The complex chemistry behind America’s spirit – how bourbon gets its distinctive taste and color

  Few beverages have as rich a heritage and as complicated a chemistry as bourbon whiskey, often called “America’s spirit.” Known for its deep amber hue and robust flavors, bourbon has captured the hearts of enthusiasts across the country.

  But for a whiskey to be called a bourbon, it has to adhere to very specific rules. For one, it needs to be made in the U.S. or a U.S. territory – although almost all is made in Kentucky. The other rules have more to do with the steps to make it – how much corn is in the grain mixture, the aging process, and the alcohol proof.

The story of Nearest Green, America’s first known Black master distiller

  When you hear the name Jack Daniel, whiskey probably comes to mind.

  But what about the name Nathan “Uncle Nearest” Green?

  In 2016, The New York Times published a story about the distiller’s “hidden ingredient” – “help from a slave.” In the article, the brand officially acknowledged that an enslaved man, Nearest Green, taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Since then, scholars, researchers, and journalists have descended upon Lynchburg, Tennessee hoping to learn more about a man who, until then, had appeared as a mere appendage in the story of the country’s most popular whiskey brand.