Here’s A quiz To See What You Know About The "Spirit Of America"

1. What major role does MALTED BARLEY play in the whiskey making process (for American Whiskey)?

2. What is the main advantage of CORN in the whiskey making process?

3. What type of whiskey was George Washington making at Mount Vernon from 1797-1799?

4. What were the whiskies folks were making in Kentucky in the 1700’s to the mid 1800′s?

5. What year did Kentucky become a Commonwealth and the 15th state in the U.S.? Extra Credit if you can name the other three Commonwealths

6. This style of RYE WHISKEY is associated with the Pennsylvania region and a river?

7. John E. Fitzgerald was employed in this capacity by the U.S. Government?

8. How is Canadian Whiskey different than other styles of whiskies?

9. The STRAW was invented because of this cocktail? Extra points if you know which Kentucky Statesman helped make this cocktail famous when he drank it at the famous Round Robin Bar at the Willard Hotel in Washington, DC.

10. When charring a barrel, what must happen to the wood inside the barrel in able to be called “charred”?

11. What does O.F.C. stand for at E.H. Taylor’s distillery (now Buffalo Trace)?

12. According to the Standards of Identity set down by the TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau) “BLENDED WHISKEY” may contain up to 80% of this type of spirit?

13. What type of STILL do most bourbon companies use? Extra Credit of you can tell who invented it and from what country?

14. What THREE properties produced as a result of fermentation?

15. Who are the father and son Master Distillers at Heaven Hill Distillery? Extra Credit: Who was the distiller there before them?

16. True/False Malted Rye, Rye, Bourbon, and Wheat whiskey all share the exact same definition other than the % of each grain needed?

17. Which distiller was key in passing the Bottled In Bond Act of 1897? Extra Credit: Who was the Secretary of Treasury from Kentucky that assisted in passing the bill.

18. John Thompson Street Brown's name appears on this bourbon label. This bourbon also makes an appearance in a famous Paul Newman movie in the 1960′s. Extra Credit: name the movie

19. In I. W. Harper Bourbon…what do the initials I.W. stand for? Extra Credit: Was Harper I.W.’s last name?

20. What year did Churchill Downs make the Mint Julep the Official Drink of the Kentucky Derby?

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1. Malted barley contains the enzymes needed to convert the starches from the grains in to fermentable sugars

2. Corn yields the most alcohol per bushel

3. A whiskey made mostly from RYE. But it was just called "whiskey" back then.

4. Mostly made from corn, but they also used rye, barley, and wheat. Regardless what is was made from it was all just called “whiskey” at the time

5. 1792 Extra Credit: Massachusetts, Virginia, & Pennsylvania - Puerto Rico is also a Commonwealth

6. Monongahela

7. He was a "Gauger" for the U.S. government at distilleries helping collect taxes.

8. Canadian Whisky makers use a variety of grains/whiskies distilled separately and then blended together in the barrel together and then aged, or aged separately and then blended together along with a neutral grain spirit. They also may add 9.09% of other spirits, and use caramel coloring.

9. The Mint Julep was the cocktail. Extra Credit: Henry Clay was the Senator and Secretary of State from KY.

10. The wood must actually catch on fire inside the barrel in order to be called “charred”. This is much different than “toasting” a barrel.

11. Old Fashioned Copper Old Fire Copper also accepted

12. Neutral Grain Spirits

13. Column Still…Extra Credit: Sir Anthony Perrier created a continuous whiskey still in 1822. Robert Stein from a grain distillery in Scotland created what he called the “patent still” in 1828 and Aeneas Coffey from Ireland took those inventions and created his “Coffey Still” in 1830.

14. Co2, alcohol, heat

15. Parker and Craig Beam. Extra Credit – Parker’s daddy; Earl Beam

16. True

17. Col. Edmund H. Taylor. Secretary John Carlisle

18. JTS Brown – Extra Credit: The Hustler

19. Isaac Wolfe Extra Credit: No…it was Bernheim. At that time in American history putting a Jewish name on a label was not good for business. Thank goodness that part of our history is over.

20. 1938. That year Larwin won the Run for the Roses with Eddie Arcaro up in the stirrups.

SCORE…..Each Correct Answer worth 5 points with Extra Credit worth 2.5 points each! 100 points total with additional Extra Credit