A country beyond kentucky
Think American whiskey and you think Kentucky. But across the United States there are other options – including the biggest of them all
At the risk of appalling racial stereo-typing itâs always been of some amusement how Americans blow either hot or very, very cold;how they veer from one extreme to the other, barely pausing for the middle ground.
Itâs what makes America so utterly irresistible.
And itâs a particularly true trait when it comes to food and drink.
The standard traditional American fayre? Burgers, hot dogs, bland American mustard and Americanised pizzas.What do they all have in common? They tend to be taste neutral, inoffensive and forgettable.
And yet where do you find the hottest chilli sauces on the planet, with names such as âToo Flippinâ Hotâ, and âTongue Busterâ ? Right.
Same with drink.
In recent times weâve tended to think of American beer as little more than alcoholic water.And even when reasonably decent beers such as Anchor and Sam Adams came along what did our American friends do? Froze the flavour out of them, thatâs what.
Then a few years ago the idea of flavoured beers took hold.Did they go for just a modest degree of favour? Nope.They have out fruited Belgium, out hopped India Pale Ale, out flavoured most European beer and even invented a new category of extreme beer.
Only in America.
To be fair on them, though, bourbon has never compromised on taste and flavour. In fact itâs what defines great bourbon.There are few other drinks styles that go even close to matching the pure explosiveness of a drink such as George T Stagg, the Harley Davidson of the .....
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By Rob Allanson
Section : Visitor Guides
Page number : 38
