I completely blew off the official assignment in my Year of Drinking Adventurously. There are a couple reasons, chief of which, I don’t care for this week’s beverage: the Michelada. The short version is, and the only version here this week so we’d better hope Meg did her homework, a beer bloody mary. In theory this could be good, but for me, just doesn’t work.
When I heard on a booze-loving podcasts that September was National Bourbon Heritage Month I immediately decided that was my homework assignment. I discovered that in August 2007, Republican Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky sponsored a bill that was passed by unanimous consent, a resolution designating September 2007 as “National Bourbon Heritage Month”.
For some reason, the fine folks of Kentucky missed the part where it said September 2007 is designated and their governor keeps signing a bill each year saying we still recognize National Bourbon Month. So who am I to disagree, especially when they say things like:
- More than a half-million visitors are making the pilgrimage to Kentucky every year to learn about the art and science behind the world’s best Bourbon
- Bourbon is a thriving $3 billion economic engine that generates more than 15,400 jobs with an annual payroll topping $700 million and $166 million in tax revenue every year.
- Bourbon production has skyrocketed more than 315 percent in the last 16 years, with 1.8 million barrels filled in 2015, the largest production year since 1974.
- There are 6.7 million barrels of Bourbon currently aging in Kentucky warehouses, the highest inventory in 40 years with a tax-assessed value of $2.4 billion, up 135 percent in the last 10 years.
No wonder Kentucky loves their bourbon. It’s working for them!
I celebrated National Bourbon Heritage Month with a cocktail I found in Southern Living Magazine. Their recipe had ingredients in tablespoons and not ounces, so I don’t even feel like I’m stealing anything but the name.
Shoo-Fly Punch
2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce ginger liqueur
1/4 ounce simple syrup (or more to your taste)
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
a dash of bitters
ginger beer
Add all ingredients except ginger beer in a 16 ounce mason jar and stir.
Add crushed ice and top with a couple ounces of ginger beer.
Sit on the porch swing and savor.
Lula Harp 
Oh that’s awesome! I saw that about it being bourbon heritage month and I thought, damn, why can’t we be doing that? Fortunately, I was completely on board with the michelada! I love your post though. Nicely done!
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Thanks 😏
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I have to give the cocktail a try. I usually drink bourbon on the rocks, but the ginger sounds lovely!
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As a Kentuckian myself, may I say that the best way to enjoy bourbon is straight with one ice cube? And, here, every month is bourbon heritage month. 😃
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You may say, and well stated indeed.
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😃
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