BOURBON FACTS

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1. “Whiskey” is a Gaelic word which means “water of life.”

2. In 1830, American consumption of alcohol, per capita, was insane. It peaked at what is roughly 1.7 bottles of standard strength whiskey, per person, per week or 88 bottles a year.

3. Both the “Whisky” and “Whiskey” words are correct. Whiskey is specific to Irish, and Whisky is Scotch.

4. The first blended whisky in the world was a mixture of malt and grain produced under the name Green Stripe in 1860.

5. The Guinness World Records for most variety of whiskeys commercially available in the world is right here in San Diego at The Whiskey House. Over 3000 different bottles. Another fun whiskey fact.

6. Whiskey is the official state beverage of Alabama.

7. Jack Daniels learned how to make Whiskey from a Lutheran minister at the age of 6.

8. Jameson sells more Irish Whiskey than all other Irish producers.

9. Bourbon is America’s only native spirit.

10. 90% of Scotch Whisky is made in Scotland.

11. George Washington made Washington the largest American Whiskey producer in the 18th century.

12. There are more barrels of bourbon in Kentucky than people.

13. There are a number of kinds of Scotch Whiskey, but the main ones are Blended Whisky, Single Grain Whisky, Blended Malt Whisky and Single Malt Whisky.

14. Mint Juleps were created to disguise bad bourbon.

15. An incredible one billion bottles of scotch are exported from Scotland every year.

16. The Glenavon Special Liqueur Whisky holds the Guinness World Record for being the World’s Oldest Whisky

17. Macallan's Whiskey is the most expensive in the world.

18. By law Bourbon barrels can only be used once.

19. Scotch Whiskey produces $175 of income every second.

20. Most, but not all bourbon comes from Kentucky.

21. By law bourbon must be comprised of at least 51 percent corn.

22. Drinking during Prohibition was legally allowed if you had a doctor's note.

23. Barrels can be used up to four times when making Scotch.

24. There are four main areas of whiskey production in Scotland: Lowlands Speyside, Highlands, and Islay.

25. A couple Famous Whiskey brands are The Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Glen Grant and The Macallan.

26. It was illegal to make spirits until 1823

27. July 27 is celebrated as Scotch Whisky Day in the world.

28. The earliest known record of Whiskey production dates back to 1494.

29. Bourbon is responsible for the invention of drinking straw.

30. The leading whiskey drinkers in the world are the French.

31. Whiskey comprises more than double the flavor congeners of its nearest competitors – Rum and Cognac.

32. The evaporation of Alcohol from a Bourbon barrel during maturation is referred to as the ‘Angel’s Share’.

33. The largest percentage of new distilling activity is in Ireland.

34. Bourbon is named after the House of Bourbon. A powerful French dynasty.

35. 90% of Whiskey produced in the UK is intended for export.

36. Buffalo Trace claims to be the oldest continuously-operating distillery in the USA, though the name has changed over the years.

37. Maker’s Mark has the oldest bourbon distillery in the world.

38. Jack Daniel’s is the oldest registered distillery in America.

39. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest whisky in the world is believed to be a bottle of Glenavon Special Liqueur Whisky. Bottled by the Glenavon Distillery in Ballindalloch, Scotland, UK, the exact age of the bottle of whisky is uncertain. With the closing of Glenavon Distillery in the 1850s, it is estimated to have been bottled between 1851 and 1858, making it roughly 160 years old.

40. In 2018, the United States had over 2000 licensed distilleries.

41. The so-called “whiskey tax” was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government. It became law in 1791, and was intended to generate revenue for the war debt incurred during the Revolutionary War.