About Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon

Trying different types of alchol and enjoying them with your friends is an event that many adults enjoy throughout the United States. Jim Beam Kentucky bourbon is truly an American drink as it is produced only in the United States. Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon was first made before the United States was its own country, orginating in the late 1700s with the English settlers in America.

History

Jim Beam has been around since the 1770s and has always been brewed in America, according to the Jim Beam Website. The charred barrel that gives Jim Beam its distinctive mellow taste and caramel color was first used to age Jim Beam in 1789. During Prohibition Jim Beam actually sold his distillery in 1920. However, he built it again just 120 days later, according to the Website, during the years of 1933 and 1934. A milestone was met for Jim Beam Bourbon in 2007 when the 10 millionth barrel was brewed at its Clermont, Ky., location.

Features

There are certain requirements for bourbon to be considered bourbon according to the Heaven Hill Distilleries' Website. First, the bourbon must be produced in the United States. It also must include between 51 percent and 79 percent corn in the grain that is used to make the bourbon. The alcohol content of bourbon cannot be more than 80 percent, which is 160 proof. Additives are not permitted to be added to bourbon, and it must age at least two years in charred white oak barrels that are new.

Types

There are numerous variations of the original Jim Beam Bourbon sold in stores today. The type with the highest alcohol content in the bourbon is Bookers; this bourbon is aged for seven years and has an alcohol proof of 120 to 127. This means it contains 60 percent to 63.5 percent alcohol. There are other bourbons made by Jim Beam that gain complex flavors but do not have as high an alcohol content. These are Knob Creek, with an aging period of nine years in a white oak barrel, and Jim Beam Black and Basil Hayden's, both with eight years of aging that are produced at the Jim Beam distillery.

Benefits

Jim Beam bourbons can be consumed on their own as a sipping bourbon, or they can be mixed to make some popular mixed drinks. Bourbon can add a unique flavor to some of your favorite mixed drinks such as margaritas, martinis, Manhattans, whiskey sours, Old Fashioned and even the holiday season favorite of eggnog.

Warning

The lowest alcohol content in a Jim Beam bourbon is 40 percent, or 80 proof. This makes bourbon a liquor that can be highly intoxicating in even moderate quantities. When drinking Jim Beam bourbon with friends, make sure that you have someone designated to be the designated driver for the evening. Never provide Jim Beam bourbon or any other alcohol to individuals under the age of 21.

Resources

• History of Jim Beam Bourbon
• Requirements for Bourbon