My father taught me many things — including how to properly enjoy a good drink — but there’s one topic on which I fear we’ll never see eye-to-eye: bourbon versus rye. For him, it translates to America versus Canada. But September is National Bourbon Heritage Month, and despite Pop’s indignation with my anti-patriotic tastes, I can’t help but gush about the boundless merits of my favourite spirit.
Without disregarding the number of great rye whiskies available, there’s something inexplicably intoxicating about bourbon. I’m not alone in thinking this. I dare you to hunt down a professional bartender or spirits enthusiast who doesn’t obsess over — or at the very least, appreciate — bourbon. It’s no secret that the American spirit has undergone a renaissance over the past few years, and fortunately that means single-barrel and small-batch bourbons are becoming easier to order in Toronto’s bars.
So what’s all the fuss about? What bestows this sweet and toasty spirit with such mass appeal?
For starters, its flavour. To qualify as bourbon, American whiskey must be at least 51 per cent corn and aged in new, charred American white oak casks, a process which lends the spirit its distinctive red hue, along with a range of pleasant sensory complexities including notes of vanilla, caramel, peach, honey, wood, spice, charcoal, nut and orange peel. The majority of bourbon distillers employ sour mash fermentation, a process that reuses a portion of the grain mash at the end of a distillation process, adding it to a new batch to improve balance and consistency.
A staple in classics like the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan and the Mint Julep, bourbon is named after its origin of distillation: Bourbon County, Kentucky (otherwise known as my Mecca). Officially dubbed America’s “native spirit” in 1964, bourbon emerged in the 1770s when the land we now identify as the bluegrass state gained notoriety for its fertile, thickly-forested terrain and abundant pure water sources. The rolling southern hills were the perfect environment for corn, a prolific and low-maintenance crop.
Essential to bourbon’s evolution was the influx of Irish, German, French and Scottish settlers that began calling America their new home at the end of the 18th century, bringing with them cultural inclinations for distillation and an appetite for hearty liquor. Many iconic bourbon distilleries were established at this point, including Elijah Craig, Robert Samuels (of Maker’s Mark) and Jacob Beam.
The detailed history of bourbon is long and opaque, and with only a few days left in National Bourbon Heritage Month, it’s best you sample some for yourself instead of just reading about it. Blaze your own bourbon trail across the city and sip on a little bit of American history at these fine establishments:
Southern Accent offers bourbon tastings, complete with tasting notes. Choose four half-ounce samplers from four price categories ($12). Options include Wild Turkey, Elmer T. Lee, Corner Creek and Buffalo Trace. 595 Markham Street, 416-536-3548
The Red Light’s Nic Savage has equipped his bar with a mean bourbon arsenal. Sample some single-batch goodness like Blanton’s Special Reserve ($9) and Four Roses Small Batch ($7.50) in well-weighted tumblers. 1185 Dundas Street West, 416-533-6667
The Drake Hotel boasts an impressive bourbon selection including some personal favourites like Eagle Rare ($11) and Van Winkle Special Reserve ($14). 1150 Queen Street West, 416-531-5042
The Comrade offers a selection of bourbons including Jefferson’s Very Small Batch ($12) and Booker’s ($14). 758 Queen Street East, 416-778-9449