Bourbon empire: the past and Future of America’s Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler (review)

A history of bourbon from the colonial period to present, tracing companies, places, and people involved; this is what Reid Mitenbuler seeks out to accomplish in Bourbon Empire and does so in fine fashion. If you are a connoisseur of bourbon or of American history, there is something to please the palate. With each new chapter readers encounter one of two phases in the industry—Thomas Jefferson’s cottage bourbon industry or Alexander Hamilton’s vision of consolidation and economies of scale. As the industry cycles from one period to another, Mitenbuler artfully weaves the story of bourbon into a larger historiography of the US that is readable and interesting to both experienced bourbon drinker and neophyte.

You need not be a connoisseur of bourbon to read this book, but Mitenbuler will help you become one by the end. The author explains distilling lingo like “mash bill” and “proving” in a way that is relatable and understandable. He defines what makes liquor “bourbon” and various types of distilling processes. He takes you inside barrel-making and aging in vivid detail that almost makes the angels’ share waft from the pages. Perhaps most important for the reader seeking enlightenment about bourbon, Mitenbuler is not afraid to tell you the truth of what you are buying. He is brutally honest, alerting readers that a bottle of bourbon that sells for $100 could have the same mash bill as one that sells for $10. He tells stories that the industry might not want known, exposing the underbelly and giving readers an inside look. The author is not afraid to talk about dirty deals, backroom politics, and racial or ethnic tensions alongside inspiring stories of moonshiners that rose to become industry titans. And if that still does not have you feeling like a connoisseurs or insider, Mitenbuler will refer you to other knowledgeable sources to learn more about bourbon.

Mitenbuler strives to not only examine the ways in which bourbon shaped US history, but also how the spirit was shaped by the history taking place around it. Instead of just focusing on the industry itself, he plunges into a deeper historical narrative. Instead of simply discussing how Captain George Thorpe became one of the first to distill liquor from corn, Mitenbuler delves further into the story to discover the real first Thanksgiving, which occurred in Virginia in December of 1619. Instead of just enlightening readers about mint juleps and the Kentucky Derby, he plunges into a history of the ice industry in the US and why ice is the most important and, at one time, the most expensive ingredient in a julep. He also exposes the contradictions and paradoxes in the industry. For instance, while Henry Ford was a supporter of Prohibition, his automobiles were the favorite of bootleggers because they were easy to “soup-up.” All of these historical details make Bourbon Empire a more enjoyable read.

Mitenbuler also does a masterful job of sorting out true stories from embellished tales and pure marketing fiction. Many of the yarns we think we know about iconic bourbon brands are nothing more than tales spun to make the product seem more appealing and to fit preconceived notions of what bourbon should be. Ancient family recipes are usually myth as mash bills were not standardized until recently. The namesakes of many of the most beloved brands had little or nothing to do with the bourbon industry. The moral is that one of the most critical elements of a successfully distillery, after the corn and the water, of course, is a good story that can be sold–no matter how untruthful it really is.

Mitenbuler further discusses the changing nature of the bourbon industry from the perspective of consolidation. Ninety-five percent of all bourbon sold in the US today comes from one of 13 distillers–even if hundreds of brands are...