“Nectar of the Gods”. Frank Sinatra’s endorsement of Jack Daniels whiskey in the 1950s gave American whiskey (written with an extra ‘e’ like its Irish counterpart) taken in the arm like never before. He was buried with JD’s gourd when he died in 1998 according to his last wishes. The journey of American whiskey began more than two centuries before the death of Frank Sinatra. The first tax imposed by George Washington’s administration in the free US was the whiskey tax and led to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791 when corn farmers rose up in arms. American whiskey can trace its origins to Moonshine.
Moonshine can have negative connotations, especially during the years of Prohibition (1919 – 1930) when bootleggers flourished and backyards became the center of production. Immigrants brought recipes from Europe and moonshine – which mainly used mashed corn, was a popular spirit in the 19th century. Chris Fletcher, Assistant master distiller at Jack Daniels told me about how Jack Daniels learned to make whiskey from Dan Call, a lay preacher local and moonshine distiller in Tennessee. I spent the whole morning at the Jack Daniels distillery in Lynchburg and one of the things I discussed with Chris was the difference between Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey.
A Quick Guide To American Whiskey
There is still some disagreement as to whether it was Kentucky’s Bourbon District or New Orleans’ famous Bourbon Street that inspired the name. But it was the French Bourbon dynasty that gave American whiskey its name.
In 1964, the US Congress recognized Bourbon as America’s ‘native spirit’ and established clear rules. For starters, it should be screened in the US. Bourbon or American whiskey must be made from a grain blend that is at least 51% corn (rye and barley are other grains included in the blend). This distilled spirit must be no more than 80% alcohol (180 proof) and no more than 62.5% when put in casks. Another important condition is that the spirit added must be natural – nothing can be added except water. The fermentation process mixes this mixture with the mash from an older batch (not too different from how you make yogurt at home), a process known as sour mash. The fermented mash is distilled into a mostly clear spirit. Water is added to the spirit from the barrel before bottling.
Most American whiskeys no longer use casks. The barrels are usually shipped to Mexico or Scotland. Whiskey gets its dark color from the cask. The slightly more extreme weather (summer and winter) in Kentucky and Tennessee also causes the whiskey to age faster (compared to whiskey aged in the cold weather of Scotland). This is one reason why many experts equate one year of Bourbon with three years of Scotch. All American whiskey aged less than four years must have a label declaring how many years it has been aged.
- Tennessee Whiskey and Lincoln County Process
Jack Daniels champions the Lincoln County process where the whiskey is filtered through charcoal chips before being stored in casks for aging. Lynchburg was once located in Lincoln County (now in Moore County after the county was reorganized), hence its name. This mellows down the whiskey very much. The Jack Daniels Distillery Tour begins in the back yard, where two experienced experts burn sugar maple wood to create the famous charcoal for burning whiskey drop by drop. While all Tennessee whiskeys can be categorized as American whiskeys, all Bourbons are not Tennessee whiskeys. Ironically Moore County is a dry county – the Jack Daniels distillery is the only one where you can taste the drink. In 2013, the Tennessee government passed a bill defining Tennessee whiskey. Aside from the 51% corn stipulation (like Bourbon) it also stipulates that the whiskey must be matured in new barrels and go through the Lincoln County process.
Synonymous with Canada but also produced in the USA. To qualify as American Rye whiskey, the mash must be at least 51% rye.
Making a minor comeback, this usually refers to unaged whiskey (that is not kept in casks). I made a quick stop at Lieper’s Fork Distillery in Tennessee – a first preview of the upcoming whiskey distillery, which is getting ready to launch its Natchez Trail label. These whiskeys pay homage to old moonshine (which is also a white spirit). There is also George Dickel’s No. 1, a popular white whiskey.
- American Whiskey Liqueurs
Jim Beam and Jack Daniels have both launched a version of honey (they do not qualify as classic whiskey because they do not meet the ‘completely natural’ clause) which falls more into the liqueur category while Jack Daniels has followed this up with JD. Fire, spicy smart cinnamon infused spirit.
- American Whiskey Cocktails
The first documented use of the cocktail can be traced back to New York in 1806. American whiskey is the ‘go-to’ fix for most bartenders around the world; they almost lend themselves more easily to cocktails compared to their more peaty Scotch counterparts. I’ve been playing around with Jack Daniels and Jim Beam stocks – like mixing them with sugarcane juice (a great choice for hot summer days) or mixing JD Fire with mango juice and Thai sweet chilli sauce.
Here is an American Whiskey cocktail recipe that you can try:
1. The Sazerac
I was at the Sazerac bar in New Orleans, which is named after the official cocktail of New Orleans (Many Americans believe this is the original cocktail.) I watched the bartender fix dozens of Sazeracs.
ingredient:
- 10 ml of Absinthe
- 1 sugar cube
- 5 ml rye whiskey (or cognac)
- 3 bitter
manner:
Use absinthe to rinse a chilled glass (an old whiskey glass is best). Add ice and set aside. Mix the rest of the ingredients over ice and set aside. Remove the ice and excess absinthe from the prepared glass, and strain the drink into the glass. Add lemon zest to garnish.
2. Ancient
Made fashionable again, thanks to Don Draper (In the popular TV show Mad Men).
ingredient:
- 1 sugar cube
- 2-3 slices Angostura bitters
- 60 ml rye whiskey (can be substituted with bourbon)
manner:
Place the sugar cube in the bottom of the rocks glass. Add bitters and some water, crush the sugar in the glass, pour the whiskey into the glass, add some ice cubes and stir until cold. Garnish with orange peel (optional).
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