Exploring the Rich History and Bright Future of America's Whiskey: Bourbon Empire

no name: I was introduced to this book by a client from a real estate transaction we had in 2021. I was somewhat new to exploring bourbons, types, brands, costs....... I spent 1 month in Sweden reading this book and couldn't put it down. It is not only about Bourbon, but a history lesson culminating in a simple slogan. "drink the bourbon you like" -- a must-read for newbies, history buffs, and old-timers in the bourbon sphere. A++++

United States on Nov 10, 2023

Adam HenryAdam Henry: We read this with my boom club since we are avid bourbon enthusiasts. The book is full of micro history lessons!! Through happen stance the author of the book hopped in our book club meeting and was a pleasure to speak with. He is passionate about the topic and knows what he is talking about! Will recommend this to all my friends.

United States on Jul 23, 2023

Stephen Arguijo: I'm not a big reader, but I'm enjoying this book. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5, is I did not receive the book cover.

United States on Aug 24, 2022

Paul H. Benjamin: a great story and fun to read, clearly charts the history and lore of bourbon, America's drink

Canada on Sep 25, 2016

William Capodanno: I am not a whiskey drinker, but was at a party the other night and got into a discussion with a friend who happens to drink a lot of whiskey and is quite knowledgeable on the subject. My curiousity was piqued since I knew so little about the topic, decided I wanted to learn more and chose bourbon as the starting point. There were quite a few choices on Amazon, but I opted for this one given the 5 star rating and positive reviews.

If you want a eminently readable and thorough history of bourbon, it would be tough to find something better than "Bourbon Empire" by Reid Mitenbuler. The author combines strong tasting knowledge of bourbon to complement the top notch research he did. Mitenbuler traces the origin of whiskey in the US (drink at your own peril) to the growth of the industry after the Civil War through the temperance movement, the consolidation among global spirit companies through the present day "craft" movement. One of the great elements of this book is the lore and legend that accompanies bourbon, much of it carefully cultivated through brilliant marketing. This is great history, storytelling and education about a distinctly American product. Pour yourself a nice...

United States on Jul 18, 2016

MRR: Most books on whiskey take one of two forms – the short, tell-nothing type usually found in distillery gift shops or the taster’s guide (Top 100 bourbons!). Happily, Bourbon Empire is neither. In Bourbon Empire, Mitenbuler describes the often unexpected importance of spirits and whiskey, in particular, from America’s founding to the present. In doing so, Mitenbuler gives us detailed snapshots of some of the more colorful individuals in American history – men such as Harvey Wiley, a crazed cyclist and the first FDA commissioner, whose zeal to protect consumers from the pervasive use of adulterants in food dramatically improved the safety of America’s food and drink supply, to Lewis Rosenstiel, a prototypical capitalist whose poor business calculation almost single handedly and certainly unintentionally lead to today's almost obsessive focus on aged whiskey. Of course, Mitenbuler also focuses on the Founding Fathers who disagreed over whether the whiskey industry should consist of small producers or larger, more consolidated businesses – a fight that recently has become more pronounced with the advent of craft whiskey. Along the way, we learn about mobsters shooting...

United States on Jun 30, 2015