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Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit
Popular history with a whiskey-soaked edge: Bourbon is Dane Huckelbridge's artful and imaginative biography of our most well-liked, and at times controversial, spirit, that is also a witty and entertaining chronicle of the United States itself.
Few commodities figure as prominently or as intimately in the story of the nation as bourbon whiskey. Its primary ingredient was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Its recipe was perfected on the Western frontier. In 1964, Congress passed a resolution declaring it to be a "distinctive product of the United States." First brewed by pioneers in in the backwoods of Appalachia, bourbon whiskey has become a modern multi-billion dollar international industry today. As Dane Huckelbridge reveals, the Kentucky spirit--the only liquor produced from corn is the American experience, distilled, aged, and sealed in a bottle.
In telling the story of bourbon, Huckelbridge takes us on a lively tour across three hundred years. Introducing the fascinating people central to its creation and evolution, he illuminates the elusive character of the nation itself. Interweaving the development of bourbon to America's own rise, his engaging and unique study is popular history at its best, offering a lively and informative look at our past through a hilariously thick pair of whiskey-bottle glasses.
Few commodities figure as prominently or as intimately in the story of the nation as bourbon whiskey. Its primary ingredient was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Its recipe was perfected on the Western frontier. In 1964, Congress passed a resolution declaring it to be a "distinctive product of the United States." First brewed by pioneers in in the backwoods of Appalachia, bourbon whiskey has become a modern multi-billion dollar international industry today. As Dane Huckelbridge reveals, the Kentucky spirit--the only liquor produced from corn is the American experience, distilled, aged, and sealed in a bottle.
In telling the story of bourbon, Huckelbridge takes us on a lively tour across three hundred years. Introducing the fascinating people central to its creation and evolution, he illuminates the elusive character of the nation itself. Interweaving the development of bourbon to America's own rise, his engaging and unique study is popular history at its best, offering a lively and informative look at our past through a hilariously thick pair of whiskey-bottle glasses.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2014
132 people are currently reading
520 people want to read
About the author
Dane Huckelbridge
6 books234 followersDane Huckelbridge was born and raised in the American Middle West. He holds a degree from Princeton University, and his fiction and essays have appeared in a variety of journals, including Tin House, Literary Hub, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and The New Republic. His debut novel CASTLE OF WATER was published by St. Martin's Press in 2017, and his book NO BEAST SO FIERCE was published by HarperCollins in 2019. His next book, QUEEN OF ALL MAYHEM, a biography of the outlaw Belle Starr, will be released in 2025. He currently lives in Paris, France, although he comes back to New York whenever he can.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
May 7, 2014
There's popular history and then there's popular history. This was, sadly, the later. I found Huckelbridge's book at best shallow and at worst a simple account of bourbon's past and it's relationship to the American "spirit." The book's footnotes were interesting but I found the book as a whole under-sourced (or at least the citation list was thin) and then historical allusions a bit simple. It's a rapid account of 250+ years of history (in about as many pages). While this gives the reader a sense of the breadth of history involved, it hardly does justice to any one aspect of the story. That said, I found the chapters on the pre-1700 origins of bourbon especially helpful.
This is a fun book and a reasonable introduction to bourbon history. It's an incredibly quick read that's full of lively footnotes and charming anecdotes. However, for readers looking for a serious and sustained inquiry into the roots of bourbon and it's relationship to American economics, rural identity, or culture, this book will be a disappointment.
Sadly, I have yet to find a book on the history of liquor as commodity and cultural product that does justice to the richness of the topic.
This is a fun book and a reasonable introduction to bourbon history. It's an incredibly quick read that's full of lively footnotes and charming anecdotes. However, for readers looking for a serious and sustained inquiry into the roots of bourbon and it's relationship to American economics, rural identity, or culture, this book will be a disappointment.
Sadly, I have yet to find a book on the history of liquor as commodity and cultural product that does justice to the richness of the topic.
May 15, 2014
It wasn't BAD but it didn't really grab me. I like drinking bourbon better than I like reading about it, apparently.
April 27, 2014
This was such a fantastic book! I loved it and give it two enthusiastic thumbs up. And Bourbon isn't just for bourbon aficionados. Yes, the book focuses on bourbon, but it covers quite a bit of American history as it goes, making for an entertaining read for history lovers too. I picked this up because I'm married to a bourbon aficionado and I think this book has made me into one too!
The author starts with the man who is credited with creating the distilling process for hard liquor. Now, yes, I know, this isn't bourbon. Yet. But it's still quite an entertaining story. Hard liquor is credited to a monk, and dated back to about 1270. The man was known as quite a partier and drinker (of wine) before he drank himself into a stupor, saw Jesus, and became a monk. Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of bourbon...
I won't go chapter by chapter through the book, because Dane Huckelbridge tells it so much better than I ever could. I learned so much! I learned the "drunk in public" laws of the ancient Aztecs. Do you know this? For a plebian, the first offense resulted in a public shaving of your head and the loss of your house. They literally dismantled and took away your house for the first drunk in public offense. The second offense? Death. And it gets worse: if you were royalty, you were slapped with the death penalty on the first offense! I also learned about hard-partying Founding Fathers. Fifty seven of them once got together to celebrate the signing of the Constitution and their bar tab included: 60 bottles claret, 54 bottles Madeira, 22 bottles porter, 12 bottles beer, 8 bottles of whiskey, 8 bottles of hard cider, and 7 bowls of rum punch. And some broken glasses and decanters.
These fun facts are definitely not alone! They're sprinkled all throughout the book. There are Civil War generals who issue daily rations of whiskey to their men and molasses tidal waves in the streets of Boston (relevant, I promise) and Hatfields & McCoys and how the West was won on whiskey a shortage of bourbon during WWII (did you know that unrefined whiskey can be used in a bajillion different ways to help a war effort?) and Prohibition (cocktails! Women!) and the baby boomers (more cocktails!) and all the way up to 2010, when the first NYC bourbon distillery opened.
Also sprinkled liberally throughout the book: illustrations and photographs! They're great. I snapped a picture of the one page to text to my hubby. Someone in the mid-1800s had placed a classified ad asking for "5,000 lbs bacon and 5,000 gallons whiskey." Hmm. I think I could be friends with that guy! Then there are the reproductions of the ads from the 1960s and 1970s for various bourbon brands. Sunny Brook used the slogan "People like you like Sunny Brook" and Maker's Mark went with "It tastes expensive... and is." (Both were successful ad campaigns!)
This was not a dense book; very approachable by anyone and everyone. I highly recommend that you have a bottle of good sippin' bourbon nearby when you pick it up though; you'll want a glass once you've started reading.
The author starts with the man who is credited with creating the distilling process for hard liquor. Now, yes, I know, this isn't bourbon. Yet. But it's still quite an entertaining story. Hard liquor is credited to a monk, and dated back to about 1270. The man was known as quite a partier and drinker (of wine) before he drank himself into a stupor, saw Jesus, and became a monk. Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of bourbon...
I won't go chapter by chapter through the book, because Dane Huckelbridge tells it so much better than I ever could. I learned so much! I learned the "drunk in public" laws of the ancient Aztecs. Do you know this? For a plebian, the first offense resulted in a public shaving of your head and the loss of your house. They literally dismantled and took away your house for the first drunk in public offense. The second offense? Death. And it gets worse: if you were royalty, you were slapped with the death penalty on the first offense! I also learned about hard-partying Founding Fathers. Fifty seven of them once got together to celebrate the signing of the Constitution and their bar tab included: 60 bottles claret, 54 bottles Madeira, 22 bottles porter, 12 bottles beer, 8 bottles of whiskey, 8 bottles of hard cider, and 7 bowls of rum punch. And some broken glasses and decanters.
These fun facts are definitely not alone! They're sprinkled all throughout the book. There are Civil War generals who issue daily rations of whiskey to their men and molasses tidal waves in the streets of Boston (relevant, I promise) and Hatfields & McCoys and how the West was won on whiskey a shortage of bourbon during WWII (did you know that unrefined whiskey can be used in a bajillion different ways to help a war effort?) and Prohibition (cocktails! Women!) and the baby boomers (more cocktails!) and all the way up to 2010, when the first NYC bourbon distillery opened.
Also sprinkled liberally throughout the book: illustrations and photographs! They're great. I snapped a picture of the one page to text to my hubby. Someone in the mid-1800s had placed a classified ad asking for "5,000 lbs bacon and 5,000 gallons whiskey." Hmm. I think I could be friends with that guy! Then there are the reproductions of the ads from the 1960s and 1970s for various bourbon brands. Sunny Brook used the slogan "People like you like Sunny Brook" and Maker's Mark went with "It tastes expensive... and is." (Both were successful ad campaigns!)
This was not a dense book; very approachable by anyone and everyone. I highly recommend that you have a bottle of good sippin' bourbon nearby when you pick it up though; you'll want a glass once you've started reading.
January 13, 2018
This sumbitch can write. What an intensely packed and informational tract on the dubiously noble are of distillation. I'd love to meet this fella and throw back a few. This was such an enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining a read. Please get it - particularly if you are depressed. Hucklebridge mixes intellect with humor in a way that can only be described as intoxicating. Thank you Dane - wherever you are!
July 21, 2014
Never dreamed that a non-drinker like me could have so much fun reading a book about hooch. Mr. Huckelbridge has an engaging and completely irreverent style that grabs you on page 1 and won't let you go.
The history of bourborn is a history of Kentucky hill country, yes; but it also provides a history lesson about politics and social policy, social custom, changing gender roles, evolving industry, the rise of media and how marketing - and the whims of the American public - can make you, break you, and make you again.
Fer gosh sakes pick up Mr. Huckelbridge's book and have a damn fine time learning about an American original: bourbon. And have a drink while yer readin' if you've a mind to.
The history of bourborn is a history of Kentucky hill country, yes; but it also provides a history lesson about politics and social policy, social custom, changing gender roles, evolving industry, the rise of media and how marketing - and the whims of the American public - can make you, break you, and make you again.
Fer gosh sakes pick up Mr. Huckelbridge's book and have a damn fine time learning about an American original: bourbon. And have a drink while yer readin' if you've a mind to.
April 23, 2016
This book was fantastic! The delicious combination of the history of the United States told right along side the history of what can be argued is America's drink! Like Jazz and Blues in Music, Bourbon is American - starting (and continuing ) in the stills in Kentucky and Tennessee, the rise of this spirit was at Mt. Vernon with George Washington (who made is own and sold it). It continued with us thru the Revolutionary War, thru our battles with Britain, thru our own Civil War... it has been along side for virtually every major conflict in our history. Dane Huckelbridge tells the story in such an engaging way that you will be wondering what the purpose was (again) of writing the book... and enjoying each and every page. Strongly recommended.
September 24, 2021
I'm learning a lot about Bourbon, but also a lot of anecdotal and off-trail history of the US that is not always relevant. It's a quick, easy read, but sometimes the flip manner of the narrative is intrusive.
December 17, 2013
An interesting story - docked a notch for the author's too-flowery writing style.
June 23, 2017
This is an American book written by an American for an American audience - thus the often repeated possessive adjective "our" as in "our country", "our Founding Fathers" etc. It is permissible however for non-Americans such as myself to read this without permission or a passport. If those two sentences seem rather flippant and casual that's the style of this interesting survey of an alcoholic spirit whose name is inextricably tied in with the U.S. and its history. Indeed to read this rather breathless account, you'd think that were it not for the development of the drink from native ingredients, its commercialization and imbibing in copious amounts by an always thirsty population, America might never have become the power that it is. Nonsense of course but Hucklebridge is nothing if not devoted to his topic and spins a good yarn with considerable research and evident glee. Good stuff.
April 2, 2024
Yes, this one earned all five stars. No soft grading on this one, even though many have taken issue with the book being too cursory a glance at the history of bourbon or that it is too much a survey history to be meaningful. To those critics I say, "Lighten up, Francis."
This was a wonderfully informative read, and entertaining to boot. To create a history that is as silky and playful as the drink it chronicles is no small task, but the author here does a great j0b. You can feel his joy in telling the story, and his excitement and love for the topic are palpable.
This is not a historian writing about bourbon, this is a bourbon lover writing some spirited history.
Who better to know?
This was a wonderfully informative read, and entertaining to boot. To create a history that is as silky and playful as the drink it chronicles is no small task, but the author here does a great j0b. You can feel his joy in telling the story, and his excitement and love for the topic are palpable.
This is not a historian writing about bourbon, this is a bourbon lover writing some spirited history.
