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.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 2024-Ausgabe von Travel+Leisure India.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der February 2024-Ausgabe von Travel+Leisure India.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS TRAVEL+LEISURE INDIAAlle anzeigen
The Abode Of Gods
Travel+Leisure India

The Abode Of Gods

Paphos, the ancient home of Aphrodite, is steeped in folklore. A walk around the old town can turn into a journey to the past; all you need is a little imagination.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
May 2024
Chasing Joy On Rottnest Island
Travel+Leisure India

Chasing Joy On Rottnest Island

Blue waters, shimmering sandy beaches, and historic sites-Rottnest in Western Australia is the quintessential island getaway. But what truly captivated our cover star Rashmika Mandanna is the happy and laid-back life that the island offers.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
May 2024
AS TIME GOES BY
Travel+Leisure India

AS TIME GOES BY

A decade and a half after a life-changing sojourn in Vietnam, a writer returns to track the country's transformations-and his own.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
May 2024
PARIS MATCH
Travel+Leisure India

PARIS MATCH

Royal roots and boho cool, French trad and cosmopolitan flair: Thomas Chatterton Williams visits the Marais and finds the perfect mix.

time-read
10+ Minuten  |
May 2024
Spotted in the Wild
Travel+Leisure India

Spotted in the Wild

Tracking down a creature as evasive as the cheetah is never guaranteed. Jeff Chu treks to southern Africa to find big cats and fulfill a long-held family promise.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
May 2024
Tastes Like History
Travel+Leisure India

Tastes Like History

With a lineage spanning millennia, Armenian cuisine is an alchemist's dream. Veidehi Gite samples iconic dishes that evoke memories of home.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
May 2024
Secrets of the Happy State
Travel+Leisure India

Secrets of the Happy State

A road trip from Aizawl to Champhai along the Indo-Myanmar border leads to many revelations for Florina Soren.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
May 2024
Championing Cheer
Travel+Leisure India

Championing Cheer

Fostering mindful atmospheres within corporate environments, Dr Sharon Rajkumar stands as a beacon of positivity, guiding others towards a more fulfilling and balanced life. In a candid chat, the TEDx speaker shares her journey with Kiara Sengupta, on how serendipity led her to become the first happiness evangelist in India.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
May 2024
Doodling Up Joy
Travel+Leisure India

Doodling Up Joy

Turning embarrassing moments of daily life into comedic relief comes naturally to Neha Sharma. The CA-turned-doodle artist now harnesses the power of her paints to create relatable comics that mirror the everyday. In a hearty chat with Bayar Jain, the self-taught artist and storyteller outlines her journey and underlines the importance of art in bringing happiness.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
May 2024
A Novel Take On Happiness
Travel+Leisure India

A Novel Take On Happiness

With his 90th birthday on the horizon, India's most beloved author Ruskin Bond, talks to Eshita Srinivas about love affairs on ships, the excitement of train journeys, and his new book that he hopes will inspire young readers.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
May 2024