The Origin of the Lore
Go to Missouri, Texas, or Hawaii and ask a distiller if they’d ever had to convince a customer that they could legally make a product called Bourbon in their state.
It would be easy to blame Kentucky for spreading false rumors about the product born in their state. Yet, the first thing they tell you on a tour is that Bourbon can be made in all 50 states. However, they follow that up reminding you that 95% of all Bourbon comes from Kentucky. Unfortunately that too has become lore, as the statement is based on a 2009 guestimate by the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Since then, there has been a major craft whiskey boom across the United States with Bourbon a major player.
The credit for making Bourbon an all-American spirit goes to the U.S. Congress, who in 1964 passed a resolution declaring Bourbon a distinctive product of the United States—not just Kentucky.
The Reason it Persists
It shows how a century of dominance by Kentucky distillers has left its mark on the American public.
LORE: Bourbon can be made in all 50 states.