Whisky: The pioneering spirit
"How well I remember my first encounter with The Devil's Brew. I happened to stumble across a case of bourbon - and went right on stumbling for several days thereafter."
OK, OK, I know we shouldn't speak in such tones in these heady days of alcohol correctness, and if I am totally honest my first encounter with American whiskey was far less dramatic an experience than that of WC Fields, quoted above.
But then there's always been something of the rebel about American Whiskey - whether it be those Scots-Irish frontier pioneers who took their whiskey-making knowledge deep into America as they trekked west to avoid taxes, or those making corn-based moonshine during the prohibition years.
But there's more to American whiskey than simply a desire to be a free spirit, if you'll excuse the pun! It can be very profitable too. We've been specialising in American whiskey in our pub the Great Eastern in Brighton for some time, with great results. Ask any landlord and they'll tell you that Jack Daniel's is one of their top-selling spirits. So it should be - it's a great drink, especially if you seek out the single barrel.
But dig a little deeper and we often find that many pubs have no depth to their range. Indeed, most don't stock a single product that would count as a bourbon - JD actually being a Tennessee whiskey. Check out that back-bar, on the other hand, for an array of Scotch. These are all well deserving of their place, but surely we can make some room for a rye or a bourbon?
Whether you are a fan of bourbon, rye or Tennessee sipping whiskey, there's fantastic variety waiting to be discovered.
Personally, I am a bourbon fan because of its taste. With a minimum of 51 per cent corn in the mash, bourbons are characterised by a rich, sweet and sometimes oily flavour with other grains such as rye, barley and wheat being used like delicate seasonings by a master distiller to produce each bourbon's unique taste.
Single-barrel bourbons
For a great all-rounder you can't go far wrong with Buffalo Trace, which is readily available. You'll soon be hooked and seeking out small batch and single-barrel bourbons. For those who prefer a little more complexity, swing towards a rye that will have rye grain comprising a minimum of 51 per cent of the mash - a Pikesville for starters then move on up to a Sazerac.
And the variety doesn't end there. Tennessee sipping whiskies such as JD or George Dickel are charcoal filtered (known as the Lincoln County Process) for their traditional smooth mellow taste. Corn whiskeys, made with a mash of 80 per cent corn, are different again. Mellow Corn is a good example.
So go on, find the rebel in you. In the true tradition of those early pioneers, why not set out on a journey of discovery.
I'll bet my stetson it will be most rewarding for you. n
Nick Griffin is managing director of Pleisure Pub Company, which runs the Great Eastern in Brighton, a pub that has made the last four in the speciality spirits pub category of The Publican Food & Drink Awards 2008.
