6 Guidelines for Drinking Bourbon Correctly

America’s homegrown whiskey has develop into one of the vital fashionable pours around. And with so many bottles flooding the market, the backbar has turned into a crowded landscape, one that might simply overwhelm the average drinker.

So we found a spirit guide. Beau Williams, the owner of Kansas City’s Julep, lauded for having one of many country’s most excellent bourbon alternatives, shares his rules for picking, sipping and mixing America’s favorite spirit.

Read the Label

Step one is to learn to decode bourbon labels, says Williams. “Bourbon is a very broad category,” he says. “It’s vital to know what the wording means.” For example, he always looks for the phrase straight bourbon.

“Straight is what you want to look for firstly if you’re searching the cabinets,” he says. “It means they’re not adding anything to or adulterating the product, so you’re getting the real deal.”

He also recommends looking for the age statement on the label, though he’s quick to note that you won’t always discover it. And particularly if it’s from a newer producer, that often implies that bourbon is on the youthful side. By law, straight bourbon have to be aged for no less than two years.

Seek Out Worth

“In case you’re spending more than $forty, you’re probably doing it fallacious,” says Williams. In fact, in case you’re a collector looking for further-aged Pappy Van Winkle, anticipate to pay a premium. However for these just starting out, affordable bourbons abound. Williams recommends Wild Turkey one zero one (“wonderful juice at a reasonable value point,”) and bottlings from 4 Roses and Heaven Hill (brands from the latter embrace Henry McKenna, Evan Williams and J.T.S. Brown, among others).

Skip the Shot Glass

While the flavors of bourbon might be quite completely different from Scotch whisky, Williams recommends sipping a neat pour from a Glencairn glass, a curved vessel typically reserved for scotch. “Aroma is a big part of your bourbon expertise,” says Williams. “You want a glass that lets you seize the aroma—caramel-y, nutty, etc.—to get you excited and cue up the rest of your senses.”

A shot glass won’t enhance this expertise, he says, however a glass with a broad base and tapered top “to seize aromas and funnel them upwards” will do the trick. In lieu of a Glencairn, he sometimes makes use of Old Fashioned or rocks glasses with an identical, slightly tapered shape.

Don’t Be Afraid of Dilution

“Water is your friend, and don’t be afraid of it,” says Williams. “Individuals think there’s only one way to drink bourbon, and that’s wrongheaded. Water is just not a dealbreaker whatsoever.” The current trend for uncut, unfiltered, barrel-energy whiskeys implies that most bourbons really benefit from some dilution, he says. “It takes off the heat and spice notes and lets the sweetness shine through.”

Upgrade Your Ice

“Bourbon has big, bold flavors,” says Williams. “A little bit of ice and water won’t kill the thing.” Nonetheless, he’s wary of small, watery pieces of ice that dilute a spirit too quickly. “I prefer to take my time, and I desire a comparable experience from after I start to when I finish. Solid ice isn’t a bad idea.” For dwelling use, he recommends silicone molds to freeze sizable chunks that chill effectively but melt slowly.

Try an Old Fashioned

“An Old Fashioned can really turn folks on to how wonderful a bourbon experience could be without drinking it on its own. Ice, a little bit of sugar and bitters may help bridge the flavour profiles, make it more palatable.” The goal, he says, is to intensify the flavors of bourbon slightly than mask them, and “the basic Old Fashioned does that wonderfully.”

“There’s no unsuitable way to devour bourbon,” says Williams. The only mistake is “not enjoying it while you’re doing it.

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