Who better to know?
June 20, 2019
The the book contained information that was new to me, and it kept me reading to completion. But I felt like it might have been written in its entirety based on knowledge gained from a single weekend of distillery tours on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The whole thing felt lightweight, superficial and a little bit annoying. Humor is a subjective thing, and perhaps Huckelbridge and I simply don't agree on what's funny, but his frequent editorial interjections struck me as sophomoric, obvious and repetitive.
February 17, 2019
Prepare to raise a toast
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not a drinker. That said, I do love a well researched, well written history. Mr Huckelbidge presents a wealth of resources/facts, and does so with a warmth, intelligence, and affection for his topic. Drinker or not, history buff or not, you shouldn't miss out on this wonderful book. Thank you, Mr Huckelbridge!!
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not a drinker. That said, I do love a well researched, well written history. Mr Huckelbidge presents a wealth of resources/facts, and does so with a warmth, intelligence, and affection for his topic. Drinker or not, history buff or not, you shouldn't miss out on this wonderful book. Thank you, Mr Huckelbridge!!
January 23, 2019
The author strains the analogies but provides a few good anecdotes
The historical approach really lacked substance, strained reality, provided a lot of social justice and was much too long for the limited interesting material.
The historical approach really lacked substance, strained reality, provided a lot of social justice and was much too long for the limited interesting material.
February 1, 2019
An outstanding history of an American original
The author has done a simply delightful job in bringing the history of Bourbon to the reader. Even if you are a tee totaller this slice of Americana is very entertaining. Try it, you'll like it!
The author has done a simply delightful job in bringing the history of Bourbon to the reader. Even if you are a tee totaller this slice of Americana is very entertaining. Try it, you'll like it!
March 16, 2019
An insightful look into how bourbon developed along with our nation.
The book was well written. The writer chose an interesting focus and had a great pace as he told the story of how bourbon and America developed through the years in our nation.
The book was well written. The writer chose an interesting focus and had a great pace as he told the story of how bourbon and America developed through the years in our nation.
March 25, 2019
A very entertaining book on the history of bourbon. More enjoyable than most any non-fiction book I've read about the specific history of something like this. I like the writer's style of humor. Highly recommended (I can loan this out to friends since it was a present to me).
March 28, 2019
The book provided a good history on bourbon. The author included a lot of bourbon-related info that sometimes added little to the book other than more pages. If you are a bourbon drinker, it is still worth reading.
October 21, 2019
It was OK.
The earlier history in the book was very interesting and well-written. When we got into the history after World War II, I had a sense that there was less research and more stuff pulled from recent memory. It changed the readability of the book a bit.
The earlier history in the book was very interesting and well-written. When we got into the history after World War II, I had a sense that there was less research and more stuff pulled from recent memory. It changed the readability of the book a bit.
November 13, 2019
I read this in fits and starts before, during and after a trip to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It was easy to read and a fun overview of the history of bourbon in terms of production and cultural significance.
March 24, 2018
Great book
Well written, very interesting, lots of facts and humorous too. A very enjoyable read. If like bourbon, this book is for you.
Well written, very interesting, lots of facts and humorous too. A very enjoyable read. If like bourbon, this book is for you.
March 18, 2019
Good read.....pretty short book but a good history with a healthy shot of humor.
April 1, 2019
Some sections were not as gripping as others, but overall a pretty fascinating read.
April 20, 2019
An interesting cultural history of America's native spirit. Nice light reading.
May 17, 2019
Informative, but a little long for me. Not exactly what I was looking for and found myself just skimming along.
May 31, 2019
Great read
This was a fun book. It's a quick read and really informative. I didn't know learning about bourbon could be so fun.
This was a fun book. It's a quick read and really informative. I didn't know learning about bourbon could be so fun.
July 6, 2019
7.5/10
278 pages
278 pages
January 11, 2020
Entertaining and fun read. Be sure to have a glass and bottle handy, it will make you thirsty as you read.
March 5, 2020
I couldn't get past the flowery language the writer uses. There is a bunch of interesting information and thoughts regarding the history of bourbon though.
April 4, 2020
I’m still brushing my teeth with a bottle of Jack.
January 24, 2021
The story of one of my personal favorite adult beverages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews