Springs and the Origin of Bourbon

Abstract

Introduction Bourbon whiskey has been called ‘‘one of America’s unique cultural contributions to the world . . . as uniquely and utterly American as jazz or baseball’’ (Allen 1998, p. 83). By U.S. statute (Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Section 5.22, 1964), bourbon is produced at not more than 160 proof (80% ethyl alcohol) from a fermented mash of 51% to 79% corn and stored at not more than 125 proof in charred, new, white oak barrels for at least 2 years (Jones 2004). Aging in charred oak gives the spirit its amber color and characteristic taste. Congress proclaimed bourbon as a ‘‘distinctive national product’’ in 1964 (Crowgey 2008, p. xi), and its origin is recognized in trade agreements with the European Union and several countries in the Western Hemisphere (Jones 2004). In 2007, U.S. exports of distilled spirits were $1.01 billion, of which bourbon constituted $713 million (Distilled Spirits Council of the United States 2008). As of 2003, approximately 90% of bourbon was produced by approximately 12 distilleries in Kentucky, all located within the Bluegrass region in the north-central part of the state (Jones 2004) (Figure 1). Besides the types and proportions of grains used and the aging process, bourbon’s distinctive character is often attributed to ‘‘limestone water’’ (Carson 1984; Murray 1998; Pacult 2003; Regan and Regan 2007) (Figure 2). Bourbon production currently uses water in several ways, including the mashing process, cooling the distilled spirit, and diluting it (Allen 1998; Murray 1998). Because of ‘‘temperance-induced bias’’ during the 19th century (Crowgey 2008, p. 141), much of the early history of bourbon making was not preserved, and ‘‘numerous fanciful and romantic interpretations’’ have persisted (Crowgey 2008, p. 124), as exemplified by the title of Chapter 3 of Kroll (1967, p. 24): ‘‘I’Gad, Suh, It’s the Watah!’’ The purpose of this note is to place the role of water in bourbon production into historical and hydrogeologic context.