6 Rules for Drinking Bourbon Correctly

America’s homegrown whiskey has turn out to be probably the most fashionable pours around. And with so many bottles flooding the market, the backbar has turned right into a crowded landscape, one that might easily overwhelm the common drinker.

So we found a spirit guide. Beau Williams, the owner of Kansas City’s Julep, lauded for having one of the country’s most excellent bourbon alternatives, shares his guidelines 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 really broad class,” he says. “It’s important to know what the wording means.” For example, he always looks for the phrase straight bourbon.

“Straight is what you want to look for at the start whenever you’re searching the cabinets,” he says. “It means they’re not adding anything to or adulterating the product, so that 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 especially if it’s from a newer producer, that always signifies that bourbon is on the youthful side. By law, straight bourbon must be aged for no less than years.

Seek Out Worth

“If you’re spending more than $forty, you’re probably doing it incorrect,” says Williams. Of course, if you happen to’re a collector looking for additional-aged Pappy Van Winkle, anticipate to pay a premium. But for those just starting out, affordable bourbons abound. Williams recommends Wild Turkey 101 (“wonderful juice at a reasonable price point,”) and bottlings from Four Roses and Heaven Hill (brands from the latter embody Henry McKenna, Evan Williams and J.T.S. Brown, among others).

Skip the Shot Glass

While the flavors of bourbon can be quite totally 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 experience,” says Williams. “You want a glass that allows you to capture the aroma—caramel-y, nutty, etc.—to get you excited and cue up the rest of your senses.”

A shot glass won’t improve this expertise, he says, but a glass with a broad base and tapered top “to capture aromas and funnel them upwards” will do the trick. In lieu of a Glencairn, he typically makes use of Old Fashioned or rocks glasses with the same, slightly tapered shape.

Don’t Be Afraid of Dilution

“Water is your friend, and don’t be afraid of it,” says Williams. “Folks think there’s only one way to drink bourbon, and that’s wrongheaded. Water just isn’t a dealbreaker whatsoever.” The current trend for uncut, unfiltered, barrel-energy whiskeys implies that most bourbons actually 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.” However, he’s wary of small, watery items of ice that dilute a spirit too quickly. “I prefer to take my time, and I want a similar expertise from once I start to once I finish. Strong ice is rarely a bad idea.” For house use, he recommends silicone molds to freeze sizable chunks that chill successfully however melt slowly.

Attempt 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 will help bridge the flavor profiles, make it more palatable.” The goal, he says, is to accentuate the flavors of bourbon relatively than mask them, and “the traditional Old Fashioned does that wonderfully.”

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

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