STILL LIFE
Travel+Leisure India|February 2024
On a road trip down Kentucky's bourbon trail, Emily Bingham uncovers the story of her home state's famous spirit, one strong sin at a time
STILL LIFE

GROWING UP IN LOUISVILLE,

I knew about bourbon. I played my first game of spin the bottle with a grade-school classmate who was named after his family's brand, Very Old Barton. Yet, by the time I started drinking hard alcohol (too young), my idea of a delectable cocktail was a very strong vodka tonic with two wedges of lime.

It turned out I wasn't alone. In the early 1970s, sales of vodka surpassed those of America's native spirit for the first time. Facing a shrinking market, bourbon makers of the 1970s and 80s wandered into other industries. My friend's family, along with many other distillers, cashed out to conglomerates. By the early 90s, the unimaginable had occurred. "Even Kentuckians had stopped drinking it," Susan Reigler, who has authored six books on the spirit and has been called the "headmistress of bourbon," told me.

Bourbon's course through the body, from lips to throat to chest to belly, can feel like lava, an effect known as a "Kentucky hug." Even Rob Samuels, managing director of Maker's Mark, has conceded, "You almost had to work hard to like it." And for many, the spirit's classic cocktail-the aromatic and potent Old-Fashioned-came with too strong a whiff of the Old South.

As a graduate student in history during the late 1980s, I watched white men use bourbon as a way of brandishing their power. At an academic conference, an eminent scholar informed his junior colleague-Catherine Clinton, now a prestigious historian in her own right that to fit in she needed to drink bourbon. Not a fan? Not a problem, he said. She would get used to it if she brushed her teeth with the stuff for a week.

But tastes change. Today the bourbon business is booming.

There are more than 11 million barrels aging across the state.

この記事は Travel+Leisure India の February 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Travel+Leisure India の February 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

TRAVEL+LEISURE INDIAのその他の記事すべて表示
Retro: Timeless & Trending
Travel+Leisure India

Retro: Timeless & Trending

As AI dominates the tech world, Nikhil Chawla introduces devices and apps that evoke nostalgia with their retro charm and timeless appeal.

time-read
2 分  |
October 2024
Celebrating Timeless Austin
Travel+Leisure India

Celebrating Timeless Austin

Austin is a melting pot of culture and style, and a personification of the great American lifestyle,

time-read
5 分  |
October 2024
A Legacy of Art and Activism
Travel+Leisure India

A Legacy of Art and Activism

Mallika Sarabhai reflects on her rich heritage as she discusses her unique approach to blending tradition with modernity, the power of arts in activism and her commitment to bringing about social change, in this conversation with Dipali Patwa.

time-read
4 分  |
October 2024
Second Course
Travel+Leisure India

Second Course

Noma chef René Redezpi found fame with ingredient-focused fine dining. His new TV show goes even further.

time-read
2 分  |
October 2024
The Safari Sanctuary
Travel+Leisure India

The Safari Sanctuary

Aamaghati Wildlife Resort, Ranthambore’s latest opening, offers the finest facilities and accommodation in the district and has the park embedded deep inside its soul.

time-read
3 分  |
October 2024
THE ETERNAL FLAVOURS of our TIMELESS CLASSICS
Travel+Leisure India

THE ETERNAL FLAVOURS of our TIMELESS CLASSICS

India's most-loved restaurants have all stood the test of time, especially in an era when food ventures open with vast market research and modern aesthetics but fail to make a lasting impression. This is what makes our favourites timeless.

time-read
6 分  |
October 2024
LATE CHECK OUT WITH Ayushmann Churrana
Travel+Leisure India

LATE CHECK OUT WITH Ayushmann Churrana

A film with a social message, a deeply inspiring couplet, a music tour that lets him explore his alter ego of sorts—what makes Ayushmann Khurrana the right fit in everything he chooses to do?

time-read
4 分  |
October 2024
Luxury Legacy
Travel+Leisure India

Luxury Legacy

Meet Tikka Shatrujit Singh, the visionary who paved the way for luxury brands to thrive in India. One of the most iconic figures in India's fashion and luxury industry, the former head representative of LVMH in Asia tells Samreen Tungekar about his journey, what today's consumer wants, and how Indian tourism can turn the world on its head.

time-read
4 分  |
October 2024
Global Glamour
Travel+Leisure India

Global Glamour

Attention shopaholics, we've got you covered! From Copenhagen to Cape Town, Marrakech to Melbourne, here are 20 cities across the world where you can indulge in retail therapy. Follow our guide to get your hands on traditional, bespoke, sustainable, slow fashion, and innovative, kitschy must-haves.

time-read
10 分  |
October 2024
ARTISTIC INGENUITY MEETS ARCHITECTURAL SPLENDOUR
Travel+Leisure India

ARTISTIC INGENUITY MEETS ARCHITECTURAL SPLENDOUR

Architect Simran Boparai's skilled designs blend modernity with heritage, while striving for spatial excellence.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024