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A little reason to celebrate

National Bourbon Day

Drink · June 14

A day for bourbon, the American whiskey made mostly from corn and aged in new charred oak barrels, and for tasting it slowly.

National Bourbon Day falls on Monday, June 14, 2027. That is 230 days away.

Bourbon is an American whiskey made mostly from corn. By law it must be aged in new oak containers that have been charred on the inside, and that scorched wood gives it much of its color and its notes of vanilla and caramel.

Pour a little into a glass and the smell arrives first: toffee, toasted wood, sometimes dried fruit or baking spice. The corn tends to make it rounder and sweeter than many other whiskeys. Rye or wheat in the grain recipe nudges it one way or the other, rye toward pepper and wheat toward something softer.

People mark the day in plain ways. Some sip it neat, some add a splash of water to open it up, and some pour it over one large ice cube that melts slowly. Others prefer it in a classic cocktail such as an old fashioned or a mint julep. Cooks use it too, in glazes, barbecue sauces and pecan pie, where much of the alcohol cooks off and the sweet, oaky flavor stays.

A side by side tasting teaches more than a single glass. Two bottles with different grain recipes, poured in small amounts, make the rye and wheat differences easy to notice. Kentucky is the state most tied to bourbon, though the rules allow it to be made anywhere in the United States.

The label is the place to start. Terms like straight bourbon or bottled in bond tell you something specific about how it was aged and made.

Ways to celebrate

• Try a small side by side tasting of two bourbons.
• Add a few drops of water and notice how the aroma changes.
• Stir up an old fashioned or a mint julep at home.
• Brush a bourbon glaze on grilled chicken or pork.
• Read a bourbon label and look up what its terms mean.

Dates

Categories: Drink days