Is Bourbon American?

By: Justin Dyer

The Senate Concurrent Resolution #19 of the 88th Congress

May 4, 1964. Like any other, it is a seemingly ordinary date, but this day holds a special place in history for bourbon lovers. On this day, the United States Congress decided that bourbon was a “Distinctive Product of the United States.”

In Concurrent Resolution #19 of the 88th Congress, the Senate and House of Representatives identified bourbon as something essentially American, comparing it to other spirits with a national identity. Scotch must be produced in Scotland in compliance with British laws, Canadian whisky must comply with Canada’s production laws, and cognac must come from the Cognac region of France and be regulated by the French government. After this resolution, Bourbon officially found a place in United States federal regulation, creating a new spirit with its national identity: bourbon whiskey.

In 1902, John C. Watts was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky. He was elected to the House of Representatives and served 11 terms. Rep. Watts pushed Congress to give bourbon its proper place as a uniquely American spirit. He first introduced House Congressional Resolution 57 in the 88th Congress to prevent the import of any whiskey calling itself bourbon. This effort helped ensure bourbon remained a regulated American product. Over a year later, Congress agreed to the resolution Rep. Watts had put forth, and his continued efforts helped America gain its official national spirit.

For a whiskey to be called bourbon, there are a handful of requirements, and because of the Concurrent Resolution 19 of the 88th Congress, one of those requirements is that it must be made in America. While declared a distinctive product of the United States in 1964, in 2007, Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning took it further, calling bourbon “America’s Native Spirit.”

Bourbon is a part of our American heritage, both formative and long-lasting, in the culture of American whiskey. Whether enjoying a pour at a bourbon bar and meeting a new friend or having old friends over one evening to catch up, bourbon has always created community throughout its history in America.