From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
America's only native spirit, this whiskey was distilled in Kentucky more than 200 years ago at Elijah Craig's mill in Georgetown, Bourbon County, hence its name. It was called Bourbon County Whiskey at first and the name Bourbon Whiskey has been used ever since for whiskey distilled wholly or chiefly from corn. Bourbon is a part of the larger category of grain spirits known as whiskey. It must be made from a minimum of 51 percent corn, balanced with malted barley and either rye or wheat, then aged for a minimum of two years, only in brand-new American oak barrels that are heavily charred or toasted on the inside to a depth of about 1⁄4 inch (1 cm), which allows the spirit freer access to the vanillin and tannins in the wood. No one knows for certain where the charring practice came from, but it appears that it was the outcome of a happy accident. Contrary to popular belief, bourbon can be made in any state in the U.S., not just Kentucky.
