Whisky/Whiskey/What? Part II, Bourbon

By PINK LADY

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Welcome back to LUPEC's ongoing discussion of whisk(e)y. Last week, we attempted to demystify rye. This week, we turn our attention to its American cousin, bourbon.

Though they're very different spirits, bourbon and rye share a similar template for production. Both require aging in charred, new oak barrels with the main ingredient, in this case corn, accounting for no less than 51 percent of mashbill, and no more than 80 percent. "Small grains"—barley, wheat or rye—compose the rest. The corn base makes for a markedly sweeter spirit than rye, and the years spent aging in those charred, new oak barrels (no fewer than two but often at least four) impart a burnt, smoky characteristic on the spirit.

Bourbon makers typically follow the "sour mash" method, in which a small portion of fermentation called the "backset" is kept and added to the next mash, rather like the process for making sourdough bread. This is believed to impart character and consistency to every future batch.

Bourbon can be made anywhere in the US, but is most commonly associated with Kentucky, where 95 percent of it is produced. Like rye, bourbon was born of immigrant ingenuity. Scot-Irish settlers in temperate Kentucky, where corn was king, applied their whiskey-making know-how to the abundant grain. By the late 19th century, distilleries abounded and bourbon was often cited among racehorses, tobacco and pretty women as one of "four pillars" of Kentucky society. Prohibition took its toll, and today just nine distilleries are in operation in Kentucky, none of which are in Bourbon County.

As we continue to gear up for Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, we toast the Crescent City with a bourbon-based concoction that shares its name.

NEW ORLEANS COCKTAIL

1.5 oz bourbon

1 dash orange bitters

2 dashes Angostura bitters

0.25 oz anisette

0.25 oz pastis

Stir in mixing glass with ice; strain into a chilled vintage cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

CIN-CIN!

FOR MORE BOURBON LORE AND COCKTAIL RECIPES, VISIT LUPECBOSTON.COM.