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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
An absolutely fascinating commentary on the history of booze in America, and the heritage of bourbon that is so apart of the American identity. It’s a good 400 page read that doesn’t feel like 400 pages.
Short Review: narrow history books like this are fascinating to me. To people that are intimately familiar with an area, there is always far more nuance and subtlety than the outsider may assume.
Bourbon Empire is interesting in part because bourbon is so interested in communicating a story of history. That story is often exaggerated, or just made up. But the actual history of bourbon is fascinating, even if the stories on the bottles are not always particularly historical.
my full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/bourbon-empire/
Bourbon Empire is interesting in part because bourbon is so interested in communicating a story of history. That story is often exaggerated, or just made up. But the actual history of bourbon is fascinating, even if the stories on the bottles are not always particularly historical.
my full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/bourbon-empire/
Book of the Month: August 2015
PopSugar 2015 reading challenge #14
It held my interest at the beginning, but towards the second half became repetitive and there ended up being a lot of "bashing" of certain companies/brands and such. Had it cut out some of the repetition and a bit of the bashing, and focused more on the historical aspects, that would have been a better read.
PopSugar 2015 reading challenge #14
It held my interest at the beginning, but towards the second half became repetitive and there ended up being a lot of "bashing" of certain companies/brands and such. Had it cut out some of the repetition and a bit of the bashing, and focused more on the historical aspects, that would have been a better read.
informative
Fascinating. Confirms that people want stories more than they want facts.
Thorough and well-paced history of America’s distinctive spirit.
informative
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I'm not very knowledgeable about alcohol, and I'm definitely not a whiskey or bourbon aficionado. Before this book I couldn't have even told you the difference between bourbon and whiskey. But I heard about this on the Book Riot podcast some time ago, and I'm trying to break out of my reading bubble, so I decided to borrow this from my library. I'm glad I did, because this book is super interesting and entertaining, even for someone who doesn't really care about the drinks. It's about the history of bourbon from the colonial era to modern times, and it's fascinating. I probably really annoyed my fiance with all my random "did you know" facts while I was reading this, but whatever.
Personally, I enjoyed the first half of this book the most. It was very engaging and focuses more on the origins and history behind bourbon. Some of the anecdotes about people who helped shape the bourbon industry were absolutely wild, and I loved it. I also liked how throughout the book Mitenbuler delved into the marketing and misconceptions behind a lot of popular brands. I found the latter half to be a bit repetitive and slightly less cohesive, but it still had some good sections. The part about Maker's Mark in particular was very interesting, and I also like how he discussed the kind of "hipster" appeal that bourbon has now - something I’ve seen myself in a very hipster-ish “burgers and bourbon” restaurant that opened in my area a few years ago.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this, and it was a nice change of pace from my usual YA/fantasy selection. This is definitely a must-read for people interested in whiskey and bourbon, and it's also worth checking out if you like American history in general.
Personally, I enjoyed the first half of this book the most. It was very engaging and focuses more on the origins and history behind bourbon. Some of the anecdotes about people who helped shape the bourbon industry were absolutely wild, and I loved it. I also liked how throughout the book Mitenbuler delved into the marketing and misconceptions behind a lot of popular brands. I found the latter half to be a bit repetitive and slightly less cohesive, but it still had some good sections. The part about Maker's Mark in particular was very interesting, and I also like how he discussed the kind of "hipster" appeal that bourbon has now - something I’ve seen myself in a very hipster-ish “burgers and bourbon” restaurant that opened in my area a few years ago.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this, and it was a nice change of pace from my usual YA/fantasy selection. This is definitely a must-read for people interested in whiskey and bourbon, and it's also worth checking out if you like American history in general.
Thirsty? you will be. Bourdon Empire satisfies two of my passions, History and Bourbon. Now if Mitenbuler found a way to weave in BBQ, it would have been 5 Stars! ;-)
Quick impression: This is a very interesting book that looks at the history of bourbon, its influence on US history and culture as well as a good look at the business and industry. It also debunks a good amount of myths around bourbon. For the audio version, good narrator. However, the book does skip around a bit, and in audio, means you may feel you missed something; transitions not that great. Still, worth a read.
(Full review on my blog later).
(Full review on my blog later).