America’s Spirit: A History of Bourbon, the People Who Pioneered it and its Rise from the Ashes of Prohibition, Flavor Basics and Classic Cocktail Recipes

I have known Robert Mohr for about a decade. I first met him when I attended his Aroma Academy where we used different aroma samples in liquid form to train our noses to the different aromas that come out of whiskey. It was a very interesting class and I purchased one of their kits and use it often when an aroma in a whiskey eludes me. I was excited to see that he wrote a book and I had to add it to my library.

America’s Spirit: A History of Bourbon, the People Who Pioneered it and its Rise from the Ashes of Prohibition, Flavor Basics and Classic Cocktail Recipes. Robert R. Mohr, Monee, Il., School of Wine and Spirits, 2024. Introduction. Illustrated, Bibliography, 176pp.

I found this to be an interesting book that covers many subjects dealing with Bourbon whiskey. There is no table of contents or index, so finding specific subjects can be difficult, but the book is organized well and a subject can be found in the chapters. The chapters cover a brief history of Bourbon, a look at innovations to the production of Bourbon, Prohibition and its aftermath, people who are considered icons of the industry from James Crow to Pappy Van Winkle to modern distillers, distilling regions, the science of distillation, tasting Bourbon, cocktails, Bourbon in American culture, sustainable practices in production, the global influence of Bourbon, women in Bourbon, Modern craft distilling, legal and economic aspects of the industry, Bourbon festivals and tours and finally, The future of Bourbon. The book hits briefly upon all of these subjects.

The highlight of the book is the chapter on Bourbon Icons. Mohr writes a brief history of each of the icons and their contributions to the industry. I am glad to see people such as Jimmy Russell and Bill Samuels, Jr. written about in some detail. The book is illustrated with black and white photographs at the beginning of each chapter. It is well written and an enjoyable read. I would have liked to have had an index to make finding subjects easier. That is the one drawback from the book. It is a welcome addition to my library.