History of Bourbon

By: Ken Albala, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Ken Albala

Length: 3 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Is bourbon the quintessential American liquor? Bourbon is not just alcohol—the amber-colored drink is deeply ingrained in American culture and tangled in American history. From the early days of raw corn liquor to the myriad distilleries that have proliferated around the country today, bourbon is a symbol of the United States.

This course traces bourbon's entire history, from the 1700s, with Irish, Scottish, and French settlers setting up stills and making distilled spirits in the New World, through today's booming resurgence.

On their tour of bourbon's fascinating, turbulent, and uniquely American evolution, listeners will explore the mysterious origins of the whiskey’s name and meet the men and women who have been championed as its inventors and made it so popular - from Daniel Boone's cousin and Baptist minister Elijah Craig to Jacob Beam and Evan Williams.

In this 10-lecture journey through the story of an undeniably American libation, listeners will:

• Hear the stories behind the earliest bourbon whiskies right up to the current "bourbon bubble" 
• Learn how a contemplative spirit went from agricultural product to industrial commodity
• Explore how - and why - bourbon played such a large role in the years of the early republic
• Get the facts on when and why Congress passed whiskey-protection laws
• Discover the surprising importance of bourbon distilleries during World War II, when the spirit became war material
• Go inside the Golden Age of Bourbon - a remarkable proliferation of new brands and niche markets happening now
• Witness the growth of brands like Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Bulleit Bourbon, and Old Taylor
• Gain insights into why distilled spirits, like clothes and cars, project a message about who we are and the cultures to which we belong 

Join Dr. Ken Albala, a history professor who has written numerous books on food, as he lays out in expert detail the critical role bourbon has played throughout the cultural and political history of the nation. 

©2019 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2019 Audible Originals, LLC.

Interesting

I know nothing about Bourbon, and I don’t recall ever drinking it. Maybe this is why I found this lecture so interesting. I would recommend it to others who are even mildly interested in the topic. Mr. Albala gives references at the end of the lecture for further study of the subject.

huh

The phrase "I'm not sure" was uttered entirely too many times. I'm not sure why he wasn't compelled to look into these gaps in his knowledge, or given some indication that there is no good answer. Also, there's plenty of vocal fillers and some... less than exemplary singing.

First-rate social and cultural history

This is good stuff. Well written and beautifully presented. We learn a lot about the drink, how it is made, and some informed guesses about its early origins (no one really knows for sure who did it, where they did it, and exactly when they did it). Dr. Albala also did a very engaging overview about food for The Great Courses which I also recommend.

Keen tellsa compelling and informative history

A really interesting history of bourbon for a non-bourbon drinker like myself. Just enough technical details of the distilling process, intriguing history from Colonial times right up to present day and glimpses into the future of bourbon, whiskey, spirits and alcoholic drinks in general.

Very Informative

I really enjoyed how much I learned from this! I also really enjoyed how it goes into such detail on how to make bourbon and other alcohols! I don't drink at all but I loved that I was able to learn how to make sanitizing alcohol as well. I think this is a great listen whether you drink bourbon or not. It's also a great insight into the history of the U.S. as well as the world as a whole.

Made me sleepy

The content was interesting but the narrator's voice was too soothing and I fell asleep.

Excellent

One of the best originals I have ordered. I learned a lot of past history. I learned a lot of current liquor practices. And the reader was very entertaining

I’ll never look at bourbon the same way

Fascinating listen and very entertaining course I highly recommend it as a listen for anyone interested in learning things beyond what’s in the glass

Decent history of alcohol and bourbon

Series Info/Source: I got this as a free Audible Originals audiobook through Audible. This is a stand alone audiobook.

Audiobook Quality (3/5): The narration was okay. There are some parts where the narrator/author stutters or mis-speaks which does give this more of a live lecture feel, versus a professional audiobook.

Story (4/5): This was a decent listen. It's broken into a series of lectures, starting with a general history of alcohol and then proceeding to bourbon and following bourbon through history. It was informative and interesting if you are interested in history, especially the history of alcohol.

Writing Style (3/5): The pace of the audiobook is pretty fast and a lot of information is thrown at you quickly. I thought the way the information was organized was fairly well done and easy to follow. It is done in a lecture type of style which worked fine for this.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was a good overview both of the history of liquor and, more specifically, bourbon. It starts with a more general history and then progresses to the history of bourbon. Information is thrown at you quickly but it was well organized and moved at a good pace. The narration didn’t sound very professional, more like a live lecture type of style, but it was okay. I would recommend it if you are interested in this topic.

Educational and Interesting

The narrator speaks clearly and expertly. This book will teach you about the History of US Bourbon in a captivating way.