Bourbon

The name alone conjures up an almost instantaneous relaxation of the nerves. In our mind’s eye, we hear the word and instantly we’re transported to a front porch, a gently swaying swing chair, and a rocks glass sparkling with that caramel-colored nectar of Kentucky.

It’s a liquor made for the slow pace of the south. Vodka wants to take you out clubbing. Scotch wants to set you down in a leather wingback surrounded by old books and put a cigar in your hand. But bourbon, bourbon just wants you to relax and unwind.

In these stressful times, it’s no wonder bourbon’s popularity is on the rise. Couple that with the true patriotism of the only spirit created in the U.S., and you have the perfect storm for making bourbon the fastest-rising spirit in the country.

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, in 2017, over 23 million 9-liter cases of American Whiskey were sold in the United States, generating over $3.4 billion in revenue for distillers. That includes Tennessee whiskey along with their cross-border competition in Kentucky, but the number is impressive nonetheless. Especially when you consider that just a few years ago, bourbon was considered passé.

Writing in Nation’s Restaurant News, David Flaherty wrote, “Changing tastes in the 1960s and early ’70s hit bourbon hard, and “white spirits” such as vodka and unaged rum became popular. Whiskey came to be thought of as a bygone drink of the older generation. By the 1980s, the bourbon industry had seen such a slump that many large distilleries once thought untouchable closed their doors.”

“Over the past few years we’ve seen two things happening – Americans are finding new ways to drink bourbon thanks to the craft cocktail movement, and palates have evolved to be more exploratory and appreciative of the variety available in the bourbon industry today. These things together have led to a big boom in our industry,” said Rob Samuels, 8th generation distiller and COO of Maker’s Mark. “Bartenders have gotten more and more creative with how they showcase the spirit – incorporating off-beat ingredients to compliment it and generally just opening people’s eyes up to different ways to use bourbon in their drinks. Someone who used to be a vodka drinker, simply because all they knew of bourbon was a bourbon and coke, has now been introduced to countless other bourbon drinks, and has probably found a few that they’ve come to like.”

Bourbon has also risen hand-in-hand with the foodie movement in the U.S. As diners become more aware of the ingredients that go into their food and the chefs who create them, they also want that hands-on experience that comes with the many small craft bourbon labels that are popping up nationwide.

“With each bourbon producer using his or her own unique recipe, each bourbon tastes different, and people appreciate the excitement that comes with the variety available in the bourbon category,” said Samuels. “It’s important to know that there’s a bourbon out there for everyone. The best way to figure out what you like isn’t to be scared of it, but to taste and experience them all for yourself - responsibly, of course.”

Some of these small craft distillers, in fact, have had trouble keeping up with demand. Near-legendary demand has grown around labels like Pappy Van Winkle, which holds its production to 7,000-8,000 cases a year (compare that to Jim Beam’s 7-8 million). The result is a five-year waiting list to enjoy a bottle of bourbon that can go for up to $5,000 a bottle.

It’s so popular, even southern celebrities like fashion designer and bourbon aficionado Billy Reid have trouble getting a bottle. “It’s impossible to find anymore. Years ago, we used to literally pour it in our stores,” he said “None of us knew what was going to happen it with. I cannot believe we used to do that.”

Based out of rural Alabama, Reid serves as a sort of southern cultural ambassador to the fashion world, and he’s noticing more and more that bourbon is making its way throughout the country on every side of the Mason-Dixon line. “It’s everywhere. New York City, the whole place has turned into bourbon bars. People do associate it with being southern,” he said, adding with a laugh, “At least we’ve exported something useful, I guess.”

One need only take a quick look around the Lowcountry to see that the rising popularity of bourbon has definitely arrived on our home shores. With bourbon bars popping up all over Hilton Head and Bluffton you’re never too far from a tall glass of Kentucky’s finest.

So get out there, find your front porch, and toast to fall.