane Cake
Bourbon and Butterscotch Pudding
Corn Ice Cream with Bourbon Caramel
The Legend: Fred Noe
Bourbon Distillery Tour: Western Kentucky
Bourbon’s Road Ahead
Kentucky Distilleries
Further Reading
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author
