National Bourbon Heritage Month--September News

celebrating national bourbon month with capncork.com

Celebrating National Bourbon Heritage Month

In 2007, by an act of Congress, September was named National Bourbon Heritage Month. We find it as good a reason to celebrate as any! Bourbon is one of our favorites--homegrown and flavorful. So join us for a bourbon bonanza...

What Is Bourbon?

Smithsonian Magazine has written a fascinating history and explanation of bourbon. In "Where Bourbon Really Got Its Name and More Tips on America's Native Spirit," writer Laura Kiniry says,

"For a spirit to be considered bourbon it must adhere to six standard rules: It must be made in the U.S.; aged in new, charred white oak barrels; and be at least 51 percent corn. It also must be distilled at less than 160 proof (80 percent alcohol by volume) and entered into a barrel at below 125 proof. Lastly, there can be no artificial coloring or flavor (hence the reason Jack Daniel's is a Tennessee whiskey: it's filtered over maple wood chips before bottling). The darker the bourbon, the higher the alcohol content; and for a true taste of its complexities, open your mouth while sipping."

Cap n' Cork's Bourbon Is Here!
We traveled to Kentucky this spring to sample unique barrels of bourbon of different ages, all very distinct from each other, and selected a series of our favorites. We chose 10 barrels, and the distillery completed the filtering, bottling and labeling and sent the original barrel along with the product. We're pleased to announce that the following Cap n' Cork custom bourbon has arrived!

Knob Creek
Russell's Reserve--Second Series
Four Roses
1792
Buffalo Trace--Fifth Series

Try something truly one-of-a-kind. Pick up some of our private barrel offerings today! And be sure to investigate the huge array of bourbons that Cap n' Cork carries. Because we love bourbon just as much as you do.

America's Only Native Spirit

The Bourbon Heritage Center features fascinating facts about the founding fathers of bourbon and its birth in Kentucky. Little "did-you-knows" include:

"Manually powered flatboats transported bourbon well into the 19th century. They could travel only downstream, however, so once they reached their destination, they were broken up for firewood."

Aged Bourbon--Does It Matter?

In a post on The Whiskey Wash, author Maggie Kimberl asked, "Is Older Bourbon Better?" Really, she writes, " Here's what it takes to make a quality bourbon: a mash bill of at least 51% corn, limestone filtered water, a good quality sour mash fermentation process with a good yeast strain, a carefully controlled distillation process, and new charred oak cooperage. Outside of that, you just have to trust the Master Distiller and the tasters and blenders to put together a good product." Age is a matter of taste: Some people prefer 20-year-old bourbon. Some people prefer 4-year-old bourbon. Let your preference be your guide!

Also from The Whiskey Wash: The Four Roses 2015 Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon will soon be released. And we'll be getting some! We can't say when just yet; please stay tuned to learn when it will hit the shelves.

Jazz Up Your Bourbon

Because apples are in season, it seems like the right time to talk about flavoring bourbon with apple peels. Check out this easy-peasy way to infuse a bourbon with apple and cinnamon. You can have a special, custom beverage in no time.

Bourbon Cocktail Recipes and More

We love bourbon here at Cap n' Cork. We talk about it a lot and make things with it. Check out these bourbon-flavored links:

Linda Schneider, manager of the Lima Road Cap n' Cork store, came up with a recipe for the Bourbon Blitz, perfect for football season.
Sweet Tea and Bourbon is delicious and delightful served in a Mason jar, easily shaken.
Jim Beam explains why all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon.
Bourbon was the theme for the cocktails in this year's Devour Downtown in Indianapolis. Check out the recipes for the top four bourbon cocktails!

Free Tastings

Some of us have never met a drink we don't like. And others prefer to dip their toes in the vodka first. For those who always want the latest new thing and for those who want to try before they buy, we offer free tastings 5-7 p.m. Join us and bring a friend!

September 4: Lake Avenue

September 11: Maysville

September 18: Dupont--Oktoberfest!

September 25: Covington

Taste Anytime

Come hang out! Belly up to our tasting bars and sample for free any time at our Dupont, Covington, New Haven, Georgetown, Coldwater, Maysville or Canterbury locations.