031 - The History and Psyche of Bourbon with Reid Mitenbuler, Author of Bourbon Empire

Reid Mitenbuler (@ReidMitenbuler), author of Bourbon Empire, joins Ryan and Kenny to talk about the history and psyche of bourbon, "a distinctive product of the United States". Show Notes: The Frazier Museum has a new Prohibition exhibit that will become a new or even a first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Reid, what’s your coming to age tale of bourbon? What made you so fascinated that you took the time to become an author on the subject? Talk about the misquote of bourbon being a “distinctive product of the United States”. Talk about the beginning with the “Big Bang of Bourbon”. In the book, you talk about myths behind the labels. Let’s jump ahead in history, there was a lot going on in 1964. Can you talk about what was going on during that time period? What was the result of The Bourbon Institute in overseas markets? There is a concept of marketing that has changed the way in what you think you’re drinking. You said (paraphrasing) “Rosenstiel presided over vicious consolidation rounds that made many distillers and brands extinct, but is also a part of the reason why many bourbons today taste as good as they do”. Talk about that. How come his name isn’t as prominent as EH Taylor for Bottled-in-Bond? How come we don’t see a bourbon or whiskey brand named Rosenstiel? Within the prologue, you talk about bourbon being a “comfort food”. Talk about that. If you want to buy Bourbon Empire, it’s available on Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices