Bourbon whiskey

Bourbon

A selection of bourbons and Tennessee whiskeys at a liquor store
Type	American whiskey
Country of origin	United States
Region of origin	the American South, mainly Kentucky.
Introduced	18th century
Alcohol by volume	At least 40% bottled
Proof (US)	At least 80° bottled
Color	Amber, orange, red or brown
Ingredients	at least 51% corn
Related products	Corn whiskey, Straight whiskey, Tennessee whiskey

Bourbon (/bɜːrbən/) is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the dynasty.^[1] The name bourbon may not have been used until the 1850s, and the association with Bourbon County was not evident until the 1870s.^[1]

Bourbon has been distilled since the 18th century.^[2] Although bourbon may be made anywhere in the United States, it is strongly associated with the American South in general, and with Kentucky in particular. As of 2014^[update], distillers' wholesale market revenue for bourbon sold within the U.S. was about $2.7 billion, and bourbon made up about two thirds of the $1.6 billion of U.S. exports of distilled spirits.^[3][4] According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, in 2018 U.S. distillers derived $3.6 billion in revenue from bourbon and Tennessee whiskey (a closely related spirit produced in the state of Tennessee).^[5]

Bourbon was recognized in 1964 by the U.S. Congress as a "distinctive product of the United States". Bourbon sold in the U.S. must be produced within the U.S. from at least 51% corn and stored in a new container of charred oak.^[6]