Bourbon Pursuit Episode 31: Bourbon Empire

Reid Mitenbuler (@ReidMitenbuler), author of Bourbon Empire, joins Ryan and Kenny to talk about the history and psyche of bourbon, “a distinctive product of the United States”.

– The Frazier Museum has a new Prohibition exhibit that will become a new or even a first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
– Reid, what’s your coming to age tale of bourbon?
– What made you so fascinated that you took the time to become an author on the subject?
– Talk about the misquote of bourbon being a “distinctive product of the United States”.
– Talk about the beginning with the “Big Bang of Bourbon”.
– In the book, you talk about myths behind the labels.
– Let’s jump ahead in history, there was a lot going on in 1964. Can you talk about what was going on during that time period?
– What was the result of The Bourbon Institute in overseas markets?
– There is a concept of marketing that has changed the way in what you think you’re drinking.
– You said (paraphrasing) “Rosenstiel presided over vicious consolidation rounds that made many distillers and brands extinct, but is also a part of the reason why many bourbons today taste as good as they do”. Talk about that. How come his name isn’t as prominent as EH Taylor for Bottled-in-Bond?
– How come we don’t see a bourbon or whiskey brand named Rosenstiel?
– Within the prologue, you talk about bourbon being a “comfort food”. Talk about that.
– If you want to buy Bourbon Empire, it’s available on Amazon.