Celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month with These Flavorful Must-Haves

September is National Bourbon Heritage Month – though Kentucky Bourbon Heritage Month could be an apt name, as Forbes points out. A 2007 U.S. Senate Resolution recognizes bourbon as “America’s Native Spirit.” It also commends “the contributions of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to the culture of the United States.”

Bourbon is a $9 billion industry in Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Distiller’s Association. Each year, the KDA delivers a proclamation to the governor’s desk to designate September as Kentucky Bourbon Heritage Month.

As for the spirit, bourbon is a type of whiskey with a distinct set of “rules” to classify it as bourbon. Under the 1964 U.S. Senate Res. 19, bourbon production must be in the United States. It must also be made from at least 51% corn and aged in new, charred American white oak barrels.

Whichever way you mark Bourbon Heritage Month, it’s all about enjoying America’s one true native spirit. Whether you drink it straight, enjoy it in a classic cocktail, or add it to a bourbon-infused recipe, you can savor bourbon all month long. Consider these ideas if you’re looking for fresh ways to celebrate bourbon.

Spice up your favorite pasta or other dish with a touch of bourbon-smoked paprika from Bourbon Barrel Foods. It’s one in a lineup of bourbon-infused spices such as bourbon-smoked pepper, bourbon-smoked garlic salt, and bourbon-smoked chili powder. Add a hint of bourbon to give your recipe, just the touch of spirit you crave.

Bourbon Barrel Foods brands its Bourbon Barrel Pure Cane Sorghum as “Kentucky’s maple syrup.” The “earthy, sweet” flavor adds flair to pancakes, biscuits, and other favorite favorites. It’s a sweet way to enjoy a touch of bourbon flavor in a traditional dish.

If you already enjoy bourbon in a variety of cocktails – or are new to bourbon and want to learn some tasty ways to serve it — read “Bourbon Is My Comfort Food,” by co-authors Heather Wibbels and Susan Reigler.

Discover variations on over 140 cocktails like the old-fashioned, the Manhattan, whiskey sours, highballs, juleps, and more. Readers can also explore how to experiment with different cocktail elements like textures, flavors, infusions, syrups, and garnishes. Wibbels also shares cocktails from the bourbon women’s leadership team.

Jim Beam has produced one of the world’s “premier brands of bourbon whiskey” since 1795. The “Jim Beam Bourbon Cookbook” contains over 70 recipes that include the brand’s signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. You’ll be delighted in the ways that bourbon enhances popular foods. For example, you can enjoy buttermilk pancakes and bacon with bourbon syrup, New York bourbon cheesecake, fully-loaded black bean nachos, and so much more.

Beef jerky is an American snack as old as the cowboys who carried it while driving cattle. According to the brand, Bourbon Franklin infuses Righteous Felon’s beef jerky recipe “with a Fourth-of-July’s worth of bourbon, a pinch of vanilla bean, and a whisper of cinnamon.” Get your tongue ready for a taste that delivers a sweet, flavorful reminder of home.

Enjoy a welcoming waft of bourbon in a sweet, blended scent from Wixology. This unique bourbon cocktail inspired scented candle boasts an aromatic mix of coffee and bourbon cream. The brand pours candles with a blend of coconut and soy and produces 100% plant-based wax. The cocktail recipe inspiring the candle’s scent is included.

There’s no better way to enjoy Kentucky bourbon whiskey than in this handcrafted bourbon barrel flight with glasses – that are made from reclaimed bourbon barrels. Share the flavorful, aromatic, and historic spirit with friends or family for Bourbon Heritage Month in a beautiful set of Glencairn glasses that accompany the flight.

Most grill experts will attest that a barbecue recipe is only as good as the sauce. Slather ribs, chops, chicken, and more in Rix Mix original bourbon BBQ sauce for some “light, smoky, sweet bourbon flavor” on your favorite meat. The gourmet Kansas City style barbecue sauce blends the right combination of spices with Kentucky’s own favorite spirit – bourbon.

Bourbon is sweet and rich – that’s why it’s a perfect ingredient in lots of desserts. Take, for example, this scrumptious bourbon pecan pie filling from Kentucky Goodness. Each jar contains ¼ cup of bourbon. Just mix the contents with butter and eggs, pour it in a ready-made crust, and enjoy “a bourbon-soaked piece of pie heaven.”

Macy’s bake shop is known for its decadent desserts, and they deliver a doozy with this bourbon pecan pie. It’ll be hard to stop at just one slice when you try this moist delicacy that contains real Kentucky bourbon, fresh pecans, brown sugar, vanilla, and flaky, delicious crust.

Any of these bourbon-inspired products will help you celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month throughout September and beyond.