Jim Beam Bourbon - a History

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Bourbon, known colloquially as ‘America’s Native Whisky’ has had a long and truly fascinating past. Strongly associated with Southern states of the United States of America, in particular Kentucky, bourbon has been long enjoyed by the people of America. One brand in particular stands out from the rest; Jim Beam, internationally known as the ‘world’s #1 bourbon’. This essay will analyse the production and consumption of this particular brand of bourbon by discussing the social, environmental and economic implications of these activities, both past and present. The bourbon industry is growing larger by the year and is expanding its reach to numerous countries around the world (Coomes & Kornstein, 2009). This makes bourbon a product of the present as well as a product that many people would have heard of, if not already purchased. Bourbon with its expanding market, is not only relevant to today’s society, its rich history also provides a basis of comparison to show just how much of an impact it has on our world. A study by Hill, Andrews, Hall, Wilcox and McMahan (2011) showed Jim Beam to be the largest producer of bourbon globally. The Jim Beam distillery began its story in the state of Kentucky and it was here, in 1795, where Jacob Beam perfected his bourbon (“The Name is Beam”, 1956). The recipe for this first bourbon remains a mystery to this day, but it is an undisputed fact that the Jim Beam bourbon has not failed in satisfying the tastes of men and women around the world to date. Jim Beam bourbon undergoes a double distillation process wherein they are stored in rackhouses. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the storing of bourbon. Jim Beam bourbon is collected in freshly charred white oak barrels which are stored in hilltop rackhouses for a minimum of four years, two years more than legally required. (Jim Beam, n.d). During

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