6 Rules for Drinking Bourbon Appropriately

America’s homegrown whiskey has become probably the most widespread pours around. And with so many bottles flooding the market, the backbar has turned into a crowded landscape, one that would easily 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 outstanding bourbon choices, shares his guidelines for picking, sipping and mixing America’s favorite spirit.

Read the Label

The first step is to learn how to decode bourbon labels, says Williams. “Bourbon is a very 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 wish to look for before everything if 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, although he’s quick to note that you just won’t always discover it. And particularly if it’s from a newer producer, that always implies that bourbon is on the younger side. By law, straight bourbon must be aged for at the very least years.

Seek Out Worth

“For those who’re spending more than $40, you’re probably doing it mistaken,” says Williams. Of course, in the event you’re a collector looking for further-aged Pappy Van Winkle, anticipate to pay a premium. However for those just starting out, affordable bourbons abound. Williams recommends Wild Turkey one zero one (“wonderful juice at a reasonable price level,”) and bottlings from Four Roses and Heaven Hill (manufacturers from the latter embody Henry McKenna, Evan Williams and J.T.S. Brown, amongst 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 large part of your bourbon expertise,” says Williams. “You want a glass that permits you to seize 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 experience, 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 an analogous, 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 present development for uncut, unfiltered, barrel-strength whiskeys implies that most bourbons truly 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 need a comparable expertise from when I start to when I finish. Strong ice is rarely a bad idea.” For residence use, he recommends silicone molds to freeze sizable chunks that chill successfully however soften slowly.

Try an Old Fashioned

“An Old Fashioned can really turn folks on to how wonderful a bourbon expertise will be without drinking it on its own. Ice, a little bit of sugar and bitters can assist bridge the flavor profiles, make it more palatable.” The goal, he says, is to accentuate the flavors of bourbon moderately than mask them, and “the classic Old Fashioned does that wonderfully.”

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

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