Bourbon whiskey

Bourbon whiskey (/ˈbɜːrbən/; also simply bourbon) is a barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the French House of Bourbon, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County, Kentucky, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the House of Bourbon. The name bourbon might not have been used until the 1850s, and the association with Bourbon County was not evident until the 1870s.

Although bourbon may be made anywhere in the U.S., it is associated with the Southern United States, particularly Kentucky. One reason for this association is the romanticized advertising in the 1990s of bourbon as a product of Kentucky with rural, Southern origins. There is a common misconception that bourbon can only be distilled in Kentucky. Even though bourbon was associated with the South, it was also a symbol of urbanization and sophistication due to a large percentage of consumers belonging to the middle- to upper-class, including business and community leaders.

Bourbon was recognized in 1964 by the U.S. Congress as a "distinctive product of the United States." Bourbon sold in the U.S. must be produced within the U.S. from at least 51% corn and stored in a new container of charred oak. This distinctive American liquor was heavily consumed by Americans in the 1990s. After 1945 it became popular in Western Europe as well. In 1964, Americans consumed around 77 million gallons of bourbon.

Bourbon has been distilled since the 18th century. As of 2014, distillers' wholesale market revenue for bourbon sold within the U.S. was about $2.7 billion, and bourbon made up about two thirds of the $1.6 billion of U.S. exports of distilled spirits. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, in 2018 U.S. distillers derived $3.6 billion in revenue from bourbon and Tennessee whiskey (a closely related spirit produced in the state of Tennessee).