The Grass is Greener on the Bourbon Side

For the past two years, I have traveled to Louisville, Kentucky with my aunt and uncle for a car meet. I always joke that a more accurate description of these events is a drinking club with a car addiction. It's a ton of fun; we go places during the day and drink and talk in the evenings. But apart from all the car related stuff that we do, we always try to visit a few distilleries. We make the "annual pilgrimage" to Buffalo Trace, where they recognize us now, and choose another distillery in the area that we haven't visited before or for several years. Last year, it was Heaven Hill (which I only saw half of the premises because I was feeling ill) and Wild Turkey. This year, it was Barton's.

Now, those of you who know me know that this is heaven on earth. Bourbon has always been my drink of choice, and I highly doubt that will ever change. And the more I learn about it and try new brands, the more I realize that it's not just the taste of bourbon that I love. It's the whole experience. So here's a few reasons why I drink bourbon, and why you should too.

The warehouse at Buffalo Trace, Frankfurt, Kentucky.

Bourbon is universal. Bourbon isn't like wine or brandy, where you take a sip and you instantly feel a cut above the company (boxed wine excluded). But it also isn't like cheap beer, which instantly gives off the impression that you don't have very good taste in alcohol. I can drink Bourbon out of a flask at an outdoor party (which I do; I have had Wild Turkey 101 in my flask constantly for over two years) or I can sip it out of a glass at a high class event where I'm dressed in heels and an evening gown. At neither event do people look at me oddly because bourbon in universal. It's like your favorite pair of shoes that you can wear with anything and it looks fantastic. Bourbon is never out of place.

Bourbon is mature. Drinking bourbon shows that you're an adult. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person ever who wanted to turn twenty-one so I could visit distilleries and sip Eagle Rare on the back porch. Now, if you're drinking to get drunk on a regular basis, then you probably aren't mature and don't want a mature drink. But if you're out of college and finished playing beer pong, you probably want a drink that doesn't taste like sewage. If you aren't to that stage yet, I assure you, the grass is greener on the bourbon side. Bourbon shows that you are a cultured human being who is more interested in the alcohol than getting drunk. I get carded more when I order wine then when I order bourbon. Why? Bourbon isn't the typical choice for an underage drinker at a bar.

Bourbon is classy. As much as I can drink bourbon anytime and anywhere, it is still a classy choice. Actually, any whisky is a classy choice. If you're drinking Jack, I will question whether you like your liver, but any other whisky - bourbon, scotch, rye - automatically shows that you are an educated individual with educated taste. Does something mixed with vodka give off that impression? Unless you're using vodka to make vanilla, I'm going to guess that it doesn't. With bourbon, you demonstrate your taste without being overly pretentious. And women, let's face it. You look like a boss when you're drinking bourbon.

Bourbon is interesting. You don't make the bourbon interesting, the bourbon makes you interesting. Here's what I mean by that: I can walk into a bar and order a Bloody Mary, which I've been known to do on occasion, and the bartender mixes the drink then goes to the next customer. Or, alternatively, I can walk into a bar and order Knob Creek on the rocks and the bartender raises an eyebrow. Truthfully, bartenders have high-fived me before for ordering bourbon. I've had conversations about whisky with people twice my age, and they are generally impressed by my knowledge and interest in trying different types of hard liquor. Now, am I an interesting person without bourbon? That's up for debate. But when you drink bourbon, most people are intrigued by your choice, especially if you're under forty.

Bourbon is unique. If you have never tasted bourbon, you might have a difficult time following this point. Bourbon is one of those drinks that you can taste the intricacies of the distilling process and the passion of the distiller. It's like craft beer; you know that the person who created this masterpiece devoted all of his energy to its perfection. But unlike beer, the aging process is completely unique. During our recent trip to Buffalo Trace, the tour guide was discussing how anything and everything affects the end result of a barrel of bourbon. For example, they have been experimenting with their barrels and seeing a different taste from two barrels made from the same tree! A number of other factors apart from age affects the taste, too, including climate, location, and construction of the warehouse. Every barrel that a distillery produces is unique, which means that there are endless combinations for distinct creations. Maker's Mark and Four Roses will always taste different, even though they use the same distilling and aging process.

Bourbon is eco-friendly. That's right. Stop rolling your eyes because it's true. During our tour of Buffalo Trace, I was amazed at how many of the byproducts are reused. After distilleries take the parts of the grains that they need, the leftovers go to local farmers to feed to their livestock. Then, after the aging process is complete and the barrel is empty, the barrels are shipped worldwide to age scotch, tequila, wine, beer, and maple syrup, just to name a few. After the barrel has been used for a few decades (believe it or not, a bourbon barrel really could be used for decades) then it is retired as a planter. I doubt there are many other industries that recycle key elements of their product to that degree.

I could probably vocalize half a dozen or more reasons why everyone should drink bourbon. It's an excellent choice for any occasion, no matter who you are. Not everyone likes whiskey, or even alcohol in general. But if you do enjoy a drink every now and then, try bourbon. There are hundreds of options, all different variations of the same distilling process, all different results. If you prefer mixed drinks or something less overpowering, many of the distilleries are now producing liquors (think Bailey's) and I have not tried a bourbon liquor that I didn't like. I haven't tried everything, but I have tried all of the bourbons that I mentioned in this post, plus a few extras. And if you don't like it, try something else. Every bourbon is different; find the one that you love.

And always remember, the grass is greener on the bourbon side.