Synopsis
With more than 50 distilleries in the state, bourbon is as synonymous with Kentucky as horses and basketball. As one of the commonwealth's signature industries, bourbon distilling has influenced the landscape and heritage of the region for more than two centuries. Blending several topics including tax revenue, railroads, the mechanics of brewing, geography, landscapes, and architecture, this primer and geographical guide presents a detailed history of the development of Kentucky's distilling industry.
Based on extensive archival research that includes private paper collections, newspapers, and period documents, this work places the distilling process in its environmental, geographical, and historical context. Bourbon's Backroads reveals the places where bourbon's heritage was made from old and new distilleries, storage warehouses, railroad yards, and factories where copper fermenting vessels are made and why the industry continues to thrive.