Derby Days

This mineral-rich water (also known as “hard water” – this is the stuff that can leave opaque deposits on your shower) is ideal for distillation, feeding the yeast that creates bourbon, and providing it with optimal growing conditions. This water that is unique to Kentucky results not only in a robust and successful fermentation process but a whiskey that expresses the unique terroir and geologic makeup of the state of Kentucky. The benefits of this water extend to livestock, including horses, which are said to have exceptionally strong bones and muscles due to an increased calcium intake. 

Water with a high mineral content also contributes to the fertile soil that Kentucky is distinctly known for. In addition to growing lush, verdant grass – hence that “Bluegrass State” moniker – that is excellent for raising healthy, strong horses, Kentucky’s soil is perfect for growing an abundance of crops. Corn, which must legally comprise at least 51% of bourbon’s mashbill, grows especially well; Kentucky farmers harvested 225 million bushels of it in 2015 and it’s one of the state’s major agricultural products. 

In 1776, Virginia passed the Corn Patch and Cabin Rights Act, which promised 400 acres of land to settlers who both established a homestead and planted corn in what is now Kentucky. This, followed by the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States, spurred millions to migrate west, drawn by the promise of cheap land, adventure, and a lack of the urban sprawl that was by then ubiquitous on the coast. Both migrants who had experience distilling whiskey and those who were well-versed in raising thoroughbreds were struck by the verdant fields of Kentucky bluegrass and stopped their journey west to set up shop in the nation’s fifteenth state. Whiskey makers soon realized that the continental climate of Kentucky, which boasts warm summers and moderately cold winters, uniquely affected the aging process for their distillate: dramatic temperature swings, especially on higher floors of aging facilities, yielded more whiskey moving in and out of the charred oak barrels more quickly. This large temperature shift resulted in an accelerated whiskey aging process, introducing the character of the charred new oak barrels to the alcohol inside relatively quickly. By achieving in less than a decade what took distillers across the Atlantic sometimes up to 20 years, whiskey makers in Kentucky were able to put their own unique spin on what was eventually legally codified as a specific product unique to the United States – bourbon. 

High-quality bourbon and horses are a great example of the saying “What grows together goes together”. Horse breeders in Kentucky hosted races and exhibitions at which guests drank the most widely available and low-cost spirit on hand: corn whiskey made locally (sometimes on the same property). As Kentucky-bred horses became ubiquitous on the winner’s podiums of national races, more and more breeders were drawn to emulate their success by moving their husbandry programs to the Bluegrass State. Meanwhile, word spread among US distillers that some of the best whiskey in the country was coming out of Kentucky, encouraging more and more people to establish their own distillation operations there.  

Nowadays, horses and bourbon work hand in hand to fuel the Kentucky economy through tourism and horse racing events. Brands such as Bulleit Frontier Whiskey have partnered with racetracks to feature their spirits in race day cocktails, while tour operators take guests to equestrian centers in the morning followed by distilleries in the afternoon. Beyond creating jobs and bolstering the state’s economy, both bourbon manufacturing and horse breeding are vital elements of Kentucky’s unique culture.