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A review by rsarnelli
Bourbon Empire: The Past and Future of America's Whiskey by Reid Mitenbuler
4.0
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.